Leak at the bellhousing

[superpowerdave]

After replacing the rear main seal (pretty sure that one is sealed up right) I got around to firing the motor and checking everything underneath.

The first thing I heard was a pretty constant drip. Upon closer inspection I found that fluid was leaking from both threaded holes on each side of the bellhousing just above the cross-member. On the front side it was dripping straight down into a catch so I could inspect the fluid. On the backside it was dripping onto the cross-member itself and then flowing off and dripping down the member.

The fluid was collected and it is a darker, grayish color and I'm almost certain this is transmission fluid. If it were leaking oil from the rear main I would have expected it to be honey colored as the oil was replaced with the seal and has no miles on it.

So would I be correct in assuming my transmission has a leak in it somewhere? Would I also be correct in assuming that the transmission needs to be pulled out in order to fix it?

Any advice would be appreciated ... I'm learning slowly Eventually you'll hear less from me, I promise! Photos attached hopefully show what I'm talking about.

[alaskajosh]

Oftentimes one can smell the difference between gear oil and motor oil.. maybe give it a sniff test..??

[SafeAirOne]

A darker, grayish color? Is it relatively thin and less-slippery than gear oil? What I'm getting at is "How's your clutch?" I'd check the reservoir and see if it is way down. An internal leak from the slave cylinder could do this.

EDIT: Sniff test could help here too.

[brucejohn]

I agree: the smell will give it away if it's transmission, I suspect Mark is right.

[superpowerdave]

Josh- Sniff test complete ... smells like gear oil. And I would have thought new motor oil would have still been newish in color, not the dark gray I was finding in the catch.

Mark - Clutch is solid, reservoir not affected.

So if this is a transmission leak, which is kinda sounds like it is, which seal should I be looking at replacing? Is the tranny removed to perform the procedure? If I'm going to all that trouble what else should I replace while I'm in there?

[crankin]

Just did this last week! First off...there is no seal around the bellhousing only the seal between the gear box and bell housing.

If the "oil" is collecting on the cross member, it could be the paper seal around the gear box leaking and running down the bell housing to drip onto the cross member. There would be a good smell from that.

Another thought could be that someone put gear lube (the thick grey stuff) on the spindle inside the bell housing. As it heats up it starts to run….

What ever the case is, you will need to remove your seatbox, tranny cover, and floor broads. Then remove the bolts around the bell housing, the two bolts on frame mounts, and possibly the emergency brake. With a engine hoist or a pulley system rigged up to the transmission…pull it out. You might also want to jack the engine up a little to get a better angle one sliding the transmission out.

To replace the paper seal between the gear box and transmission remove the four bolts inside the bell housing and separate.

[crankin]

Somethings that you could do while this is all out is to replace the pads on the e-brake....and um...power wash and paint the tranny?

[LaneRover]

Somethings that you could do while this is all out is to replace the pads on the e-brake....and um...power wash and paint the tranny?

Paint the aluminum trannie?

[crankin]

Yeah...I was grasping for things...

[LaneRover]

Yeah...I was grasping for things...

understood!

[gudjeon]

Seal on clutch withdrawal mechanism? Might as well change once you have it out.

[superpowerdave]

Okay. Got the seatbox pulled, draining fluids. I'll get it torn down enough to just have the pleasure of pulling it when I get back from Anchorage. Fly out tomorrow so no more progress until then.

Thanks again for the input. I figure by the time I get this thing on the road for my wife it'll be practically brand new