Morris Minor Owners Club

I have returned from Minors on Tour to find I have an oil leak from the gearbox. It is not the usual few drips from the drain plug. It's a leak that's quite far back and although it hasn't made a puddle in the garage it's quite a few drips. I raised the car today so I could get under and investigate. It appears to be coming from the circular cover plate, secured with 4 bolts on the remote housing. It seems to be dripping down onto the propshaft and then being flung out over the underside of the car. My photos are not very good and by the time I had thought to take a photo I had already cleaned most of the oil off. I have tightened the 4 nuts and will have to see how it goes. I hope it's not the gearbox rear oil seal. It shouldn't be as the gearbox was a reconditioned unit only fitted less than a year ago. Tomorrow I will check the gearbox level and top up which will show much oil I am actually losing. Quite a lot I think.

Stephen

There should be very little oil getting to the gear lever remote housing so I doubt that the oil is leaking from the 4 bolt plate/gasket. I suspect the gearbox rear oil seal is at fault especially as the plate is above where any oil escaping from the gearbox would end up.

philthehill wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2026 10:16 pm There should be very little oil getting to the gear lever remote housing so I doubt that the oil is leaking from the 4 bolt plate/gasket. I suspect the gearbox rear oil seal is at fault especially as the plate is above where any oil escaping from the gearbox would end up.

I was afraid you'd say that but I think you're right! We'll see.....

Stephen

The car sat overnight with the front raised up on stands and the back of the gearbox sitting downhill. I had cleaned all the leaking oil off. Yes it is leaking from the rear oil seal as Phil wisely said but strangely it IS also weeping from the remote housing 4 bolt circular plate. So we were both right. I checked the gearbox oil level and it appears to have lost so little it wasn't even worth topping up. It's amazing how so little oil looks so much.

As ESM supplied this reconditioned gearbox they have agreed to do the rear seal (and the cover plate gasket).

Stephen