Got a 95 Disco 3.9, 110km, (not miles). Started leaking oil from lower oil cooler pie at radiator end. At the same time developed a clacking noise. Doesnt sound like tappet rattle or big end noise. Pretty sure its coming from oil pump as it gets louder when crawl under the front. Oil light takes a while to go out at start up. My guess is that it may be the oil pressure releif valve. Im guessing that maybe the oil drained out of the pump due to the leak and now will not prime. You cant unbolt the pump head and prime with vaseline on this model engine. Have fixed oil leak at cooler pipe.Suggestions please?

 

If the pump had not primed, you would have lost your engine by now. Sounds like it is time for a oil pump and a new timing chain set while you are in there if it is getting loose.

 

You can reprime the oil pump by removing the oil filter and then with a squirt oil can you can fill it back up with oil, install the filter and she will be primed.

 

His oil light does go off so the pump is priming.

 

Took front cover off today. heard a rattle inside while removing. Opened up pump anf found the outer gear broken in 2 places. Thanks Mike. Is it OK to put new chain on old sprockets?

 

Go to Rover Connection for a good price on the pump kit and chain set. If it were mine I would replace the chain gears usually because of the wear they might have. In your case, with that low mileage you might be OK.
Do us a favor and post a picture of the oil pump gears set, would love to see that.
Might want to pull the pan and make sure no metal is laying in there.

 

Heres what a broken oil pump looks like. Shes a bit "pakaru" as we say here in New New Zealand. How that happened I dont know. I bought it off a young guy bout a month ago. He bought it with a stuffed motor and replaced with this one.Apparently this engine has only done 100,000 kms. He changed the front and rear seals so maybe he dropped something ing there as there is a gouge in the casing between the pump gears so I guess just replacing the just the pump gears aint gonna work that well. Anyway, crap happens. At least I didnt lose the whole engine.

That was the easy bit. Tring to find a replacement down here is a nightmare. Nobody wants to part with this particular spare. If they do they want an arm and a leg for it. Probably cheaper to source direct from UK.
Thanks for your advice. (Hope Ive attached that pic properly)

 

Where do you live?? Have you gone on line like I suggested?

 

I live in New Zealand, at the bottom of the planet. I thought I needed a whole new front cover because of what I thought was a gouge in the casing. Turns out to be part of the design so only needed new pump gears. A brand new front cover from UK was quoted at $2500 NZ (work that out in $US at about 69c to $US). No-one here wanted to part with a cover cept for 1 wrecker for no less than $500 used. Anyway all sorted now and back on the road. Thanks for the help.