I have a '92 4x4 4.0L (6cyl....or is that a given with the 4L?); manual transmission, manual locking hubs (or are those a given.....?). It's over 165K miles now....didn't drive much in first dozen years.

Had new clutch last year (I posted about the situation when the clutch 'went out' on the fwy after a 500 mile drive....about 20 miles from home). New transmission back around 2006 or so.

Has been needing a quart of oil around every 1500 miles or so.

Sunday morning I noticed 'fresh' (but very black) oil drops on garage floor. Not much, but more than in the recent past. (Just completed a road trip couple of weeks ago, from home (Idaho) through Utah, Colo, NM, AZ, NV, CA and back home....used about 2 qts of oil during the trip--well, added two qts, one before leaving home, one in California, so the second qt is still mostly there.)

Not knowledgable enough to know if it's engine oil or something else; it seems to only come from where the bell housing (?) joins the engine...no sign of same fluid above the drip--ie, doesn't seem to come from above the transmission or on the engine. Drove about 70 miles on steep dirt roads Sunday after noticing the drip. Parked all day Monday...no new drops on floor, but one drop clinging to bottom of transmission where it meets the engine.

I've seen posts about the rear main seal being a potential problem; if that's my problem, is it engine oil, rather than transmission fluid? And, if it's only dripping a few drops a day (but sometimes I can see fresh drips below the engine when I'm in commercial parking lots, as I did Sunday (two days ago) after noticing the drops at home), is there much to worry about?

And if it's motor oil, is it related to the oil consumption I noted above? About a qt every 1500 miles....

I also saw there may be a remedy in some kind of oil/treatment that's supposed to help stop or minimize "main seal" leaks. Recommendations?

Any assistance would be appreciated. Could take it to my mechanic around the corner, but then I'd have to pay to find out the same answers you might be able to provide; mostly wondering if it may be the simplest problem....a small oil leak. (I'm guessing I might need an oil change.....from the blackness of the oil on the floor....)

__________________
1992 Ranger XLT 4x4 4.0L; nothing else special about it. (I am in love with it....but I know nothing about engines/transmissions or other stuff relating to repairing my baby.)

I've had this truck since birth.....just a tad over 155,000 miles on it (I bought it and lived in Alaska for 20 some-odd years and there weren't many places to drive.....)

Mine was doing the same thing and I have 5 speed 4×4 as well. I had work done on clutch and trans so I replaced my rear main while is wad in it. I personally don't believe in additives. Moral of story is th fix the seal, save $ on oil

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320AZ using Tapatalk

Thanks, Matthew!

__________________
1992 Ranger XLT 4x4 4.0L; nothing else special about it. (I am in love with it....but I know nothing about engines/transmissions or other stuff relating to repairing my baby.)

I've had this truck since birth.....just a tad over 155,000 miles on it (I bought it and lived in Alaska for 20 some-odd years and there weren't many places to drive.....)

No worries bud. Good luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320AZ using Tapatalk