Oil in clutch housing

[mcditalia]

Looks like I didn't put on the screw in canister on right the other night during my winter oil change and gave the clutch a bath with 10w-30 oil upon start up. Before I realized what was happening I probably dumped a good 2-3-quarts on the floor and in the clutch housing, probably mostly went in through the clutch fork opening. It's still dripping out from the bottom, got really black. My question is how bad is this? :WI took it out for a ride an deverything seems to be working OK. No clutch slippage or strange noises.

I also noticed that the bottom two holes in the housing don't have any bolts going in them. Supposed to be there?

 

[Tom Bryant]

Centrifugal force would prevent oil from getting on the clutch from an outside source while the engine is running. If enough was flung inside the bellhousing it could run down to the crank and then be forced to the clutch when the engine is running (as it does with a bad rear main seal or trans front seal). I doubt that any large amount got in there. Remove the tin inspection cover and look. If the area looks pretty dry except for the inside of the inspection cover and lower areas, just clean it up and forget it.

If the whole area is running wet with oil then you are going to have to clean it up and it isn't going to be fun. I'd suggest several cans of brake clean and a thick layer of floor dry on top of a sheet of cardboard under the clutch area to collect the drippage. Just spray and let it run down untill it's clean and dry. Wear a full face shield and do it outside where you have ample ventilation.

Brake clean will dry without leaving any residue and is designed for this type of material. Clutch and brake materials are similar and both need to be oil free or they will grab or slip, depending on the amount of contamination.

It sounds like your clutch fork boot is missing. Get one and install it to prevent further damage in the future.

Tom

 

[67vet]

If you are unlucky enough to get oil on your flywheel the clutch will slip and chatter. Here is a picture of my flywheel after the shaft seal leaked and spun oil on it. As previously stated, clean with spray as best as you can. Good luck.

 

[mcditalia]

Thanks, it's still leaking a bit on the garage, so I'll try to flush it out with brake cleaner. Clutch boot? Gee now I know why the fork opening looked so darn big. I still can't figure out is if the bottom of the clutch housing needs two bolts. I have none. I would imagine yes :eyerole