Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Oil Leak from transmission

Have you carefully inspected your oil tank for leaks? There is some evidence that early type tanks can be prone to this, particulary if the oil tank has inadvertently been over-filled. Check around the tank end panel welds for signs of oil weeping out and also check the areas under each end of the tank for 'moistness'. [These areas should be bone dry.] Any oil leaking from the tank will work its way down from here to the bottom of the bellhousing before leaving a puddle on your garage floor!

P964, hello.

Keep in mind that cardboard will "wick" and a few drops of oil will spread to be quite a large spot on cardboard.

Put something like wax paper on the cardboard and see how much you have actually lost. But sitting for 3 weeks allow any minor wetness inside the Centa housing to migrate to the hole and drip out.

As you've thought, it's probably the rear crank seal. In a motorcycle application using this motor, they usually run a wet primary next to the crank output so even a drip or two leak is just absorbed into the primary oil and it's not an issue.

But as you know, the motor has to come out to do this.

Don't know how many miles are on the M3W, but you may want to plan ahead and if you're up there in miles, maybe putting in new Centa rubber rods or Phil's urethane inserts. Maybe too a new clutch disc while you're in there.

The problem with just a drip over time is that it does tend to blow back under the M3W and will get everything in its way messy. Being winter there, maybe it's the right time to do the seal and others etc.

Or you could do what the dealership did, plug or tape off the hole. That's about like a new car customer complaining about a rattle in the dash and the dealer just tells them to turn up the radio a bit more so they cannot hear it...

Good luck with your drip!

It occurs to me that owners of the original, older M3Ws must find this a humorous thread. If their machines didn't leave oil spots after a run, then something is wrong!

Friend of mine over here in the UK used to have a 1972 Austin 1300, a wonderful British Leyland miracle of engineering, running the 1275cc A-Series engine. It smoked like a bar-steward all the time, but went much better than and 1300 before it, for reasons we never really worked out. We used to tool around as youthful car mates all the time and followed the car regularly - whenever it stopped smoking we knew it was down on oil and let our mate know. All good and entirely sustainable. He then took the car to university, losing his wingmen and seized the engine within weeks....

Like all things Morgan, accept the rattles, clocks, leaks and foibles, and just worry like hell when it starts behaving like normal......

Small update, the car is still with the dealer. He plugged the bellhousing hole and it stopped leaking? Did not want to argue with him, i am not there, but was reassured he drove the car and everything looks clean. I dont know if you look at the pictures i posted the drips were coming from further(low point). Anyway the car has been sitting for about two weeks, Dealer is back in England at the factory and we agreed to leave the car and he will check again when he is back. Also they said they will speak with the actual person who build my car and get more info? Who knows.

It's the rear engine seal - mine weeps too - engine & gearbox removal then strip to fit a new one - lucky you've got the bell housing hole - I haven't as they're not all drilled.

You can cut a 45mm hole 90mm back from the bellhousing forward face with a hole cutter, according to some Morgan compensator modification instructions. It's not too tricky as it's fairly soft alloy and was there to allow greasing of the old style compensator. Phil Bleazey cuts a larger hole in the same sort of location to allow replacement of the Centa rubbers with the engine in situ. The hole size and location isn't critical, although be aware of what is behind it, don't drill into the Centa Unit.

I don't think that plugging the hole in the bellhousing is a cure for the leak, it will just move it or mask it. The person who built the car would probably agree.

Paul1987, if the dealer you're working with went to the Morgan factory last week they should return knowing exactly the root cause of your oil leak. The only question is if this dealer will be willing address the real issue correctly.

The rear main oil seal opens to the transmission bell housing so the hole there is where the leaking oil first sees daylight; it's not where the leak originates. Plugging this hole is so incompetent it would shock me if it were not coming from a Morgan dealer. Plugging this hole will just cause the leaking oil to pool and eventually foul your Centa rubbers and then the clutch.

Please let us know what your dealer says next...

The dealer is back and got some good news. Looks like while at the Morgan factory they got correct direction to fix the problem. But to fit the problem they need to order a special tool? Timeline not clear a couple weeks. I should find out more this week.

Good news the right cage has been poked - good luck with the fix.