Please help with this leak?!

[JoeyBoyden1]

Car has been giving off a burning smell sometimes under hard acceleration. Most of the time however it goes quickly but I got out the car today and could smell it again outside but not when I was driving. I doubt it's the clutch burning as that has a distinctive smell, this smells more like oil. Anyway I've had a small transmission leak for a while now as I was told when I had my clutch replaced but they never had the seals there and then so just left it....Anyway, I can see where the box is leaking and I'm going to order a set of seals to try and fix it but I could also use some help with where the other oil is coming from. I cleaned my engine bay up the other day to get rid of old grease and all and it's still clean since I've noticed this oil. I look most days under the car after driving to check for leaks including a check on if the gearbox leak is about the same but I've noticed new oil appearing on the pipe next to the exhaust pipe (no idea what it's called)

If you look at these pics then they should do most of the talking....

This first one is when I didn't tighten the rocker cover properly and it leaked all over the pipe. This is sorted now but the reason for this picture is the two pipes to the right of the manifold are dry here.
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

This is the leak here taken a while ago
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

Now here's the pics I've taken tonight. First image is the offside drive shaft, looks pretty clean but the nearside one looks like the seal has gone?
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

There's a lot of oil there!

Here's the two pipes next to the manifold again, however the roles have been reversed and there's oil on these now!
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

And this is the main transmission leak aswell as surrounding oil all over the place.
http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...


I've read up a little bit and apparently when the drive shaft seals go, they can throw oil everywhere and make a right mess. Sometimes they can get onto the pipes and make that burning smell, would this be correct to assume? I really need your guys' help so let me know whether I'm right/wrong and any suggestions! Cheers!

[JoeyBoyden1]

More pics here. The oil is going all the way round so I have no idea where this could be coming from

http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

http://s938.photobucket.com/user/JoeyBoyden/media/...

[Cemesis]

And the car is...

[B'stard Child]

Cemesis said:

And the car is...

I'm guessing Fiesta from the other pics in his bucket - was lucky with the broken spring that could have been nasty

[wiliferus]

I reckon a 2000my Fiesta.....

[JoeyBoyden1]

yup it's a fiesta rust bucket....anyone have any ideas?

[Hol]

I'd get the engine bay steam cleaned, so you can see the leak(s) better and fix as required.


If you have breathers, replace them or clean them out as it's not unknown for even mild crankcase pressure to leak from unlikely places above the oil level.