Pre Simpson Desert small fixes advice needed.

[lachiek]

Heading to a mechanic tomorrow but any advice whether to worry about this new oil leak? Has been damp for a few months but just got a bit worse.

Its also damp right round the left side sump gasket but has been for a year and doesn't miss a beat or use excessive oil.

Should I worry about this if heading into the desert?

Any advice appreciated.

[BigRAWesty]

First question. Were is it coming from? You have a very, very clean engine there to try your best to maintain that, makes fault finding so much easier..

So if you can source the leaks its possible a simple matter of changing a seal or gasket.
If the sump gasket is leaking then best to change while the oil is out..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[june]

doesn't look to bad to me. I crossed the simmo east to west via the French line and it was quite hard on the vehicle. you want your troll good mechanically as a breakdown In the desert could cost big time especially if your vehicle needs to be towed out by either mount dare road house or Birdsville. by the look of the picture I would take some spare oil.

[menace 2]

It looks like you have a pretty clean engine bay so i would want to keep it that way..anything that leaks just spreads ...it doesnt look like a major leak but you have found it and if the sump gasket then as suggested in a earlier post ..just fix it when you change the oil which I am sure you would do before the simpson trip...you have found it..it obviously concerns you so just give yourself peace of mind especially regarding the simpson trip and just fix it ...better to be doing those sort of trips without having to be worrying about something you know is there..

[lachiek]

Thanks all. Yeah I try to keep it clean - thanks for noticing!

The leak shown is very localised - coming from one small spot in the seal round the middle of the block. No idea how that would get tightened up or replace so it looks like an expensive fix for a so-far small leak...

It's my first desert trip so being a bit precious. Otherwise I would just keep an eye on it, take spare oil and wait till it gets real bad or I need to take the block apart before fixing it.

Happy trails all.

[threedogs]

When Brad Newham had the Birdsville Roadhouse rescue costs of $2500 were not uncommon,
that was awhile ago now, Main cause of break down was dust in ECU, mainly. Disco's