Simple cure for leaking gearbox?

[pamitchell]

Hello All;

My S4 Elan gearbox has a small leak from the front seal. I run Red Line MTL and the box has no other problems. Is there any product that can
be added to the gear box to help the main seals swell up or reduce the leakage? I'm reluctant to pull the box out for a minor leak. I just need to check the gear oil level more often than I like.
CRC Chemical makes a product called "EnginSeal" designed to help engine seals close up. Would it work in a gearbox?
TIA
Phil Mitchell
San Jose CA.

[type26owner]

Phil,
One of the lower four bolts on the lefthand side as you face the gearbox that secures the bellhousing to the gearbox can develop a leak too. They drilled the tapped hole all the way though into the inside space. It will ooze fluid if it's not glued in upon assembly. Learned that one the hard way.

Hey, that's the bolt that you can get to when the starter is removed quite possibly! You might be able to fix it in situ in a few hours effort. Depends if you can get a wobble socket onto it or not. Guessing there's about a 50/50 chance of that. You can certainly pull the engine out by yourself and reinstall it in 8 hours no problem because I've done it many times before.

If it really is the clutch shaft seal then the pilot bushng in the crank is probably toast too.

[paros]

Using the same oil as you do and I suddenly have the same problem! I believe it mmight be that the Red Line is the equivalent of a 30 weight oil as against the designed for 80 weight. Thuus the oil seal clearnace or design is wrong for the thinner oil. This is just a theory but I replaced mys ela recently when doing a clutch cahnge and carefull placed the enw seal into a slightly differnt position on the fisrt motion shaft to have the knife edge of the sael running on clean metal. Leak so far is OK but I am about to put in the slightly thicker Red Line gear oil to increase the viscosity tomorrow as a further precaution - by the way I think the oil is great and use the shockproof oil in the diff.