M50D leaking between Main housing and Extension Housing?

[locovaca]

Since i got my truck I've had a small leak on the backside of the tranny. I chalked it up to the shift plugs, and last year when I did my clutch job I put in the freeze plugs and RTVed the outside for good measure.

It's been still leaking since then, and I've had the truck parked in the garage the last month doing a big rewiring and such. At the start of everything I went in the back and wiped off the bottom of the tranny to see if it was leaking while running or just sitting there. Well, I checked this morning and it's definitely leaked a few drops over the last few weeks with no driving. I took off the floor pan and checked the shift rail plugs, they are bone dry.

So I went below and sprayed the entire bottom with brake cleaner to help pinpoint the leak, but initially it looks like its coming from between the main tranny housing and the extension housing. It looks like there's a paper gasket in there by default. So my questions are:

1. From what I've read, you can just pull the housing without pulling the tranny + guts, right? Just drop the drive shaft and remove the bolts?

2. Anywhere online where I might find a replacement gasket, or do I need to just use RTV?

After football I'm going to go check and see if that indeed is where the fluid is coming from, but I didn't see anywhere else that it could be.

 

[srteach]

Yes, you can pull the tail housing without dropping the tranny. Use Back RTV to reseal it. You should check the tail shaft bushing while it is out.