17 replies to this topic

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Right, im getting annoyed with this now, my mini is constantly wetting itself and at this rate im going to have to keep topping the oil up!

looking at the underside, it appears to be coming out from somewhere around either the gear linkage to the engine or where the cv joint is....

Any quick fixes? Ive seen some leak fix stuff advertised somewhere, cant remember just where though?

[Sprocket]

The only way to truely fix an oil leak, if its a seal, is to replace them. These addatives, in my opinion, are not a 'fix' but a temporery solution to the problem that will return sooner rather than later.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

ok, thats fair enough, but how do i tell which seal i have to replace, and is it likely to be a big job?

Ive only just done a complete oil change!

[Jammy]

Clean your engine (Gunk is fairly good, or Mr Muscle has been mentioned as being top notch as well!). Then get the front up on ramps (chock back wheels!!) and run the engine, get underneath and you should be able to see where the oil is coming from.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

So simple, i should have thought of that myself :nugget:

Its already clean (bar the small amount of clean oil now) so a wipe will work

[Steve Rowe]

sounds the same place mine is leaking were the gear linkage gos into the box , i just check my oil before i take it out and top up ( nice mess on the driveway tho lol)

[AlexM]

Ive done this recently!

Cleaned the whole engine as best i could with Gunk and oil was leaking from the gear linkage and the CV joints on both sides.
Although in reality it is not usually the CV joints themselves that leak oil but the gearbox output flanges.

You will need a driveshaft oil seal for each side and a flange gasket for each side, some jointing compound is also a good idea.

There are one or two things you have to be wary of when doing this job.

On the drivers side (assuming the car is right hand drive) there is a tiny cylindrical piece of metal with a spring and a tiny metal ball with a loop on one end (i forget the technical term). The moment that you remove the flange housing it will most probably fling out accross your garage or worse, the driveway! This is needed for the location of the gear change linkage.

On the passangers side there are three metal shims behind the output flange housing, they will probably fall directly downwards once you remove the flange (i dont no what they are for but putting them back was difficult, I lost my pateience and ended up using selotape to hold them in place.

When changing the seals for the CV joints is a good idea to change not only the flange oil seal but the gasket too, if only as a precaution.

Follow the haynes manual (if you dont have one by now you should get one) but make sure (whatever the temptation) that you remove the flange housing last in each instance (it simplifys things).

It may be worth purchasing the Mini Spares special tool for removing CV joint (pot joints) Minisparesa lot of people will tell you there is no need and that you can make do with a pair of tyre levers, but in my experience a lot of frustration is avaoided if you just buy the tool in the first place as it will avoid any damage to the companants.

A long worm drive hose clip is also a good idea to get each cv joint back onto the out put shafts.

As for the gear change linkage oil seal i have avoided doing it as i have not been able to remove the two retaining pins, that hold the linkage against the diff housing. You will need a parallel pin punch (5mm I think, dont quote me) and to move the gear shift into the lift position over by reverse gear, but not into reverse gear itself. This makes it the easiest to remove the pins, remember they are not designed to come out easily (last thing you want on a motorway or steep hill) so substatntial force is required. :smartass:

If you need any help PM me, disregard any information here that is irrelevant.

Its only a big job if you break something or dont have the right tools, otherwise it should be relatively straightforward.

As for quick fixes, forget them, you need to solve the problem!

Hope the above info is of use.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Ive done this recently!

Cleaned the whole engine as best i could with Gunk and oil was leaking from the gear linkage and the CV joints on both sides.
Although in reality it is not usually the CV joints themselves that leak oil but the gearbox output flanges.

You will need a driveshaft oil seal for each side and a flange gasket for each side, some jointing compound is also a good idea.

There are one or two things you have to be wary of when doing this job.

On the drivers side (assuming the car is right hand drive) there is a tiny cylindrical piece of metal with a spring and a tiny metal ball with a loop on one end (i forget the technical term). The moment that you remove the flange housing it will most probably fling out accross your garage or worse, the driveway! This is needed for the location of the gear change linkage.

On the passangers side there are three metal shims behind the output flange housing, they will probably fall directly downwards once you remove the flange (i dont no what they are for but putting them back was difficult, I lost my pateience and ended up using selotape to hold them in place.

When changing the seals for the CV joints is a good idea to change not only the flange oil seal but the gasket too, if only as a precaution.

Follow the haynes manual (if you dont have one by now you should get one) but make sure (whatever the temptation) that you remove the flange housing last in each instance (it simplifys things).

It may be worth purchasing the Mini Spares special tool for removing CV joint (pot joints) Minisparesa lot of people will tell you there is no need and that you can make do with a pair of tyre levers, but in my experience a lot of frustration is avaoided if you just buy the tool in the first place as it will avoid any damage to the companants.

A long worm drive hose clip is also a good idea to get each cv joint back onto the out put shafts.

As for the gear change linkage oil seal i have avoided doing it as i have not been able to remove the two retaining pins, that hold the linkage against the diff housing. You will need a parallel pin punch (5mm I think, dont quote me) and to move the gear shift into the lift position over by reverse gear, but not into reverse gear itself. This makes it the easiest to remove the pins, remember they are not designed to come out easily (last thing you want on a motorway or steep hill) so substatntial force is required. :smartass:

If you need any help PM me, disregard any information here that is irrelevant.

Its only a big job if you break something or dont have the right tools, otherwise it should be relatively straightforward.

As for quick fixes, forget them, you need to solve the problem!

Hope the above info is of use.

Cheers for that! Thats just what i needed.

I have most tools, and my neighbour has many of the specialist tools required too.

How long do you reckon it takes to do all that, and a rough cost of the replacement parts?

Perhaps a job for tomorrow if ive finished the paintwork.

[AlexM]

Following from Minispares:

Gearbox rod change anti oil leak seal kit: £4.08

Diff out put shaft oil seal: £0.65 each

Gearbox output shaft gasket non genuine: £0.37 each


Im not sure about the cost of two new locating pins, but if you have all the tools necessary then it should cost more that whats there, other than ur time, depends on ur working pace, but if you have never done it before then reserve an afternoon at the least,

Things you might break in the process:

Inner CV joint rubber gainter £3
Swivel pin rubber dust cover £0.60
Genuine Track rod end £6.40

Good Luck

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Cheers bud, i'll nip down to motor factors tomorrow morning and see if they can order those bits, its getting worse the leak

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Right, just stuck it up on the stands, and it appears the most of the oil is coming from the right hand (drivers side) inner cv joint.

Damn leak! :nugget:

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Sorry, i forgot to ask... does sticking these gaskets and seals in require dropping the oil?

Just off to get the parts now, but it'll have to wait if it needs the oil dropping too.

[Guess-Works.com]

Yes you will have to drop the oil, and I would strongly recomend not removing the diff covers as this cause more problems than it solves, the "three" shims are thrust shims, for the gearbox bearings, when the endplates are removed, you MUST reshim the diff bearings, as the pre-load on them will have been relaxed and your new gaskets may not be of the same thinckness as the ones removed.

You can replace the dif seals, by just picking the existing ones out and pushing the new ones in, will take about 10 minutes.

*edit* dont forget you will have to remove both drive shafts so you will need you mini up on axle stands ( recommend big plank of wood under floor pan and stands under that ) not on ramps.

Edited by GuessWorks, 17 October 2005 - 01:50 PM.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Yes you will have to drop the oil, and I would strongly recomend not removing the diff covers as this cause more problems than it solves, the "three" shims are thrust shims, for the gearbox bearings, when the endplates are removed, you MUST reshim the diff bearings, as the pre-load on them will have been relaxed and your new gaskets may not be of the same thinckness as the ones removed.

You can replace the dif seals, by just picking the existing ones out and pushing the new ones in, will take about 10 minutes.

*edit* dont forget you will have to remove both drive shafts so you will need you mini up on axle stands ( recommend big plank of wood under floor pan and stands under that ) not on ramps.

There is no leak from the left hand side, only the right.

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Sod it... were making a dash today... oil leak can wait.