Forum:
Hi
noticed ealier some oil leaking from under my 4 track independant. Had a quick look under and could see oil on the area between what I guess is the clutch and the gearbox, maybe it's the gasket? I would like to check oil levels but don't know how to. Also does anyone know any possible causes or likely common problems?
thanks henrietta
Sealed
Oil leaking from the bellhousing generally means the engine crankshaft oil seal has gone, to verify this; check the engine oil level, if this is using more engine oil than normal, this is the culprit.
Replacement oil seals are cheap, but getting at it entails removal of the gearbox/transfer case assembly, clutch, and flywheel. If this is the culprit, it may be prudent to replace the clutch if it is showing signs of wear, especially while it is stripped.
Other possibilities are the gearbox input shaft oil seal, this entails removing the gearbox/transfer case assy, and removing the plate inside the bellhousing to access the seal.
One thing to check is that another external oil leak is not running to the bellhousing, spray the engine and gearbox with degreaser and jet wash thoroughly, this will allow you to see any oil running down the engine.
Thanks for the advice. I did
Thanks for the advice. I did look again and the oil is light in colour so i guess it's probably not engine oil? I can't see yet where it's coming from but will try to have another look on some ramps later.
Oddball fault giving the same symptoms.
Some years ago I bought a 'trak that had some gearbox work done on it 'professionally'.
All the bills were there, so I trusted the box would give no trouble. HA HA
I drove it about 100 miles to a friend's place, stayed overnight and found about 3 pints of gear oil on his drive the next morning.
Turned out that the 'erberts had not torqued up the 4 bolts retaining the gearbox to the back of the aluminium clutch bellhousing. Getting underneath, I found I could push up the gearbox and cause the bellhousing/gearbox interface to flex and reveal a gap of about 0.004" (0.1mm)
The only way to get at these bolts is to drop the gearbox.
Oh, BTW, you say that the oil is clear yellow. More likely it's gear oil, as engine oil is usually black. Gear oil has a particular smell, so that should give it away too.
Oddballs
I am glad it is not just me that gets lumbered with the oddball faults when everyone else cannot find the problem.