What the heck is going on here?!

[blown motor]

This is on a 440 with 727 and no dust shield on the bell housing. I've been fighting a rear main seal leak. I last drove the truck a month or six weeks ago. After that I wiped the inner bottom of the bell housing a few times to soak up the engine oil that was accumulated there. This is NOT transmission fluid. I'd wipe it clean and do it again a few days later thinking that any oil that had gotten thrown around in there by the flywheel would have drained down. Figured over a couple weeks I likely had fairly good. Then I went away for three weeks and when I come back there's a lot of oil there again! There's oil in the bottom of the bell housing and on the left side of the left rib where the shield bolts go in but not on the right side of the right rib. Where the *^%# is all this oil coming from when the truck is just sitting there? It leaked enough that there was a drip on the bottom of the bell housing. It took four blue towels to soak it up.

[dodj]

Where the *^%# is all this oil coming from when the truck is just sitting there?

Imo...the rear main.

[Brads70]

Mine leaks a little when sitting for a long time. After I run it it stops.

[blown motor]

So the oil is above the bottom of the rms? I didn't think it would be that deep in the pan.

[Cuda Cody]

If it stops leaking, then I would be very worried.

[headejm]

When it stops leaking, add some oil. 

[dodj]

So the oil is above the bottom of the rms? I didn't think it would be that deep in the pan.

There is a lot of engine above the rear main seal. Oil can drain down from above for a very long time, it's not like the rms is submerged in oil.

[Xghobo]

My rear main seal has been leaking since I rebuilt my 440 30 years ago. I took it out and used I think a rope gasket and rtv on the ends put it back together and it still leaked after it sits but when it's in use seems to stop. Never thought about taking it out again. Seems a lot of 440 have a seeking rear main seal.