Oil leak - common causes?

[Hoopy_Frood]

I have a bit of an oil leak - I could probably live with it if it didn't end up all over the rear of my van when I'm driving along. When I stop, I leak oil on the ground and the bottom of the engine and gearbox are very wet with oil. I can only assume that since the gearbox is covered in oil, that the leak is somewhere around this area. What are the most common causes of oil leak around here? It's an early petrol (DG) van.

I suspect it's a failed seal somewhere? I also suspect that it might be an engine out job to fix but am really hoping you might say otherwise....


Thanks

[CovKid]

Gearbox input shaft seal, flywheel oil seal, driveshaft seals (ones at gearbox end under CV joint), pushrod seals, distributor seal, various engine ancillery gaskets, leaking slave cylinder.

Get the underside properly cleaned then you can hopefully pinpoint leak. The first two I mention require gearbox removal but heck, its not that bad a job once you get started.

[itchyfeet]

under the rear of vehicle air can be moving forward, not backwards as you would expect, as said clean it inspect it regularly, had my gearbox out and back in 3 hours last time

[Hoopy_Frood]

Thanks, I'll give it a thorough clean underneath this evening and report back on the location of the drips.