63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

[Steve D.]

63 convertible

I have traced an oil leak to the clutch fork opening in the bell housing. If I wipe everything dry and make a 5 mile run, when I get back the bellhousing opening is wet with oil and I have oil dripping from the driver side exhaust header, directly below the clutch fork. It will drip for about ten minutes and create a puddle of clean motor oil about 1 inch wide by 2 inches long. (I recently replaced the pan gasket and changed the oil as part of the leak hunt.) I have removed the flywheel shield from the front of the bellhousing, and there is no clean oil drip from the front of the bell housing. I can run my finger over the front lip of the bellhousing and it will pick up some old oil, but not clean oil like that coming from the clutch fork opening. My first thought was the rear main seal, but it seems like if that were the case, there would be a drip from the front of the bellhousing.

Any thoughts?

Steve

[Joe L.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

63 convertible

I have traced an oil leak to the clutch fork opening in the bell housing. If I wipe everything dry and make a 5 mile run, when I get back the bellhousing opening is wet with oil and I have oil dripping from the driver side exhaust header, directly below the clutch fork. It will drip for about ten minutes and create a puddle of clean motor oil about 1 inch wide by 2 inches long. (I recently replaced the pan gasket and changed the oil as part of the leak hunt.) I have removed the flywheel shield from the front of the bellhousing, and there is no clean oil drip from the front of the bell housing. I can run my finger over the front lip of the bellhousing and it will pick up some old oil, but not clean oil like that coming from the clutch fork opening. My first thought was the rear main seal, but it seems like if that were the case, there would be a drip from the front of the bellhousing.

Any thoughts?

Steve

Steve-----


Usually, a rear main seal leak will be seen dripping from the front of the bellhousing. However, (and assuming that you have the oil correctly identified as ENGINE OIL and NOT TRANSMISSION OIL) there are not too many other possibilities here. Those other possibilities are a leak from the rear cam soft plug or a leak from the one of the three oil gallery plugs. But, all of those usually cause a drip from the front of the bellhousing, too.

[Steve D.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

Joe

I guess my limited options are:

1) Change the rear main seal and see if that solves the problem; but if it doesn't

2) Pull the transmission, drop the bellhousing and take a look at the plugs

[Joe L.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

Joe

I guess my limited options are:

1) Change the rear main seal and see if that solves the problem; but if it doesn't

2) Pull the transmission, drop the bellhousing and take a look at the plugs

Steve-----


Yes, that's about it as long as you are sure the oil is engine oil and not transmission oil.

[Steve D.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

Joe

The transmission is a Keisler 5-SPD and the fluid is synthetic, pink I think.

I took another ride and purposely limited the RPM to about 3,000. I did not observe the drip this time. I should have gone right back out and tached it up a bit, but didn't have the time. I will do that in a day or two. However, the fact that it is RPM related wouldn't change the options, or would it?

Steve

[Joe L.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

Joe

The transmission is a Keisler 5-SPD and the fluid is synthetic, pink I think.

I took another ride and purposely limited the RPM to about 3,000. I did not observe the drip this time. I should have gone right back out and tached it up a bit, but didn't have the time. I will do that in a day or two. However, the fact that it is RPM related wouldn't change the options, or would it?

Steve

Steve-----


Well, I really can't see how the an oil leak from any of the sources that could be involved here would be RPM-related. Perhaps, the very slightly higher oil pressure at higher RPM might "push the leak source to the point of leaking". That's pretty far-fetched, though.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 63_Oil from clutch fork hole in bellhousing

How does it look around your oil pressure line fitting - top rear of block just back of intake manifold? These compression fittings are prone to leaks if not just right (specially the one at the gauge).

Is the boot on around the clutch fork? Reason I ask is that usually seals off that opening pretty well when it is in place and not torn. Guess I should have prefaced that question with whether you have a stock bell housing or not.

Stu Fox