Oil leak from wheel???

[Oh Danny Boy]

Hi,
Looking fo some advice please. Took the van out for a drive yesterday. After 15 minutes i stopped, and when i went to drive off there was a knocking sound which sounded like it was coming from under the front centre of the vehicle, just around the gear stick area. Fearing the gearbox was about to pack in, i drove it home where the noise would increase in frequancy (hope that makes sense) the faster i was going. By the time i got the van home, only about 5 miles, the sound had stopped.
Had a look in the Haynes manuel and the closeist i could see in the troubleshooting section what was maybe wrong was a CV joint, however i have just took it out again to re-check, and the noise would only happen when i was breaking this time. Got it back, had a look around the van and noticed that the drivers side front wheel (it is a LHD) had oil splatter marks all around it. I have attached an image which will hopefully show what i am on about. The oil appears to be coming from the centre cap. Behind the wheel, underneath the van it is bone dry however. Anyone have an idea on What the blithering heck?
Thanks

E D I T: Couldn't seem to attach the image so here is the link. Thanks. http://s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae17 ... eeloil.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ian Hulley]

That's wheel bearing grease, it appears to have got hot, become liquid and been thrown from the speedo drive cap/cover.

Ian

[Oh Danny Boy]

Thanks Ian, and thanks for attaching the picture, appreciated. Do you have an idea why this would be? Would it indicate i need a new wheel bearing or something else? Just trying to clue myself up before i take it somewhere to be fixed. Which on that note, can anyone recommend a decent mechanic/garage around the Milton Keynes area?

[Ian Hulley]

Jack up the front and test for play in the 12 & 6 o'clock plain, there should be a fraction of play but not much. IF you are mechanically au fait you can remove the drive circlip, grease cap, pein nut, tab washer and repack with a suitable high temperature grease. Adjust the bearing up as per the wiki ... again NOT tightened up but just so there is a smidgin of play and re-pien the nut and re-assemble the rest of the cover. (IIRC the pein nut is 24mm ?)

Recheck for play after driving a couple of miles.

Ian

[kevtherev]

Do you have an idea why this would be?

Or you could have a binding calliper which is heating the hub up.

[Ian Hulley]

It may just be the angle of the photo but the tyre looks well down on pressure as well ? For the correct 185 R14C tyres it should be 45 psi front 55 psi rear.

Ian

[Oh Danny Boy]

Thanks guys.
Ian, no, unfortunately i am absoloutely NOT au fait with anything mechanical. You have been a big help though, so thanks for your time - at least i have an idea of WHAT the oil is now. Regarding the tyre pressure, that's just the angle of the photo as you suggested, tyre pressure is probably the only job i am capable of doing at the moment.
We purchased the Van just about a month ago. Unfortunately a couple of days later my father-in-law passed away which knocked us for six, so we have hardly had any time driving it - yesterday was only the 4th time i had driven it since we purchased it. When we did buy it, it got us back on a 3hr journey with no problems at all - the 1st sign of any trouble was yesterday. The guy we got it from did mention it had recently had a problem with a "sticking brake" or something, but he had resolved it. He seemed a pretty straight up guy but I'm guessing now maybe that is the problem returned. Not the end of the world though, we're still over the moon with it, it seems in otherwise excellent shape (he say's with fingers crossed )

Thanks once again. I'll post an update when the problem has been resolved, maybe it'll help someone else out in the future.

[camper]

Is there a chance the front wheel bearings have been packed with low melting temp point grease instead of high melting point.

[kevtherev]

The guy we got it from did mention it had recently had a problem with a "sticking brake" or something, but he had resolved it.

judging by the mess obviously not.
the sticking brake will heat up the hub and melt the grease.

The term is "seized calliper"
to remedy that the calliper has to be removed and the piston inside it pushed in and out a number of times... or the calliper renewed completely if it persists.

[Oh Danny Boy]

Thank you Kev. Do you have any idea of what I can expect to be paying out in a worse case scenario (caliper replaced or whatever) ?

[kevtherev]

couple hours labour tops
if the calliper has to be replaced then you can price them up from Brickwerks, you just need to know what type yours is

[kevtherev]

what's your location?

[Ian Hulley]

Do you have any idea of what I can expect to be paying out in a worse case scenario (caliper replaced or whatever) ?

You don't say what age your van is ? But ... reconditioned caliper ... http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/shop?catego ... 0&start=20 ~£75 delivered and about 1 hour's labour to swap it, be carefull though there are several different types depending on age etc.

It would help if you edited your profile to state clearly your location and age of the vehicle.

Ian

[Oh Danny Boy]

Thanks Gents, you have been a real help.
My location is Milton Keynes and it's a 1985 Watercooled 1.9. I'm going to go and sort out my profile right now.

Incidentally, should anyone know of a decent mechanic in or around my area, please let me know. Thanks.

[kevtherev]

Being an '85 means it's an early calliper.
If you send the calliper to Brickwerks they will replace it with the correct part. ( an ATE or GIRLING calliper ) you don't need to identify it they will