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I cleaned off the underside of the engine with degreaser while doing the front suspension with subframe out. Next day I notice there is oil dripping from the corners of the these louvers under the transmission.
Notice Back Inside Corners for Drip
I pulled those louvers off and there is the rusted, but quite dry housing. I felt around inside the cavity covered by the louvers and there was oil on the inside of the housing. What might be causing this leak? BTW. Not sure it is oil. Could be ATF. Color of the fluid is inconclusive. Kind of brown but could be dirty reddish. Smell is not clear either. If I had to give an opinion would say oil. Not dripping like crazy, just probably a few drips a day. Anyway, with the subframe off, I won't find a better time to fix it.
A rear crankshaft seal could leak into that area. So could a front transmission seal.
Transmission fluid, in good condition, would be a definite red color....but that housing gets very dirty inside so the red will often be more like brown. As will engine oil
Personally, if it's just a few drips, I'd shrug it off. But I'm rather nonchalant about oil leaks except the real gushers !
Hard to say since you cleaned off the entire underside of the engine. Very possible oil leaks from anywhere forward of that position to drip down and then fly back in the wind as the car moves. For example a leak at the front of the engine will eventually leave oil caked on the entire underside and some of the transmission. Clean everything up and then check again after driving a bit, should be easier to spot the trail then.
Thanks Doug. How would you go about finding out which was the cause? I'm paranoid about oil leaks ever since my first car (a 1972 Saab 99) "blew up" from lack of oil. Thing leaked like a sieve!
Thanks Sidescrolling. Definitely not blow back. That leak was there before. And came back after cleaning without the car being moved. The front subframe is out. So whatever is causing the leak is inside that housing.
I'm with Doug. Not enough of a leak to concern oneself with.
And, I will expand on Jose's comment. Most of the IC engine powered critters weep a bit here and there.
Way back when, I got my T Hotrod to a no leak status. Or so I thought !!! It's last owner abandoned it road side when the engine blew up. Lack of oil!!!!
It's last owner's were not brilliant. A super understatement....
What miles on the car ?
As Doug says, there are two oil seals either side of that bell housing, the rear engine oil seal and the front transmission oil seal. The rear engine seal is notorious for leaking ever since the engine came into production in 1948 !! Replacing the engine seal is really major job involving removing the engine, then the crankshaft to allow a new rope seal to be inserted. Transmission seal needs gearbox removal, but is easy once that is done. During an engine rebuild, I replaced both of these seals some time in the early 90s
Edit
I'm not sure, but there is possibly a third seal located in the torque converter.
Last edited by Fraser Mitchell; Sep 18, 2018 at 09:51 AM.
It's not the torque converter. It is clean. Also the car's on jack stands so the nose is higher. If it is still leaking it must be flowing down hill? Which would make it what?
Rear seal is a rope seal isn't it? And has a spiral groove? If the front is high there is advice not to rotate the engine backwards or it will pull oil the wrong way in the spiral groove and start an oil leak. Now... I'm recalling this from memory from working on the old BW a few years ago so it would need to be confirmed. And I highly doubt you'll stop it from leaking for an extended length of time.
Where is this Leak Coming From
