Possibly daft question about engine/gearbox/flywheel

[M.Badger]

Utter newbie, so I've donned my flameproof underpants.
I have an ex BT MK5 120 SWB with the 2.5DI engine + 5 speed gearbox. Recently, it has begun leaking oil and marking its territory whenever I park up. I looked underneath to see roughly where it is leaking from, and I suspect the crankshaft rear oil seal has gone on holiday without leaving relief cover.
What struck me was I could see the flywheel through a rectangular hole on the offside of the gearbox. Next, I went round the front of the van and had a peer at the oily mess from the front. I can see the flywheel from the front too!. Rather a lot of flywheel teeth in terms of the circumference.
This doesn't strike me as being a good idea as water ingress can't be good. I have no problems with the gearbox itself, and the lever isn't wobbling about. I can't lift or rotate the gearbox at all, so I am making the probably incorrect assumption it is safely, if not correctly mounted. Do I have a plate/cover missing?, should the flywheel be visible at all?, is there an inspection plate on the offside?. I have scoured the Haynes but not found Haynesian enlightenment.
In short, help!

[ginsambo]

There are some rubber stops that go in the gearbox holes either side. One has a gaiter for the clutch lever, one is just a blank. I've hardly ever seen them fitted. My tipper regularly gets bogged to the axles down at the local tip or on a farm somewhere and the clutch and flywheel always stay clean and dry so I wouldn't worry. don't know what you mean by seeing the flywheel from the front as the engine block is in the way? There is a 12mm hole on the left hand side of the engine, viewed from front that takes a pin to lock the crankshaft via the flywheel to replace cambelt etc. - is that what you mean, you must have good eyesight? Replacing rear and front crankshaft oil seals are fairly quick and easy if you're careful, you'll also need the appropriate gaskets etc, but I'd take the engine out to do them, but then I'd take the engine out to do anything as I'm trying to cut down on the swearing.

Just a thought, check your rocker cover isn't dribbling, or the oil filler stick isn't leaking either as it'll save you a job - oil gets sloshed everywhere once it starts to escape.

[Muttley]

If you can see the bottom of the flywheel then you have two small metal plates missing. That in itself is no real problem, I call em "sh*t shields" as thats what they do. You can get some replacements at any Transit breakers if you miss them

[ginsambo]

sh*t shields, I wouldn't have though of that. You think the whole sandwich plate might be missing between engine and gearbox also? Isn't the sh*t shield just for decoration? I can't remember now without looking.

[M.Badger]

I'll try and take some piccies tomorrow. I do like the term sh*t shield.

[shortcut]

Check the lift pump isn't leaking oil where it bolts to the block which is then running downwards giving the crankshaft seal a bad name. should be two nuts holding it on , think its a 13mm spanner, if the bolts are loose or the seal is shot then its a very cheap repair to do.
I thought the rear seal on the crank was dead on my last van and started to price up the job untill someone looked at it properly, think the o ring seal is less than a quid at fords.

[Muttley]

The plate between the block and bellhousing is a big thick piece of metal, the "sh*t shields" are two thin metal plates that bolt on with 6mm bolts at the bottom of the bellhousing.You can do without them but I have experienced running over a fox that managed to force itself into the bellhousing and knocked the clutch release fork off its pivot thus rendering me without a clutch (and a gearbox stuffed with dead fox ) so leave them off at your peril

[BROWNYS V6]

hmmm dead fox in ya gearbox sounds nice, need a puking smiley

[Muttley]

hmmm dead fox in ya gearbox sounds nice, need a puking smiley

puking deffo was on the agenda that day

[M.Badger]

I had a crawl about under it yesterday to do an oil change, but my 'phone couldn't take a passable picture. It is the sh*t shields that are missing. Breakers here we come. I don't fancy scraping fox guts from the bell housing when I come to replacing the oil seal and clutch. The clutch isn't currently slipping, but given the amount of dismantling required to do the oil seal, it'd be daft not to replace it whilst in there.

[madmark_50484]

I had a crawl about under it yesterday to do an oil change, but my 'phone couldn't take a passable picture. It is the sh*t shields that are missing. Breakers here we come. I don't fancy scraping fox guts from the bell housing when I come to replacing the oil seal and clutch. The clutch isn't currently slipping, but given the amount of dismantling required to do the oil seal, it'd be daft not to replace it whilst in there.

IIRC when we did a clutch it wasn't that tricky only took a couple of hours its up to you