Projects SBF oil on starter

I noticed oil on the bottom of the bell housing (sbf and t5) so I looked further and found what looks like oil in the bell housing and on the starter cone.


There’s no leaks on the engine so rear main or flywheel bolts?

Any advice before I pull the trans?


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Is it engine oil or trans oil? The smell should give it away. That will help determine which seals you should look at.

 

It looks like a bit of the lube from the one way clutch on the starter is being flung out, but I don't suppose that could be all of it.

It would have to be leaking pretty seriously for me to bother to take out the transmission.

 

If it isn't dripping out of the bell housing, you really don't have a leak.

 

Heck, that's no where near marking it's territory.

 

It’s pretty oily on the inside of the bell housing,
I’m worried about oil ruining my clutch.

Pulling the trans is not a terrible job on this car so I’ll probably start tonight.

February in Canada is a good time to find things wrong with your summer car, and I’m running out of project anyway.


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Any oil from the rear main ( or anywhere else for that matter ) is slung away from the clutch . I've pulled down clutches where oil was running out of the bell housing & found the clutch " powdery" dry . You're just as likely to wind up with a bigger problem than you have replacing the rear main IMO .

 

I think this is a solution in search of a problem.
Until I I had large puddles under the car, was noticing a loss of fluids, and the transmission was slipping, I would leave it be.
When you "white glove" one, yeah, your finger is going to get smudgy.

 

You’re probably right and I should just leave it but I’m not one to leave well enough alone.
lol


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Make sure the crankcase venting is working as it should. If it builds up a bit of pressure in the c/case, instead of being under a slight vacuum, it will try to push oil out thru any seal it can.

 

My off topic daily started dripping out the back when it was 2 years old. It's hard to keep that 5W20 in.

You would have to find your "Happy Place" if you owned my coupe.

If it's parked in the same spot for a while, it leaves a little black puddle (engine) and a little brown puddle (transmission). Too it slings dope out the pinion. I know it has grease zerks somewhere on the front but I'm going to have to chisel away what has become asphalt off the suspension components to find them.

Alas, these are battles for different days. I'm just trying to get it to where I can go to town and get a burger.

 

Sounds like the old Motor Pool Sarge!

 

Three of the "modern" '90s cars in my family fleet have leaks at the bellhousings. I am procrastinating until the clutches go before undertaking that miserable chore.

 

That's just starter fluid.

 

Well at least there’s lots of comedians around today!


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Ford rear main seal. I hate those suckers

 

Good for you! Go ahead and open that can of worms. Following

 

With it being a manual I’m sure the trans comes out pretty quick.

but why?

I’m Farr to lazy for that , you should be to, it’s cold up here !!

 

I’m going to unbolt the trans and pull it back then pull the bell housing and inspect.

If it’s just seeping from the rear main I’ll leave well enough alone and put it back together.

Last night I drained the fluid and then drank a beer so I’m committed now.


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In another life I was an engine development engineer at FoMoCo. Once in a meeting to reduce SBF oil consumption I blurted out "If I was King I'd put a controlled oil leak on the bottom of every engine!"

After the gasping and stunned looks subsided I explained.
Every car I ever owned that leaked oil had a pristine under chassis that did not rust. A little leaking oil is a small price to pay to keep the undercarrige looking good.

Party on buddy...

 

Here in Canada I pay a company to spray the underside of my daily driver Toyota with oil every fall to keep the winter salt from rusting my car out. If Toyota didn’t use such good gaskets I’d save like $150 a year!


A friend bought an MGB brand new and used it as a daily driver year round in Canada. After a few years it rotted out. He was shocked that a car that leaked that much oil on to the undercarriage could ever have rust problems.


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Pull the inspection cover off the front of the bellhousing and look at flywheel. If the rear main oil seal is leaking there should be a radial/centrifugal oil spray pattern on the flywheel.

 

Check your PCV valve. The 302 in my old Sedan Deliv. always had an "oily" starter...inside and out. Seems the PVC wasn't doing it's job, caused an un-noticable valve cover gasket seep that kept the starter a little oily.

 

Can of worms opened,
Two hours on the floor, I’ll put tools away and organize the bolts tomorrow night I deserve a beer now.

So the verdict is a minor rear main leak.
The flywheel and clutch are dry, it’s on the engine side of the flywheel.
I’m not going to bother for such a minor leak.

Now I have to decide what upgrades I need to do while in here.


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I was able to slide the trans back and it’s sitting securely on the crossmember, the bell housing is just hanging on the input shaft in this picture.

 

Ford Flywheel molts are drilled through into the crankcase , no sealer the will wick oil as you have described in photos . Not one of Henry’s better ideas in oil control . I have a SBF in my 32 that oils 80 psi oil pressure at highway speeds , it is leak tight as Frog’s Azz . Look closely at the trans input shaft also . Depending on which trans you are using some do not have a front seal , but a spiral cut into the main shaft to return oil back to the trans when turning . Park one of these down and a Knucklehead , will look Frogtight !

 

Scratch the rear main,

The flywheel bolts are soaked in oil,
I’ll seal those up and start putting things back together.

I need to decide if it’s time to change the bearing retainer to the steel one, this transmission still has the aluminum one.


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I had oil in my scattershield of my Comet and I thought it was rear main seal. Turns out it was the pan gasket. i used a one piece gasket to replace the 4 piece one and no more leaks.

 

I’ve actually got the pan off right now,
It had a one piece gasket and it’s getting another, they’re great and don’t leak.
I bottomed out and dented the pan at the drain plug, last summer I had the drain plug siliconed.

I found an nos ford oil pan at a swap meet for $30, that’s why I was under the car in the first place.


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I sure hope you meant bellhousing bolts instead of flywheel bolts . . .