Incontinent Rover

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Wed 8 Oct 2003 10:45
Incontinent Rover - martint
First time, so all help appreciated.

I have a Rover 218SLDT 1995, 136,000 trouble-free miles, until now. Two questions:

The metal pipes to the coolant expansion tank are beginning to rust and metal replacements are a ridiculous price of £56!! Any reason why the whole run shouldn't be rubber compound, as some stretches already are, so long as I don't trap it, let it catch etc?

The injection pump is leaking oil across the front of the engine, messy. My excellent local dealer is making gloomy noises about the cost of a replacement.

With a value of £700 on this car, has the time come to move on?

Martint
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Wed 8 Oct 2003 10:53
Incontinent Rover - RichardW
I can't see any reason why you shouldn't use rubber to the expansion tank - this is what is used on other applications for this engine (it's a Peugeot / Citroen engine).

The injection can't be leaking oil - there's none in it! It might be leaking diesel? However, if you're sure it's oil leaking, then I would be thinking more along the lines of the breather hoses, cam cover gasket, or head gasket. If you decide a head gasket and or new injection pump are necessary, the cost if you don't DIY is likely to far exceed the value of the car. But if it's running OK, and just losing a bit of oil, then I would just keep driving it till something REALLY goes wrong - then scrap it!


RichardW

Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Wed 8 Oct 2003 12:59
Incontinent Rover - martint
Thanks Richard. As someone whose understanding of engines was tested by my first car - Anglia 105E - I was thrown by the dealer's view that it was the injection pump that was causing the oil leak. I might go back and quiz them harder.

martint
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Thu 9 Oct 2003 00:15
Incontinent Rover - DL
More likely to be a camshaft oil seal.

Tried a decent (independant) repair shop? You might save a few ££'s into the bargain and get an accurate diagnosis, too!
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