The picture is about 200 miles worth of driving (first 200 on a rebuild). I removed the inspection cover and it had some oil on it too. Not what I want to see on a new motor. It doesn't look like the oil in the crankcase, kinda chalky and darker, almost like a grease. o No:
looks more like a valve cover leak or top rear intake leak than a rear Main look at the back side of your flywheel and see if theres oil there streaking out from the center where it bolts to the crank.
Larry, Everything is clear on the flywheel as well as the valve cove and intake. It looks like the leak is somehow starting inside the bellhousing. I see oil around the starter and the edge of the inside of the bellhousing. I do have a small leak in the front of the oil pan (usual place) I wonder if its spraying back into the bellhousing. With the mini starter there is an opening in the inspection cover although the outside of the cover is clean. Here are some better pictures. Matt
Man that is some funky looking oil. Any possibility it could be some residue left over from the engine before it was rebuilt. Good luck my friend Bob H
Pretty sure its the oil pan leaking (I just posted an oil pan question). My guess it its mixing in with clutch dust and getting spun around in the bell housing by the flywheel
Leak Matt, That almost looks like transmission grease. Is th clutch and pressure plate dry also? Whats going on with that starter, it looks awful greasy too. Tim
Tim, Clutch and flywheel are bone dry. Its only around the circumference of the inside front bell housing. Thats what makes me think the flywheel is acting like a fan blowing the leak in an almost complete circle including hitting the starter. Oil in the 4-speed is new and clear. It too has been rebuilt. I dont see anything leaking from that direction although when I run the motor without a driveshaft it leaks out the back and its coming out clean. o No:
My oil pump, timing cover and rear main leak like a ceive! I think the neoprene rear seal fails miserably when high oil pressure is put to it. My auto trans bellhousing looks just like yours, and the starter is soaked, too. Just get used to a pile of kitty litter on your garage floor. I finally bought an oil mat from someplace on the web. It absorbs about a gazillion gallons of oil and looks good doing it. I plan on pulling the engine next winter and doing all the seals again. I sure would like to run it on a stand to confirm no leaks before bolting it back in the Riv.
Difference is I ony have 400 freakin miles on this motor. Yeah I know you get what you pay for. I swear I'm this close to doing what I should have done in the first place, have Earik(sp?) racing build me a monster. Problem is at $8000 I'll be eating Spam for years. BTW pretty sure its a rope seal he put in.
Matt- how does a rear main seal leak put oil where you have oil stains? It looks like it starts higher than the crankshaft to me. Can you take off the inspection cover and look up at the pack of the pan? In my auto-equipped '70 I can see the back of the pan clearly. if you have a rear main leak, shouldn't you see a whole lot of oil staining the back of the pan?
Chris, Pretty sure its the pan itself leaking. I have another thread going about that leak too. I also have a small leak from where the head meets the block. Doc suggested it might be too much pressure. I have a K&N breather on the PS valve cover and my PCV valve is brand new. o No:
Any chance that oil is hitting a header before it runs down the back of the engine? That oil is too dirty to be coming right out of the engine it looks burnt. Did you try cleaning it off and then running it again for a short time to get a better idea where its coming from? Like I said before good luck I hope its nothing serious. Bob H
