Intermittent leak from clutch bellhousing

In my 1964 CJ5 I have an intermittent leak that appears to come from a hole at the bottom of the clutch bellhousing. It's possible it's actually originating somewhere else, and just ending up there because this is the low point. However, I'm not sure about the hole either -- should that be plugged by something? It seems to leak only briefly, just after I've parked it. I'm not having any particular clutch-related performance problems. In the first pic below, the hole on the bottom of the bellhousing is towards the right, between the mounting bolts, just right of the tranny skid plate. On the second (taken from underneath, it is toward the bottom in the center. I guess my questions are (1) is it right that this hole at the bottom of the bellhousing should be open, and (2) what can I do to troubleshoot the leak?

 

It's either your oil pan or the rear main seal. Yes the hole should be opened. next time I changed my oil, I would clean all the grease oil dirt off of it and reseal the oil pan, then go from there. That will be the simplest and easiest route to find where it's coming from.

 

What engine trans do you have? If a T-90 there is just a felt seal for the front bearing, not a real seal. If going down hills they have a tendency to leak out past the front bearing retainer and pool in the bellhousing.


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