Good thought but when I had my engine apart I cleaned the oil seperator out very well.

A vacume leak would not be present if you had a valley gasket to block leak, this area is not under vacuum. Only your intake runners would be under vacuum.

If I pull the plenum can I get by without replacing the gasket? I'm asking for an experience answer not a good practice answer.

 

Pull of the hose at the v/c and spray carb cleaner down into the separator, this will usually unplug them.
As for the rear main, before tearing the engine down, consider using a bottle of White Shepherd rear main sealer from Universal Products, works pretty well and you are not out but a few bucks if it doesn't work.
Also tighten your v/c bolts to slow some oil leaks down.

 

90% of the times I've tried to re-use a gasket of any kind there have been problems, unless it was built for that purpose.

Ditto on White Shepard.

 

White Shepherd causes the seals to swell I assume?? I'd rather correct the problem then add an additive if I can.

 

me too. I am 99% sure mine is NOT rear main as the area inside the bell housing is clean and dry via the small round inspection cover. I am going to pull the upper intake this weekend hopefully and see what i can see. I read another post about a guy who had put in 3 rear main seals and could never solve the problem. Valley gasket leak if I am correct sure looks like a rear main just cause of the way it comes around the tranny and oil pan and drips down

 

Sure a heck of alot easier to pull the plenum then the motor as the first step. I'm going to try and do the same this weekend. Let me know what you find.

 

And one of the places oil can vent is the main seal, or at least add to the flow, who knows, maybe your Rover is trying for the High Volume Leak of the Year award..

The oil seal conditioner might delay problem until you have time to work on it, pull everything apart, etc. It is a band-aid, and sometimes you need one.

 

I didn't get around to tearing into mine this weekend. I am hoping to get to it at some point in the near future. Will let everyone know what I find

 

Same location of leak. After many washes still not exactly sure of location. It pools from between the bellhousing and engine.

I pulled the oilpan off and could swear it looked like it was leaking from the rear section after examining the gasket to surface artifacts (basically oil all around, under, over gasket at rear, no indication of an actual seal).

so, new seal in, rtv the hell out of it all around on both sides + at 4 joints and slap it on. dry as bone for a few days.

then all of a sudden i see fresh clear as baby shampoo oil sliding down the oil pan from the same bellhousing area.

When i had the pan off i looked up at the block and crankshaft area and that was dry as bone. there was no fluid coming from the main seal that i could feel or tell. everything above the pan joint @ rear of engine is dry.

im stumped. i haven't dare look at the underside again but i haven't seen drops on the ground yet. but i know its leaking. i dont have the nerves to confirm it yet again.

valve covers are new and dry.

valley gasket maybe. when i first looked months ago it was leaking down from behind manifolds around the head gasket. after i washed all that THAT has been dry. this is exciting. cars that dont break bore me. <3 rovers

 

Solution, go buy an actual oil separator and install.

(Only picture I have, obviously focus your eyes towards the correct spot and see the blue top of the separator)