Oil sump leak maybe

[Joez4]

So I think I might have an oil sump leak, noticed oil at the back of the oil sump where it meets the gearbox housing, seems everytime I fix an oil leak on this engine it sends the leak further down the engine.

How common is this type of leak? Looks like a right pain to change gasket, I've cleaned it all up hoping it's residue from the cv leak I fixed about a month ago but I'm not holding my breath

[enuff_zed]

Could also possibly be a rear crankshaft seal

[Joez4]

How well sealed is the gearbox housing to the engine? can oil leak past the rear main seal and then leak through the gearbox housing

Also wouldn't the clutch be contaminated in oil?

[deltasierra]

The clutch housing isn’t sealed there is a drain hole to stop oil collecting. The gearbox needs to be removed to fit a new crankshaft seal you can check the clutch then.
Do make sure the oil is coming from the gearbox housing and not dripping down from higher up the engine block.

[Joez4]

The oil looks like it's coming from the sump gasket or above it, it's not ofhg or rocker cover, both recently changed and no sign of oil leak, it could be residual oil from ccv leak I've recently fixed.

Oil was leaking from the oil return pipe and running down the oil sump and dripping onto undertray,
I cleaned the area up and it hasn't returned, didn't notice back of engine until doing an oil change
So it could have run all the way down the sump gasket seem and I didn't even notice.

I've read online that any oil leak on this engine will make it's way to the gearbox housing eventually due to how the engine lies and the ccv leak was only fixed a 100 miles or so ago so maybe it hasn't burnt off yet wishfull thinking I know

[NS66]

thats not a leak!!!! if you want to see oil leak I can show you my 38 year old Land Rover

[Zedebee]

To be fair, it’s pretty good for an M54 (or any BMW engine for that matter)

[Joez4]

The more I look at it the more I think maybe it is residual oil from the ccv leak as I can see oil staining across the engine support bracket going along the sump towards the rear of the engine.

I'll keep driving it and see if it gets worse, I'm reluctant to spend more than the car is worth to change a seal and if I do it would make sense to change the clutch and flywheel at the same time which means even more money

Like most people on here I've done all the work on this car myself and saved thousands but dropping a gearbox is abit to much for me.

[Geezah]

I had to get a new oil sump for my 2.0i, it had rusted through spilling oil on the drive. In all my years of car ownership, this BMW is the only car ever to haver an oil sump rusting out, not to mention ABS pump failure........twice.

American build quality perhaps?

If it wasn't for the fun factor, it would have gone.

[Joez4]

Wow a rusted sump, I didn't think about that, thought it was aluminium