I noticed a small oil puddle under my car for the first time today. There was a very slow drip from where the engine meets the transmission, on the passenger side. It seems to be coming from inside the back of the engine, because nothing else has oil dripping off it.

Since I have owned the car I haven't noticed a leak or any change in oil level until today - it was actually down almost a quart when I topped it off.

I did replace the distributor with one from a Volvo that was literally caked in oil. The replacement distributor had silicone all around it when I removed it, which may have been an attempt to slow the flow of oil from the engine (I don't know if the distributor was the culprit).

Before installing this distributor I didn't lose any oil at all, except when the return tube from the flame trap came off and allowed some to escape.

I looked/felt around the back of the engine, which seemed to be fairly dry (aside from caked on oil), and lacked any obvious signs of a leak.

Is my rear main seal going out? Or is the new distributor likely to be the culprit?

I hate having leaks and the possibility of the oil leaking out when I'm driving, potentially causing engine problems.


Any thoughts?


Tim

-also, the car has been running a synthetic/dino oil blend for the last couple of years.
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1987 Volvo 740 GLE, 128k