tracyballard

I just figured out that my 2002 Mustang GT has a pretty bad leak, but one that only happens when the engine is fully warmed up as far as I can tell so far. It looks like it's coming from middle of the car, right under the transmission housing - could be the tranny or maybe just dripping down from the engine and running off the lowest point. It seems to be a pretty light oil, didn't look or taste like antifreeze or auto trans fluid, but this has a manual transmission and I'm not really familiar with what manual transmission oil would be like - is it a light or heavier oil?? any ideas??? thanks in advance!

96meangreengt

It sounds like where its coming from it would be the rear main seal leaking. as far as the oil being a light color maybe the oil has been changed recently and is still a light color.

For future reference if you dont know what it is dont taste it lol.

tracyballard

the engine oil itself is pretty light colored. so, you think it's the rear seal? that sounds pretty bad. I've added a quart or 2 once in the 6 weeks I've had it, and I haven't noticed a low level, it actually still seems a little higher than it should be, but this dipstick is kind of hard to read, it's hard to get a fresh level mark without oil trailing up the dipstick above the level mark.

96meangreengt

since you just got the car I would go ahead and just change the oil and filter that way you know how much oil you put in and how much you are losing. As far as the oil trailing up the dipstick how long are you waiting after you shut down the engine to check it? If you dont wait 5 mins or so you can get inaccurate readings.

tracyballard

I generally check it on a cold engine, or wait at least 10 or 15 minutes if I've had it running to check, and I check multiple times to try to get a clear reading. I used to be a heavy line mechanic pulling and rebuilding engines, but diagnosis is not really my best skill.

uberstang1

Is the oil coming from inside the bellhousing? or is it running from the top of the bellhousing, if its from inside the belhousing it can only be the rear main seal or in a ver very rare case an oil gallery plug (but u would be losing oil pressure in case of a gallery plug) it its running down from the top of the bellhousing its probably the back of the valve cover.

tracyballard

I'll have to check into that, maybe later today. I've had it sitting in the driveway without starting it since Saturday, and I haven't really driven it since Friday night, and there's not a single drop under it. But when it was warmed up good with a few minutes of stoplight flogging, it leaked a big spot in a couple of hours that was about a foot wide by 3 feet long. After cooling down for a couple of hours the leak stopped. I started it up to drive it to a new spot on the driveway Saturday and that wasn't enough to get the leak going.

Does anyone know how many book hours a rear seal replacement calls for?

0949er

a lot. it will cost a pretty penny.

Locate the leak first before u put it in a shop

Repzard

^ I agree .. Rear Main seal, I heard the 302 where known for RMS leaks bad in the day.
Dont hear much about the 281 leaking though.

Guess antifreeze is a good cocktail drink

Repzard

My guess would be a average of 5-8 hours depending on Mech shop.
It involves getting tranny out of the way or even removing it.
the seal itself is cheap but not the labor