I have a slow leak from a metal gasket, what is it!? help/advice needed, see pic

barkey147 · #1 04-10-2011, 10:46 AM

After noticing some oil spots on my garage floor, I cleaned off the underside of my truck around the oil pan and tightened the oil filter and oil plug hoping it would fix the problem.
Unfortunately I discovered that it is leaking out of this metal gasket that I can push open with simple finger pressure on the edge and cause more oil or fluid to come out.
What the heck am I looking at here? Is this normal? I know my way around motorcycles and ATVs more than trucks, so any technical advise or knowledge would be appreciated.

pooleo · #2 04-10-2011, 11:20 AM

That would be the flex plate. And it is not a gasket. You are leaking oil from the rear main. Or leaking trans fluid from the seal.

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What side is the oil coming from? trans or engine side when you push it?

barkey147 · #3 04-10-2011, 02:54 PM

That makes sense. Its hard to see up between the two, but now I can see there is definitely fluid coming from the rear upper part of the oil pan where it goes out of sight under the transmission. When I push on the flex plate in the direction of the arrow I showed (towards the engine) fluid comes out that looks like this. Is this all a transmission fluid leak?

djfllmn · #4 04-10-2011, 02:56 PM

that looks like oil to me

pooleo · #5 04-10-2011, 03:43 PM

idk, kinda looks red to me! hahaha, smell it I guess! if it walks like a duck, taste like a duck, smells like a duck, it must be a duck!

barkey147 · #6 04-10-2011, 03:57 PM

unfortunately i have a terrible sense of smell from a sinus infection i'm dealing with so I really can't tell what it smells like. I did however manage to get some in my eye while climbing under there and it didn't feel too great if that helps settle it haha. fml

About how much does it cost to get a rear main seal fixed?
just so I know I'm not getting ripped off.

klinger86 · #7 04-10-2011, 04:06 PM

not sure how much it would cost but it looks more like tranny fluid to me or at least more so than oil...

pooleo · #8 04-10-2011, 04:13 PM

rear main is easy replaced. Removal of Transmission is in order. Followed by flywheel. It would take a good day and a big case of beer. I would be comftorable paying someone around $400 to do it. But I have no idea what a shop would charge.

what you need is an FRF meet/project rear main seal replacement!