Hi Mat,mat_fenwick wrote:Sorry I was kind of joking about the rocker cover gasket...although it is a common problem I can't see any garage getting that mixed up with the head gasket. Although it is rare for the HG to fail between the oilway and the outside of the block.
Bottom end I would guess at being one of the crankshaft oil seals, but they aren't that difficult to change. I wonder if the diagnosis of requiring a replacement engine is because the main bearings are so shot the play in the crankshaft has destroyed the seals???
yes, I believe it's the main bearings, but I can't remember what the top leak is from after a few weeks since he told me.
Mind you, when we bought it from a 'Cit specialist' in East Anglia four years ago, my guys were horrified at the condition of the brakes when servicing it, even though it had a brand new MOT...............
So I do take the point about some specialists being rip off merchants.
Mind you, no-one was more extreme than the guy in London who started sphere recharging in the 70s. He was rude to a fault, partially deaf, and would slag off your car unmercifully. To his credit, he DID kow his stuff mechanically, which is why I kept going back.........
David.