MTFCA Forum

I regularly inspect my 26 touring before a drive, I have cleaned the undercarriage and an area on the rear axle appears to continue to get oily. Is it possible that the housing is cracked? I would like to avoid a catastrophic failure.

Clean it up with solvent and then some paint remover in the suspected area. Drive it a while and you probably can see specifically where the leak is from and maybe a suspected crack. If not it’s probably leaking where it’s riveted together.

Many times it can be very difficult to see where oil is leaking from on a shiny black surface.
I've heard baby powder, talc or flour applied to the surface suspected of leaking will easily show where a leak is coming from?

Be sure it's not related to moisture or oil vapor from the exhaust. Sometimes riveted joints will slowly seep oil. It usually doesn't indicate a problem, but I'd want to look carefully for any indication of movement between the riveted parts. Cleaning up the area as suggested above, then taking a drive on a dirt road might help pinpoint the leakage. If the joint is mechanically tight, thoroughly cleaning the area and then painting it might stop the leakage.* I'd also check the radius rods for any sign of looseness or misalignment. Excess lubricant in the axle might cause a leak.

Thanks all for your thoughts. The oil level is correct, the exhaust pipe extends past the axle. As suggested I'm going to thoroughly clean the area and inspect with a magnifying glass. If it is just seeping at the joint and or rivets, that is not a big concern. My biggest fear is if the housing is cracked, to have it break and separate while driving.

Its quite common to see a ring of dried grease & oil @ the joint of the tube & casting. They weeped from day one.
Be glad you dont have a massive leak as found in many 13-14 housings.
Casting failure would be rare. Go ahead & look for your peace of mind. I have not seen cracks or flaws on the scores of housings I have encountered.
This is another part of a model T that was not designed to be leak free.

Thank you John, that is just the answer I was hoping for.