I got a new 98 OB wagon 2.5 automatic

I washed down the engine last week...put it on the road tis morning...I see a nice oil leakjust past the rear of the oil pan...does not look like the oil pan is wet,,,,its wet by the the power steering rack and the metal lines all around it are wet with motor oil

 

I did not have my maglite to really look hard...but from a cursory look...I could not tell if it was the separator plate of not

 

How can one be SURE that is what the problem is...I really dont want to pull the engine,,,what a shame

Separator plate leak sounds plausible. You can't tell if that's it without pulling the engine though. It could be that or the rear main, and inspection of either is pretty difficult with the engine mated to the trans.

Did you wipe some on your finger to see what color it is?

Anything wet with oil in front of that area?

Odds are very good its te oil seperator plate. Unless someone has already pulled the engine or trans to fix it. And you can often tell that by looking at eng/trans bolts, or simply where the eng/trans meet - if it has never been disturbed. Heck - I even scotch brite then anti-seize the mating surfaces.

 

If the oil gets on the Y pipe at the Y the odds are really good.

Mine was leaking pretty bad, be sure to loctite the screws on the aluminum one. and while your down there clean it up with some brushes, solvent, a flat razor for the mating surfaces and some elbow grease. The aluminum one I received for free:brow: another guy was tearing down a 25d at GDs and it was on there! he just gave it to me, don't think he realized its $37 at the dealer ahahhahahaha mine now. But it was much appreciated.

Well - to be fair (Mike) your's is the "stock" aluminium one - the replacement one's are steel and are even better. But both are fine and are infinitely better than the plastic one's that always leak. The benefit to the steel one is mostly that the screws can be easily removed and the plate resealed. Those pesky phillips head bolts on the aluminium plate are hard to remove without an impact screwdriver.

 

Sounds like a pretty sure bet that your leak is the sep. plate. I've never pulled an engine with a plastic seperator that *wasn't* leaking.

 

GD

crazy, I didn't know the aftermarket ones were steel! I thought the aluminum ones are the aftermarket hahhaha that is good info for the future.

The guy who helped me with my clutch said that since my plastic one wasn't leaking it was fine... 25k miles later no at 119k I'm worried about the stupid thing and dreading pulling my engine back out. Live and learn........

if you have a 5mt just do it at the next clutch job if its not leaking bad.

I dunno if it's leaking or not... But I don't want to pull the engine out again. My clutch shouldn't dye anytime soon...

I dunno if it's leaking or not... But I don't want to pull the engine out again. My clutch shouldn't dye anytime soon...

 

then keep oil on hand and check it often.

Yes the "aftermarket" or update kit you buy from the dealer to replace the plastic ones are metal and should come with allen head bolts and not phillips. Just make sure you don't put the allen head bolts in the factory aluminum one, the heads will rub on the flexplate and make an awful "oh crap what the hell did I just screw up" noise. Trust me I know. :-\

 

crazy, I didn't know the aftermarket ones were steel! I thought the aluminum ones are the aftermarket hahhaha that is good info for the future.