Possible transmission/oil pan gasket leak

Good morning.

I see two things off the bat with the video.

The oil drain plug. You cannot use sealer on the plug. You need to remove the plug and install the correct washer for the plug. You can see it leaking in the video and that will spray all over the pan when moving.

The bottom of the bell housing shows a good bit of oil. That could be a bad rear main oil seal leaking. When that leaks, it will throw oil all over the place.

Check the PCV valve and make sure it is working. If it is not, it could cause the rear main to leak.

Roy

Yeah, the oil drain plug seems to be clearly leaking, but I do not know who added that sealant to it, I only ever take it to Walmart for oil changes every 3,000 miles. That “bell housing” you mentioned, what is that? Also “bad rear main”. I will check the PCV valve but I replaced that with a new part close to a year ago so I doubt it is that. But thanks for the tips.

Do I check the PCV valve by simply disconnecting from the intake and seeing if there is strong suction?

A year is a long time. Do not assume it is okay until it is checked.

The bell housing is where the engine meets the transmission.

Roy

Yes, remove it while the engine is running and see if you have good vacuum.

Roy

I will check the PCV right now and about that bell housing, if there were a leak coming from that, how is that fixed? Is there a gasket for that or what?

So I went ahead and checked the PCV, as soon I removed it from the intake, the engine quit running.

If there is oil leaking out the bell housing, it is the rear main oil seal. The transmission has to be removed, flywheel removed and then you have access to the seal.

Sounds like you have good vacuum. The engine should not stall. It may be open too much. I would replace it anyway.

Roy

But as I was pulling it off, I had to muscle it to get it off, the air was was seemingly pulling it against the intake, so I am assuming the suction is good?

Read my last response.

Roy

So replace the valve and hose?

I would start there, yes.

That is not the cause of the oil leak.

Roy

So by looking at the video, you do not think either the transmission pan gasket or oil pan gasket are leaking?

Transmission, no.

The oil pan is soaked from oil. You need to have the drain plug gasket replaced, the entire area cleaned off and then watch the oil under the car for a leak.

Right now, you cannot tell exactly where the oil is leaking from.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-is-leaking-oil

I was looking around again, this time from the top of the engine, and it seems that it is leaking oil from around the top of the transmission, around the corner under the intake manifold, right behind the thermostat. There is a bolt it seems, looks like it is seeping oil from there. What do you think this is?

Here is another video, it is hard to get a shot of it since it is under and behind so much crap.

Good shots. From that video, it looks like the intake manifold is leaking.

I would do that first.

Will you be doing this repair yourself?

Roy

I probably will not, I had my mechanic change the valve cover gaskets a few months ago and he said he cleaned the surface of the intake manifold but the gasket set I gave him did not have the intake manifold gasket included so it was never changed. So start there?

I looked around once again from the top of the engine, I am pretty certain it is not the intake manifold gasket, the surface is clean and there is no oil build or stains around it, this is the part that I believe is the culprit of the leak. I have no idea the name of it, but I took a screenshot of a video on the same engine, it is a head gasket replacement walk through but I circled in red the part I am talking about, and I took my pictures of my own engine, along with close ups (as best as I could get them) of that part, do you know what this is? There is a connector going into it, and oil is just sitting at the bottom of the part I am talking about.

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Close up #1

Close #2

That is the lower intake manifold. From the pictures you sent it looks like the lower where it meets the block.

Roy

And that is just a gasket fix?

Yes it is, but the lower intake has to be removed to replace the gaskets. The ends where it meets the head they use a sealer. They use RTV between the block and the manifold.

Roy

This is the gasket set I bought from Fel-Pro, my mechanic told me the intake manifold gasket did not come with the set, but I am pretty sure it is in included. Which one of these is for that lower intake you are talking about?

That is a headset and yes, the ones in the middle are the ones you need. They are blue with the black end pieces.

Roy

Awesome thanks.

You are welcome.

Roy

Took it to my mechanic this morning, turns out it is the camshaft position sensor, it is the whole unit, the synchronizer, there is engine oil seeping out from where the synchronizer goes into the engine block. Is there some sort of gasket or O-ring for that part?

Yes, there is a seal that keeps the oil from coming out. You can just change the o-ring seal.

Roy