Just like the title says guys. I'm trying to find the probability of my rear main oil seal being bad. I am in the middle of an auto to five speed swap and am getting ready to put on my RB lightweight steel flywheel. I got the flywheel because I knew it would keep me from having to remove the 54mm nut and counterweight. Since I have the flywheel I'm hoping I can just bolt it to the counterweight and go. Anyway....

Before disassembly I had some leakage coming from the inspection plate on my transmission. I am guessing that the input shaft on the old automatic was giving up ATF and it was leaking down through the inspection plate onto the ground. However, there is always the chance that the engine was losing oil through the rear main and it was coming out of the inspection plate too. So basically I'm trying to decide if I should change my rear main oil seal, or blame the mess on my crappy 4 spd automatic tranny. I really don't want to have to remove the giant 54mm nut and counterweight just to change a rear main oil seal that isn't bad to begin with.

Does anyone have any tips on how to check the rear main oil seal for leakage? I have tried looking around the counterweight at it but it is kind of hard to see. The back side of the counterweight feels pretty clean so I'm thinking it wasn't the rear main seal. Most of the back cover on the 12A is covered in a greasy substance and there are some metal shavings at the bottom of the back engine plate (where the inspection plate would be). I have never had any engine trouble (90,000 miles) and the metal shavings, jerky shifting, and location of greasy substances make me think that it was the tranny causing the mess. I'd just like to get some input from some of you guys as to what you think is leaking out the inspection plate. Please vote in the poll and reply with any and all helpful advice. Thanks fellas!

Jamie

 

I thought you would have to pull the nut to put on the RB flywheel.

Do you still have a spot of the fluic? Smell it to see which one it is.

You might look in the front of the trans also to see if there is a line of fluid down from the shaft. Did the car use a lot of oil. Every main I have every see go out, the car would loose oil quick and the underside of the car was coated with oil.

 

I have a little bit of the fluid left, and I did smell it but it has no smell. I honestly can't tell which it is. As far as oil consumption on the engine, I never noticed it to use any oil. It was very good on oil. Every time I checked the dipstick it was right on "F". Never thought about that. One more piece of evidence that leads me to believe the transmission swap was a better idea than I ever realized....

 

if it has no smell, it's engine oil, tranny oil stinks like hell.

And also the front oilseal of the trannies does not leak very oft.