Transmission leak help

I have a transmission leak, but I don't know what seal/part is leaking. Any help is appreciated. This is a 99 with the 2.7, 5 spd manual, and 4x4. My motor oil level has been holding steady.

 

Might be rear main...

 

I'm thinking the same.

OP, give it a good cleaning and check again. It could also be coming from up top or the pan. Or?

 

Dont guess.......get the uv dye kit.....
glasses and light off Amazon....cheap....

BUt....clean it up real good first....

and you can buy the dye from any where now....
four diff kinds.... depending on fluid.....
This time of the year Napa keeps them on speed dial right next to register with ac recharge/seal stuff.....

 

Wouldn't a rear main seal cause motor oil to leak? Or would that cause a trans fluid leak?

 

I have cleaned it before, and it has originated from the same spot in the photo, right between the trans and the motor. I put a valve cover gasket in because I thought it was leaking from the top down but that wasn't the case.

 

Then I would say most likely a rear main seal or the oil pan.

It's hard to say from the pictures, but I had a similar leak and it was from the rear of the oil pan, not the rear main.

Take the inspection plate off and look inside the bell housing, if there is oil then rear main, if not, something else is leaking. Even though the oil level hasn't dropped noticably it can still be engine oil, a small amount of oil can look like a major leak. There's a chance it can be coming from the transmission, but again removing the inspection plate should reveal that.

 

Is removing said inspection plate easy? What does it require to be removed?

 

It's easy, but a pain to get to. It's in your pic, just a few bolts. A box wrench will do.

This is an auto, but it's the same on a manual.

 

Is it just those 4 bolts on the bottom of the bell housing?

 

I believe so.

 

Finally got under it and here's what it looks like, thoughts? Im thinking it's a oil pan leak

 

Hard to tell from the pic, but if there's no oil in the bell housing, then it's most likely oil pan or valve covers.

My pan looked very similar, I left it for a few years until I dropped the diff for gears. If there's no noticable oil loss it's not a big deal.

 

I didn't see any oil on the flywheel or around the flywheel. I think it's safe to assume it's an oil pan leak.

 

I'd say so. Not sure about the 2.7, but the 3.4 is a pain. The front diff has to be removed to access the pan.