Suzanne, (also my lovely wife's divine name!)

If I understand WHERE the oil is "pooling", it sounds like your
flywheel-end oil seal is leaking. If this motor has 146k on it, you should
be glad it is the only thing leaking! :)

Fixing it requires removing the motor or the transmission, and honestly,
with all the miles you have on this motor, if you have the $$$ you might
think about having a rebuilt motor installed while you are paying to have
this motor out.

If cash is tight, and you just need this motor to "hang in there" for a
while, ask your mechanic to run some "Oil Seal Stop Leak" in the motor.
There are two types of this stuff. One just thickens the oil so it is less
prone to squeezing out. Don't use this. The other contains a mild solvent
that causes the rubber seals in the motor to soften and swell slightly.
This is what you want. Like all cheap fixes, don't expect it to work
miracles, but it may buy you some time until you can have it fixed/rebuilt.

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Cary, NC     USA
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free

-----Original Message-----
From:   Suzanne Hackett [SMTP:yetilvft@EARTHLINK.NET]
Sent:   Sunday, March 07, 1999 11:46 AM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Leaky Transmission

Hi:

I'm that gal with the 90 Vanagon 146,000 miles, etc...After a winter
requiring a new battery, distributor and several hoses, I now have an
oil leak somewhere that is pooling in places on top of the transmission
(is that what it is?) or whatever on the parts of the engine block that
is closest to me as I look into it, and dripping pretty bad...so bad
that all the oil flys up and greases my back window and rear hatch.  I
am not experiencing anything mechanically (yet) but was wondering what
you might recommend.  My mechanic seems to fix one thing at a time and
he has been aware of this leak but not very concerned.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Suzanne

*****************************
Suzanne F. Hackett
Executive Director
Valley Cultural Center
Woodland Hills, CA
http://www.valleycultural.org
*****************************