I discovered a lot of oil caked up where the transmission meets the drive shaft. The oil seems to spray off the shaft and coat the exhaust in that area. Does anyone know whats going on? Is it the rear trans seal? Seems like oil and not trans fluid.

 

It looks like oil because it's gear oil and not transmisson fluid.

Manual tranmissions use gear oil. I just replaced the rear seal because of the same leak. Drop the driveshaft and gently tap out the seal using a screwdriver and light hammer. The back side of the seal that meets the transmission is metal so it comes out easy.

$8.00 at the parts store for a new one. Gently tap back in the new seal and install driveshaft. Top off with gear oil.

You're done.

 

Actually after thinking a bit deeper here... you'd want to check for what caused the real seal to leak in the first place. Mine was a bad / loose u-joint in the driveshaft.

 

Thanks for replying. Well I hope its not the drive shaft, I certainly don't feel any excess vibration. Is there anything catastrophic that can happen if I can't fix it right away?

 

Your wife will beat you over the head with the broom for making her driveway look like **** w/all the leaking gear oil.

I've pulled driveshafts in the past where not a drip of gear oil has come out of the transmission, bone dry and not even knowing I've ran them, jeez... two three years that way.

 

sounds like the oputput shaft seal on the trans or called the tailshaft seal. the spring inside of the seal will get weak and cause oil leakage and blowback. you'll have to remove the driveshaft to replace the seal so inspect the u-joints for wear while its out. replacing the seal is super easy. remove it with a seal puller. clean the seating area on the trans and coat the new seal's lip with a smidge of oil and tap the seal in with a seal driver.

 

I was just wrenching under my car and thought about what I wrote here and wanted to clarify...

The rear seal is not the lowest point on the transmisson so when I pulled my driveshaft there was prob still gear oil in there it just wasn't topped off enough to spill out.

When the car is moving if the rear seal is bad or leaky whether it's low or topped off it'll still leak.

To run bone dry is def not a good idea.

 

sounds like the rear main seal i had same thing happend to my rx7