Made a trip to Richland OR in my '86' GL 5 speed, 4WD, ( about 700 mi. RT) and was about 75 mi. from home and stopped to get gas. As soon as I opened the car door I smelled burnt transmission oil. I checked the dip stick and it was on the low mark. When I got home I checked it again and it was below the low mark but still wetting the end of the dip stick. It's never leaked before so I don't carry extra .80/90wt oil. I filled it and looked to see if there was any obvious oil leaks. It was dripping on the catalytic converter but I couldn't see from where. I put a 2' x 4' piece of white metal under the engine and trans.. The next day there was just a vary small wet spot about 6" across between the cross member and the axle shafts. The area above the axle shafts showed a little bit of oil but no more than usual for an engine compartment. I looked into the timing mark hole to see if there was any oil being flung around in there but from what I could see it was dry. It seems to lose oil when I drive as I can leave the engine running for awhile parked, with no loss. A 40 mi. trip now and it's reading low on the dipstick. I don't see any leaks, just the wetness and a couple drips on the bottom of the transmission and cross member and on the catalytic converter.  Should I tie my wife under the car while I drive around to see if she can spot the leak? I'd do it myself but she doesn't know how to drive a stick shift.

Amazingly when I bought my 93 loyale 5spd wagon my gear box transmission stick was completely dry.. I kept adding gear oil until it started to show.. then filled up to the full line and never added any more and that has been like 7 yrs ago and some 100,000 miles,never dropped and for some reason it's still clear like the day I put it in.. I hope somebody here has an answer otherwise... ; (

Check the seals around your front axles, your trans and differential share the same dipstick. It's the seals on your differential that are leaking while you drive.

 

Ed

i agree with Ed to check the axle seals. 

Is that the UV light and dye procedure I've read about in other posts or is there another way to check the seals? Are there just 2 seals or an inner and outer on each side? Should/can I get the seals at McGuire's or Kaman or are Napa seals OK? I'd like to have everything I am going to need before I get started.

Edited May 23, 20169 yr by 3crows

Theres just 2. Rockauto has them for less than $4 each. It sounds to me like you've already found where the leak is.

 

Ed

No, at this point I'm just going by your recommendation. I don't know how to check the seals if oil is leaking out while I'm driving so I'll replace them to see if that solves the problem. Yuk! I hate pulling axles!

After an hour on the phone talking to parts places and a trip to Napa Auto and O'Reillys I still don't know what seal to buy. Napa calls it an output shaft seal and wants $20 each. O'Reillys also calls it an output shaft seal and wants $5 each. Someone else told me that there is an inner and outer seal but according to what I've read that's only for the 4 speed and not the 5 speed. To me an output shaft is the pilot shaft that goes into the clutch assm.

So here's the latest skinny. I called Gresham Subaru and Randy says that they are called output shaft seals and you also need an 'O' ring (2) that goes around the large piece that unscrews from the differential that the oil seal mounts in (Not sure about getting that piece off yet) This piece also adjusts the lash so you have to mark it before you take it out and then again just as it comes out and off so you'll hopefully have the same amount of lash when you reassemble. The seals are about $7 each and the 'O' rings are about $3.50 each so you're not saving much by buying cheaper Chinese stuff. If you hate pulling axles as much as I do the extra few bucks for better quality is well worth it. I hope to die before I need to replace these seals again.

Edited May 23, 20169 yr by 3crows

806742110 might get you started? 

Edited May 23, 20169 yr by BulldogBlitz

The part # I got from Subaru was 8069735070 for the 'O' rings and 806730031 for the seals. I'll be picking them up this week.

It worked! Replaced the seals and the oil is staying steady on the stick. The leaky one was on the driver side. Thanks guys.