The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

So if I appear to have oil in / leaking from the bellhousing / bit between engine and gearbox thingy - where would that becoming from. Must it be engine oil or could it be gearbox oil? And whichever, where would it be coming from? Is there a seal around the gearbox input shaft?

Also, the axle-stub/drive-shaft oil seals - to replace them isn't a backyard job, or is it? I'm told you need to adjust the front diff backlash and bearing preload or something?

Thirdly, if the gearbox oil seems to be visibly dirtyish when wiping the gearbox dipstick clean, what's up with that?

Could be from Main Shaft seal or input shaft seal, there is a seal inside the input shaft and bad news is you have to crack the box open to access to the seal.
If its main seal - you can change it easily, box and flywheel has to come off.

Have a smell at the oil to see if its engine oil or gearbox oil - that will be best way to figure out what it is.

Stub Axle
- gearbox - you have to remove the CVs, then undo the cups as the seals is behind the cups you cannot remove it while the cups are on, when you take them off, mark it with texta and count how many turns you undo, I think its roughly 5.5 turns to undo.
- rear diff - cups has to be removed as well.

Dip Stick - Mine does that as well, it looks like metallic colour when you wipe the stick - i lead to believe its wearing out somewhere inside the gearbox.
Cheers
AP

Usual way to tell if it is gearbox oil it is the smell - it lingers and is hard to wash away and good sample would be behind the fill plug on your rear - if smells same it is likely to be gear oil

Oh, which car? You have so many in the sig !

The back lash thing is it possible if you count and so does a good friend, exactly number of turns to undo with start and finish marks made to refer to when reinstall I would guess no preload has been disturbed if just to do the seals

LOL, the Liberty wagon one. I only own that and the Silver Outback currently.

I'm actually leaning towards think it's engine oil - no real diff oil smell - but not 100%. Conceivably it could be both.