Each time I look under my 1989 Vanagon I notice a drop of black oil on the
bracket that holds the exhast pipe behind the engine. The oil seems to be
coming from where the engine meets the transmission. This leak was there
before I switched to the synthetic oil last week.

My engine oil is clean and new. My transmission oil is new Red Line MT 90.
The leak seems to be black but this may just be new oil picking up sludge on
the way down from where it is leaking.

Is this a common problem?

If it is a seal inside somewhere I do not see any way of fixing it without
major engine or tranny removal. It seems I will have to live with it for
now.

Any advice? Prognosis?

Is there a gasket between the engine and transmission?

There also seems to be a drop of oil forming from the bottom of the oil fill
tube from time to time. I keep wiping it dry but it keeps getting a drop or
so every week.

Nothing drops to the driveway on either of these two areas.  I can not
figure out from where the oil is coming. Everything else looks dry.

William Polowniak
1989 Vanagon GL
1988 Mercedes 300 SE