Rear main seal leak.

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 23, 2019 | 06:47 PM

89325iturbo1

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: Aug 2016

Posts: 76

Likes: 2

Rear main seal leak.

So I just got finished doing some repairs, and clutch on my mini. When doing the clutch I replaced the rear main seal.
ive only driven it a couple times since the repairs, and I've gotten a 4-5" puddle on the ground after driving. Intially I thought maybe the power steering hoses were leaking. But once I got under there and took a better look didn't seem to be the case.
I replaced the hoses anyway, since they were old and leaking slightly some.
so it looks like it's leaking from the weep hole were the trans and oil pan meet. Even though right at the weep hole doesn't look to oily. Going towards the rear it gets more oily (probably just blowing backwards at speed)
long story short is it most likely the rear main seal?
Got damaged when installing? Don't remember feeling like I damaged it. But it took some work to get it fitted. Just stinks i don't feel like removing it again, since I just had it removed.

Mar 24, 2019 | 05:55 AM

Tgriffithjr

5th Gear

Joined: Jul 2018

Posts: 766

Likes: 80

From: Texas

Jack it up, clean everything well under there the start it and look for oil dripping. Make sure it’s on solid jack stands and the e brake is holding. If it’s leaking that much from the rear main it shouldn’t take long to see the drip. Run it up to about 2000 rpm to get good oil pressure which will help speed the drip up.

Mar 24, 2019 | 06:06 AM

89325iturbo1

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: Aug 2016

Posts: 76

Likes: 2

Yeah I did that last night. Wiped it off let it run for 10-15 minutes giving it some gas in between.
Dropped it back down to let it sit level over night, gonna check it this morning.

Mar 24, 2019 | 06:53 AM

Tgriffithjr

5th Gear

Joined: Jul 2018

Posts: 766

Likes: 80

From: Texas

Yeah but how are you going to know where the oil is dripping from if you don’t visualize it? That’s why I said get under it while it’s running. You want to rule out or rule in the rear main. If it’s not dripping from the weep hole, which you said you couldn’t tell previously, then you can start looking somewhere else for the leak.

Mar 24, 2019 | 11:09 AM

89325iturbo1

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: Aug 2016

Posts: 76

Likes: 2

I did look under when It was running but didn't see anything in that amount of time . Then I thought maybe the angle of the car would prevent it from coming out of the weep hole if it was leaking from there.
plus with everything clean, if there was a clear wet spot on the other side of the oil pan obviously it wouldn't be coming from the rear main seal.
This morning when I checked there wasn't any puddle on the ground but a little wetness around the weep hole were the pan and trans meet.
I'm guessing maybe not as much oil since it wasnt driven and didn't the romping of going through the gears at higher revs.

Jan 5, 2020 | 06:45 AM

JAB 67

6th Gear

iTrader: (1)

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 2,659

Likes: 60

From: Fairfax, VA

The previous poster mentions a "weep hole." Where exactly is that, and if the rear main seal is leaking is that where it will be apparent?

Jan 7, 2020 | 10:56 AM

ssoliman

6th Gear

Joined: Feb 2018

Posts: 1,748

Likes: 333

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAB 67

The previous poster mentions a "weep hole." Where exactly is that, and if the rear main seal is leaking is that where it will be apparent?

wondering myself.

think it’d be the bottom, back, left side of the motor. Where oil pan meets trans.

see pic attached. Right bottom of the pic you can just get a glimpse of it. Sorry horrible pic