Rear seal leak???

[Tiny Clark]

My '96 has an oil leak in the rear of the engine somewhere. The cam cover on the passenger side is fine, and I can't see anything else.

 

It is dripping right onto the exhaust manifold and stinks badly when stopped. It almost seems like a bad oil pressure sensor, as it only leaks when the engine is running. After shut down, I just get a few drips (residual?). It doesn't leak while static.

 

I hadn't seen anything on this before, but then again, I wasn't looking. Are rear main seals a real problem?

 

146k miles and ready to sell. I really don't need it anymore in So. Georgia.

[davebugs]

Search around here.

 

Search for oil separator plate or baffle plate.

 

Easy fix, after engine or trans is outta the way.

[Tiny Clark]

Transmission out of the way doesn't make it an easy fix, at least for someone who can't lay on the ground too much anymore.

 

I'll search again, but it looks like the only place it can be coming from is the bell housing, which means rear seal.

 

I also want to say that you regulars in here have been great over the past years. I learned a lot about Subies, and I appreciate the help that I always received before.

Edited April 21, 2009 by Tiny Clark

[davebugs]

The baffle plate is beside the rear main (on the passenger side, back of the engine). It is common for them to leak - or even be cracked and from the outside it looks like a rear main.

 

Infact most folks here will tell you NOT to touch the rear main. It's more likely to leak after being touched.

[nipper]

Do NOT touch the rear seal, they rarely leak, and are a a PITA to get to sit right if you replace it. It is your seperator plate that is leaking. Also change your PCV valve, that may help slow down the leak.

 

 

nipper

[idosubaru]

sounds like you checked it over well. but make sure it's not something simple like valve cover gaskets. a lot of folks see oil dripping off the back and don't pay attention the fact that it runs and blows down there, not originates. but it sounds like you've done your homework and are hosed.

 

sucks being a $10 part and hundreds in labor.

 

i'm with nip, a new PCV valve might slow it down and make it tolerable? for the PCV valve it's best to go with Subaru on that.

 

georgia is my favorite state, i'd live there if i wasn't from up here and i had family here. the people there are awesome.

[Tiny Clark]

Thanks all. Baffle plate, huh? Sounds like another name for an oil leak door.

 

Well, hopefully I'll be able to sell it this way. I'll check the PCV today, but I don't think that will do it. I changed that not too many miles ago when my oil pump seal was leaking. Only take a few minutes to check it out though.

 

As I said,the seal didn't make sense to me anyway, since it doesn't really seem to leak when sitting static, only when the oil is pumping.

[Olnick]

On the theory that every little helps--did you clean out the hose that leads from the crankcase to the PCV?

 

Good to see your name on here again, Tiny!

[tcspeer]

For what it is worth, and I know most would not do it, I put the Gold eagle oil stop leak in my 97 Legacy wagon that had a bad rear seal leak at around 90,000 miles and it never leaked again. I ended up putting 288,000 miles on it before I lost that engine due to the toothed idle pully coming apart. But that leak never came back.

 

This is the high dollar stop leak at Wal Mart and the name Gold Eagle is not on the front of the bottle it is on the rear where it says product of Gold Eagle.