You supplied precious little info as to what and where this leak is located
so i will shot gun some ideas and advice.
Leaks can come from the following places;
1. Front input shaft (clutch shaft) which has a seal easily found in US
bearing supply houses. It also has a paper gasket for the front cover
itself and this is easily copied or you can clean up the surfaces and use
blue glue silicon rubber.
2. The rear tail shaft has a seal and paper gasket (ditto above comment).
NOTE...on paper gaskets..give them a VERY thin coating of blue glue or
gasket cement just prior to assembling them.
3. The top cover has 2 paper gaskets (ditto #2 above).
4. Speedo drive has a little oil seal in it which could likely be matched
by the US bearing supply houses or convert to a simple O-ring instead.
5.The fill and drain plugs might need a new hard fiber or copper gasket
ring if they are leaking.
6.Under the top cover there should be a thin steel oil shield panel which
is sometimes found missing. If gone, there can be excess splash beyond what
is expected and wetness around the entire top will occur.
7. If you have an OD and the leaks are on it, there are several gaskets,
oil pipe joints , installed devices mounted on the housing etc. etc. Any of
these can leak if their seals and/or gaskets are damaged.
--------------
I will assume you have no OD and that the oil level is at the fill hole
level and has NOT been made to be higher than the lower edge of the fill
hole !!! If oil is too high..there will be leaks.
Clean up the gearbox with solvents and hot soapy water and make it dry.
Take a teaspoon of red vegetable dye liquid from the kitchen. Add it to the
gearbox oil (it won't hurt a thing). Drive the car say 1/2 hour then get
under it and start looking for where the red oil is coming from.
Oil at the front is usually No. 1 above and oil at the drive shaft end is
No. 2 above. Other signs of oil at other areas will have to be evaulated.
Now as to your question about special tools. No nothing special needed to
yank out the gearbox and replace the seals and/or gaskets (other than the
OD, which would need a mechanic familiar with it,( such as MG, Triumph,
Volvo, Jaguar shops would be)
Any experienced mechanic who never saw an Alpine before could yank it out
and get the needed seals, make paper gaskets (or use blue glue) and put it
all together...no problem mon !
NYC area abounds with lots of shops which were active during the 50s-70s
when these cars were common there. Call around and ask to see who "wants"
the job. I actually suggest you phone Click and Clack on their public radio
show and ask them for their advice. They have been in business a long time
and might take the job.(don't ask me for info on how to reach them) Before
letting anyone have it though...you do the oil leak source tests and in
that way you have some idea what you need to buy.
The tail shaft seal can be replaced without removing the gearbox and this
is only a 30 minute job on a hoist.
If other problems are found requiring gearbox removal...then pony up and
have both front and rear seals done and likely put in a new rear bushing
and a new front ball bearing....just as a matter of course. These are cheap
and labor is almost nothing, as they are quick and easy to install.
Might even have them put in a new clutch if yours is near the end.
Once that gearbox is out...this is the time to do the clutch job for only
another 45 minutes labor, plus parts.
Hope this guides you to a solution and helps get things corrected economically.
Dick T.
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