2007 JKU 3.8L engine and 6 speed manual trans.


I have verified that this is oil and not brake fluid. I am 99% sure it is not trans fluid as well.

I have replaced the oil pan, intake manifold, and valve cover gaskets. I have verified that it is not leaking from the timing chain cover and flowing to the rear along the pan. Everything in the front of the engine to the back of the pan is dry. Everything that i can see from the rear of the engine on the top of the bell housing is dry as well.

What I can see is labeled in the pictures. It flows down from the inside of the bell housing on the passenger side and out that higher recess. It then flows to the bottom and collects there. The drivers side of the bell housing is completely dry. Also dry is the inside of the structural dust cover and the underneath of the flywheel that you can see by removing the dust cover.

What has me really perplexed is that if the rear main were leaking wouldn't I see it in the dust cover or on the flywheel. Could this be an oil galley plug that is seeping and running down the bell. Even if that was the case wouldn't that be on the engine side and then collect in the dust cover.

I have cleaned and monitored this leak diligently for almost a month now and this is what I have found.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

A bump for any ideas/things I might be missing. If this is a rear main I'll live with it but I just don't think it is.

 

When my rear main seal went, the only indication was the oil dripping from that gap in the bell housing. You didn't say how many miles, but unless your Jeep has mostly been parked, or the main seal has already been replaced, then it's probably just time to suck it up and do it. I think mine lasted about 150K miles, if that helps guide your decision.

 

Thanks, I have about 90k miles on it now. It's not a really bad leak so if it is the rear main I'm gonna ride it out until my clutch goes. If it is something else causing the leak then I'd like to try and fix it.

From your comments and other things I've read it's pointing to a rear main seal leak though.

 

There are two oil pan gaskets one on the oil pan and the other is on the upper pan. I had the upper pan gasket leak and it was leaking in the same spot. If your rear main seal was leaking the flyweel would be slick and your clutch would slip.

 

Mine never did that, and I ran it for a good 10-15K miles before changing. I'm still running that same clutch a 100K miles later. At a separate time I had the lower oil pan leak and it was plainly visible from the outside. But that would depend on where it leaks.

EDIT: And OEM does not have a gasket for the lower section, just sealer.