vauxhall combo 2003 oil leak

[burts]

So I have an oil leak on my van. It has been ok topping it up but customers are getting annoyed with oil on their drives and so they should. I pointed the leak out to the mechanic on a full service and he dismissed it saying it was only a small one and not too worry. Well it got worse. I had a friend take a quick look who has knowledge of vehicles. He has said it is 90% the sump pan gasket. So my questions are..... How easy is it to change the gasket on a sump pan? Might it just need tightening? What gasket should I buy as I have read bad reviews on rubber and cork? Do they do fibre gaskets like they do for flanges in plumbing? ( i'm a plumber) Also I have heard some people have just used a silicone paste?

I am a heating engineer so very hands on, is this an easy job? Have access to a set of ramps to lift the vehicle.

 

[Burnerman]

Before you dive in, just ascertain that the sump hasn't become porous due to rust - its fairly common these days.
I don't know if this engine actually uses a gasket - another common practice is to use a special high temperature sealant, from either a main dealer (who will tell you about the gasket situation anyway) or a motor factor.
John

 

[mfarrow]

Also, go underneath and check that it actually is the oil sump. Any clean area above the gasket may indicate an oil seal, or the oil pump. You should find a gasket on these.

 

[burts]

Thanks people, obviously I am going to have the van up first, clean the oil away to see where it is coming from. If the sump is rusted then I will buy a new one. I have high temperature sealant that I use on boiler flues. It withstands 300 degrees. Is it ok to use that with a gasket as well.

 

[Burnerman]

If the sealant is silicone based then it should be fine with the gasket but use it sparingly.
If there isn't a gasket its probably wise to use the proper stuff....expensive but you'll only do the job once!
John

 

[mfarrow]

Thanks people, obviously I am going to have the van up first, clean the oil away to see where it is coming from.

Don't forget it's not water, it can be difficult to spot oil leaks, so have a good look round before wiping away the evidence.

For example: Sump gasket?

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• mfarrow
• 18 Apr 2014
• 1

Nope, crankshaft seal or oil pump further up (nice clean surfaces to the right!):

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• mfarrow
• 18 Apr 2014
• 1

 

[burts]

Turns out if was dripping down from the oil filter out of the cap. So I unscrewed it to check the integrity of the rubber seal. The rubber seal sits half way down the thread of the fuel cap and being a plumber I didn't see how it created an effective seal. So I wrapped the thread it ptfe , plumbers thread seal tape and it stopped the leak.