Project Bob78CVCC

[bob78cvcc]

Feeling a little distressed. I noticed some oil on the floor and jacked up the car to further explore. It appears to be wet where the transmission and flywheel cover meet. What does this indicate?

[Bill]

Trans front or engine rear main seal leak...
If you can get some phosphorescent dye and put it in the Trans for a bit then you can identify if the oil glows or not for the location. Although either way the trans comes out...

Unless there is a leaky distributor o-ring... you can hope, but probably not...

[bob78cvcc]

Trans front or engine rear main seal leak...
If you can get some phosphorescent dye and put it in the Trans for a bit then you can identify if the oil glows or not for the location. Although either way the trans comes out...

Unless there is a leaky distributor o-ring... you can hope, but probably not...

The engine hasn't been primed or fired up yet. Would the rear main seal still be the culprit?

At this point, do I continue re-assembly to prime and fire it up or pull the trans? In any case, it's very cold here and don't see myself driving the car during the Winter months.

[RTR75]

Sorry to hear Bob,

Are you sure Pete did not sneak in and put some oil under it just to mess with you and drink you cold beer or maybe your Scotch

Try this drain the oil out of just the trans, clean up what has leaked, give it a couple of days and see if you still have a drip

I am leaning twards the trams seal not the rear main

[Thor]

Sorry to hear Bob,

Are you sure Pete did not sneak in and put some oil under it just to mess with you and drink you cold beer or maybe your Scotch

I might run a pub, but I'm teetotal, pretty much, just a check on each barrel as they change, around 3/4pint total per week.
And I HATE Scotch.

I'd lean towards trans as well, especially if the engine has not yet been topped, there will not be enough to statically run out of the crank seal.
Is the gearbox overfull and is it finding its way out of a case segment joint.
Try putting down newsprint to get an exact drip point, relative to the box.
just a thought.

[Bill]

I think most likely the trans for reasons above...
You can clean is all off with brake cleaner and either spray some Desenex or similar spray powder on the area and it is easy to track the leak that way. I have used baby powder to dust the areas, but the spray is just eaiser... Good luck.

[bob78cvcc]

You guys have me thinking - If the trans has been overfilled (which it may have been) what is the most likely exit point? I noticed some oil around the trans support rod too. It appeared to be at a higher point than where the bottom of the flywheel cover meets the bottom of the trans.

[Kurt]

just a thought, but one of my axle shafts sprong a leak when I dented the seal trying to slide the axle back in. It leaked ever so slightly and it always ran to the lowest point before the drip which in my case was where you described. In the end I put a new seal in.

Drove me nuts as the seals were new too :x until I demaged the one....seems they like to leak from those seals. They pop out pretty easy and I used a block of wood to tap them in.

[Thor]

The highest point of oil trace is where the leak will be, there will be negligible creep upwards, gravity is on your side.
Pete

[bob78cvcc]

just a thought, but one of my axle shafts sprong a leak when I dented the seal trying to slide the axle back in. It leaked ever so slightly and it always ran to the lowest point before the drip which in my case was where you described. In the end I put a new seal in.

Drove me nuts as the seals were new too :x until I demaged the one....seems they like to leak from those seals. They pop out pretty easy and I used a block of wood to tap them in.

It looks like Kurt was right. To my novice eye, the oil seal appears to be sitting in there OK. It is definately the source of the leak. It must be defective. Now waiting on a replacement seal.