the rear main leak

[brucecooner]

Lots of good advice here...

 

1. SMELL it.

Gather some of the leaking fluid, smell it, then put your snout on the master cylinder, then the dipstick, and see if you can bloodhound your way to an answer.

 

2. WHERE is it?

Dry dust cover and oil pan?  Probably the transmission. (my dust cover was dry as a bone)

 

3. WHEN is it?

Leaking when the engine is off? Probably the transmission.  (mine would drip when parked)

I'm guessing you could clean the fluid up, then pump the clutch a few dozen times and see if the fluid returns.

 

4. Does it mix with water?

You could probably spray a water bottle at it. If it rinses off, probably the clutch.

 

Thanks all for the advice and congratulations.

I took it out for a pleasure cruise this evening, and I was a bigger problem than the clutch. 

I've been shifting stick in my Ranger for decades, but haven't yet gotten the hang of this one.

 

Aaaand I discovered the AC has quit working.

Aaaand it's idling higher now.  It had a brief stint a couple of weeks ago where it idled at 2500, but it spontaneously returned to normal out of the blue.

Today when I started it it wanted to idle around 1250. Then after working the brakes at a few intersections, the idle settled down to 1000.

Then at stoplights it would do the surging idle (500-700-back), or it would idle at 1000.

So my next area of study I guess.

Always an adventure!

[cruiser54]

Remind me. which of my Tips have you completed?

[brucecooner]

On 7/1/2022 at 6:23 AM, cruiser54 said:

Remind me. which of my Tips have you completed?

I've been busy with work, and with temps topping 110 down here in the desert I haven't been under the hood in a bit.

BUT I've done the first tip, the wires that ground to the block near the dipstick.

I also pulled those relays on the passenger side of the engine bay and cleaned up their contacts as well.

 

 

I just drive take short trips on the weekend now to keep it from sitting up. On my last weekend drive it was still idling around 1000, which seems a little high.

Once it's not so painful hot outside (hopefully within months) I want to get to the fuel pump contacts.