the tail housing does it have some kind of gasket? While waiting for the weather to warm up more I wanted to know where the possible area of a leak is at.

 

The pictures I have don't really have a good view of where I'm talking about, But here is one here.

 

Yes, there is a flimsy paper gasket between the tail section and the rest of the trans, wouldn't hurt to assist it with gasket maker.

The transmission would not need to come out would it? other then removing the driveshaft?

I'm not sure about that. There is a plate on top of the tail section that needs to be removed so that you can access a bolt that needs to be removed that connects the shift rod to the reverse tension spring. I think access would really be too tight.

 

Not to mention actually getting the tail section off. It's position with dowel pins that can be pretty stuck after time and grim.

 

How bad is the leak, can it wait until the next clutch change?

 

Will-

there is a seal for the shifter shaft. I changed one on a fwd 5spd, was easy enough, you drive out the roll pins on the shifter linkages to take it apart. The seal cross referenced to an 02 hond a civic, and was thicker than the subaru one(and in stock vs the soob when i bought it).

 

i did this with trans out-of-car, but if you remove the shift linkages, the pitch stop bar, and let the trans drop down by removing the mount's bolts, you should be able to get at it easily enough.

It's position with dowel pins that can be pretty stuck after time and grim.

 

Punch the pins out before disassembly.

 

Then reinsert them before reassembly

I'm not sure about that. There is a plate on top of the tail section that needs to be removed so that you can access a bolt that needs to be removed that connects the shift rod to the reverse tension spring. I think access would really be too tight.

 

Not to mention actually getting the tail section off. It's position with dowel pins that can be pretty stuck after time and grim.

 

How bad is the leak, can it wait until the next clutch change?

 

Will-

 

You pop the roll pin out of the boss on the shaft and slide the linkage off. The shift shaft won't come out of the trans through the back. It comes out the front of the extension housing. The tail housing will come off without pulling the trans. Just make sure the center diff and transfer shaft don't fall out with it.

 

The leak may be the shift seal, the tail housing seal or the cover plate. Of the three I'd suspect the cover plate most. Mine was leaking, and it literally fell off when I unbolted it. The gasket wasn't sealed to the plate at all.

I need to replace the shifter bushing anyways it has so much slop it's easy to mistake 3rd for 5th gear (happened on the highway at 80Mph) lucky for me I clutched in just as the tach hit 6500.

Be sure to replace the large stay bushing as well. All that oil in there doesn't help the rubber any. If I were you I'd pick up a gallon of purple power and a spray bottle and go to town on that thing with a scrub brush and a water hose. I can't stand stuff being greasy nasty like that.

it's bothers me too looking like that as you know the space is tight.. I'd have to put the car on all 4 jack stands to really get under and check it's really hard to tell where the leak comes from still. I just wanted to see how involved the task was I don't think any work like pulling my motor and other work will be done until spring.

That looks like a shifter shaft seal leaking. It's very common on 5 speeds for it to leak.