Oil pan replaced....still leaking. Ideas?

[Cynic]

Hi Guys,

I thought my leak was coming from the oil pan on my 97 SL2. Apparently it's not. It's still leaking. The oil drips from the corner of the pan that goes by the flywheel (manual tranny) It appears to be wet above that area. Is that the location of the rear main seal? Or is it something else?

[blackeagle1]

Yes, the rear main seal is back there. It's usually not prone to leaking but it could be the source of your problem. There are also some oil galley plugs back there and I have heard of them working themselves loose and leaking. In either case, you would have to remove the trans and flywheel to fix the problem.

[OldNuc]

What you are describing is a classic back left corner cam cover leak. That is where it shows up. look between the EGR and the head surface and you will see an indentation in the web of the EGR mounting. If its full of oil and or dirt, clean it out so its perfectly dry. drive car for a couple of days and look again. If there is any oil then the cover is leaking. You can also wipe the top of the bell housing between the top 2 mounting studs and vents and check that area for oil. The leakage gets sucked into the clutch housing through those little vents and then runs out the bottom.

If the cam cover passes the test then this is the next thing to look at.
You can remove the black inspection cover and look at the back of the flywheel. If its wet its the seal if it is not then the seal is fine. A gallery plug will not come loose without a great deal of external help. The oil pressure switch in the gallery will fail and leak however.