Oil leak source?

[sdyck]

I have oil dripping off the bell houseing of my transmission right where it mates to the engine.   I'm guessing its an engine oil seal issue, but I'm not seeing much of a drop in oil level.   Is there any chance this could be from the transmission?  

Thanks,

Steve

[madkaw]

Check the back of your valve cover. Take your hand and feel around on the head . Oil will run down the block and make you think it's from the trans area. Could possibly be rear main seal, but more likely valve cover issue


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[Zed Head]

They smell different.  Engine oil usually has a little bit of a gassy smell, and has some blackish color depending n how old it is.  Transmission fluid smells sulfurous and is usually still clear.  Could be a bad front seal, or a bad rear seal, so either is possible.

[siteunseen]

Taste different also.

[sdyck]

Thanks, just got it back on the road after a rear suspension rebuild. Too busy enjoying the drive to check out the leak.  Will look tonight

[Pop's Z]

My rear engine seal started leaking, and I tried to ignore it. After a few thousand miles my clutch started to slip. Oh well. R&Red the tranny, left the motor in place,  replaced the rear main seal (twice, don't ask), had the flywheel resurfaced, installed new Centerforce clutch disc/pressure plate, pilot bearing, T/O bearing. Everything is OK now. The rear main seal is easy to booger up so be careful.

Cheers, Mike

[Zed Head]

Mine's been leaking and I had a clutch slipping episode in a parking lot a short while back.  Tried to squirt ahead and all I got was noise, then a bad smell.  I'd been expecting it but hoped I'd get lucky.  My leak takes a while to manifest after parking in the garage, a day or two, I assume because the oil is sprayed around the cavity between plate and engine then leaks down and out.

Was your leaking seal just the round one on the crankshaft or the side seals also?  I think I left the rear seal alone in my current used engine because it looked okay when I had the flywheel off.  But it was ten years + old, three yeara ago

[gundee]

Count me in with the exact same issue.  Leak for the past two summers. Not real bad.

I think mine could be transmission seal because I changed to synthetic Redline gear oil.

I don't think the old origional 1978 transmission oil seal likes that. 

Clutch is not slipping. Car gets put away for Winter in a month so no fix this year.

I guess in Spring I will drop the gearbox and replace both the transmission seal and rear engine seal.

[Pop's Z]

My side seals are original and were not leaking..."if it ain't broke". The main seal was just seeping and when I pulled the tranny off, I thought it might be the front trans seal, but the oil was oil and not the Redline tranny lube. You really can smell the difference. I actually thought that I was imagining things. Even the clutch disc looked OK, but I finally found some oily residue on the pressure plate. I also cleaned up the disc and the pressure plate with some solvent and that's when I saw the burned oil. My clutch only slipped at higher rpms, but when it did it had all the classic symptoms: lots of roar, but no go to match. Have fun. I did.

Cheers, Mike

[sdyck]

Looks like my issue is the engine side, definitly oil. How easy is it in the Z to drop the tramsmission without removing the engine?  My expereince is with MGB's where its easier to remove the engine and transmission together.

[jfa.series1]

If you have access to a lift and a transmission support, then pulling the transmission is pretty easy.  If the car has to stay on the ground, then the MGB approach is best.

[Mark Maras]

 Pulling the trans isn't too difficult. If you do, be sure the car is high enough to clear the bell-housing when you slide the trans out from under the car. If you have an early 4-speed, the bell-housing can be unbolted from the trans. under the car.