Oil leak

[tommymac]

first things first, go and clean the engine bay, get a can of degrease, go for a big drive (so the engine is properly warm, degrease will work better that way) then head off to the car wash and go nuts with the high pressure hose.

Then you just have to check where it's coming from;

Common places are: Rocker cover gasket, and sump gasket. if your breather is blocked, excess crack pressure could be forcing oil out the dipstick or the dizzy. If it's not coming from there, then look at the two big end seals.

the leak might not nessecarily be realted to the tappet noise. Could just be the tappets getting older and more worn out. They tend to do that. not too difficult of a job to do. Probs one of those 3/5 spanners jobs

Smell it, gear oil stinks!

[walshydub]

So, it's either coming from the cam cover or the sump. New seals for both i think!