Previously, my car was not driven very often, but I have set about remedying that. I have been slowly finding and fixing fluid leaks that I assume are a result of the sitting.
I have some leaks that are hard to find since I don't know the car very well. I was hoping someone with more experience would be able to help.

I have a leak that occurs after the car cools down. Overnight, a two inch diameter puddle of engine oil appears near the center of the car and near the back of the engine. I thought it might be the rear crankshaft seal, but there does not seem to be any drips from the center slot of the sheetmetal torque converter cover, where I would think such a leak would originate. When the engine is hot, no drips appear until the engine has been off for a few hours.

I just changed the oil over the weekend and when the car was running on the lift to check for leaks, a few drops of oil appeared on the oil filter. I thought the oil filter was not on tight, but looking closer, I noticed the oil appeared to be coming from above the oil filter. Perhaps the oil filter housing. Once I wiped the area down to look again, nothing else appeared and there have been no drips from under the oil filter since then.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? I have always heard the jokes about British cars leaking everything, but I figured they can be fixed through recurring maintenance.

Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks,

 

My first suggestion is the cam cover "D" seals, and the camcover gaskets have dried up, and shrunk.

Those D seals are the MOST common oil leak issue on the V12 in the area you are discussing.

There is the oil gauge sender, the larger and on TOP of the pedastal, also leaks badly. It is a Smiths unit.

The smaller sender is for the light, and also leaks.

The banjo bolts and associated copper washers are NOT an issue, unless fiddled with, and I would NOT fiddle with them just the sake of checking, so please leave them alone unless 100% they are the issue. The banjo bolts in the rear of each tappet block will strip their threads in a heartbeat. Then you will be really happy, NOT.

The gasket between the oil filter housing and the block sometimes fails, but it is a rare event.

The 2 SMALL hoses on the SMALL metal pipe that runs from that housing TO the top flange of the upper sump are an 80% leaker due to age. Fun to change, you will do them by feel and laugh for hours whilst doing them.

The list goes on, but I need a drink.

 

I believe one of the leaks is from the last one you mention. Leaking from the bypass valve stub pipe, but only on start up cold. Drips for a minute or two. I have not found the other one, yet. D seals, oil sender, and cam covers are tight. Thanks for the help.