Oil Leak, getting worse!

[BILLF/TRF]

A few days ago I appealed to you about solutions to fix a rear engine oil leak that appears to be dripping out of the hole in the bottom of the flywheel housing and around the bottom edge of that housing. I received many good responses after which I decided to let it drip and keep an eye on the oil level this summer. Well, after a short ten mile run, the garage floor puddle has increased in size to about 12-14 inches in diameter. I can't stand the site of that spill, am worried about a possible internal problem and have decided to pull the engine and look for the source of trouble. I would again like to ask for any advice on what may be causing this leak and in making sure it does not happen again. Thanks again!

 

[Charlie Stephens]

What kind of engine do you have? What was the last thing you did before the leak started? Rebuild the engine? Change the oil?

Charlie Stephens

 

[BILLF/TRF]

What kind of engine do you have? What was the last thing you did before the leak started? Rebuild the engine? Change the oil?

Charlie Stephens

Hi Charlie,

The last thing I did (this past winter) on the engine (59AB)/transmission was to put in a new clutch pressure plate & disc that fit the T5 transmission (ended the terrible clutch chatter that I was having) as well as replace the rear main seal with the graphtite rope seal to try to help alleviate the rear oil leak I've had since I re-built the engine a couple of years ago. I started having a small leak (1-2 inch diameter) this spring and it just got bigger until now it is now 12-14 inches. I have changed the oil a couple of times this spring with the last change filling to only 3 1/2 qts right before i drove it last.

 

[Vergil]

When you replaced the rear seal, did you trim a little off the end of the pan gasket so it didn't stick over into the rope seal? I trim a little off the end so the rope seal has a good contact between the mating ends with a small dab of silicon at the end of the gasket (but no silicon on the rope seal ends) to seal any void if any. GrathTite are good seals.

I had a rear seal leak in an 8ba that gradually got worse until I had to do something, dropped the pan and found the half moon sheetmetal piece that is tack welded to the pan to make the inner part of the rear main seal cavity had broken the tack weld on one side and wasn't putting enough pressure on the seal to force it against the crankshaft.

Vergil