Re: I need help identifying a plate either on the engine or trans.

Posted by HH56 On 2024/6/2 21:35:20

That plate was a 56 change. In 55 and earlier the entire lower half of the bellhousing had to be removed to access the torque converter drain plugs so the plate was added to make fluid changes much easier. The two bolts hold it on and once they are removed it just slides down. When reinstalling, there is a small clip at the top that engages part of the bellhousing to keep that end in position The small hole is there to let any leaking oil or fluid in the bellhousing escape.

If it is transmission fluid that is leaking out there is a slight chance a converter drain plug is loose or the O ring between the halves of the torque converter is damaged or loose bolts at the pump shaft is letting the pump shaft gasket leak but more than likely it is the front seal on the transmission. The front seals can crack or if the car sat for a long time without any fluid circulating to keep it moist it can be damaged when started up again. Except for the drain plugs any of the other causes will require the transmission to be removed for service.

If it is motor oil leaking then the rear main seal on the engine is the likely source. You said you changed oil and that alone should not have caused any issues. Seals leak mostly due to wear or possibly using oil that is too thin. If the engine has the high volume Olds oil pump conversion instead of the standard output version the high volume pumps caused issues for some folks by pumping such a large volume of oil the seal was overwhelmed.