I recently did my oil filter housing gasket and one of the symptoms is oil dropping down towards the back of the car -- it gets oil all over everything. I had oil on my transmission pan and a few feet behind the oil pan. I thought of that immediately when I saw your first pic. Some of the other ones are pretty consistent in terms of when/where/how the leak.

Dkr.

Mine had oil where you circled. It was the oil filter housing gasket. You will need a new block to housing gasket and also the gasket under the plate that holds the turbo oil line and oil pressure sending unit.

I didn't have the plate gasket so made one and it leaked. It is much easier to change on the bench than on the car. Make sure that you have the correct sealing washers for the turbo line banjo and the oil pressure sender. The banjo and sender are easily installed from under the car. 19mm socket on flex head ratchet and 17mm open end wrench.

Edit: Make sure that it is not the valve cover leaking. I could see a steady drip off the oil housing with the engine running. I "think" it was mostly the plate gasket.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

It's worth the little bit extra to purchase the dealer gasket for the oil filter housing. It is designed with a waffle pattern and much more substantial than many of the aftermarket vendors. Also, a little aviation gasket sealer helps.

I would double check caution when using many degreasers. I'm not sure about purple power but many have the tendency to corrode aluminum and then you end up with a never-ending "chalk". Plain old dish soap or an organic cleaner seems to do the best job, without damage, for me.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Thanks! I've got the same issue. There is oil all the way up to the transmission pan. It's on the steering damper and a few other parts in that area.

I think the valve cover gasket was leaking a little too, but most of the oil seems to be coming from that side, probably the oil filter housing gasket.

When I run my hand along the top side and top back of the motor, I get black residue, but never wet oil like I do from down below.

Where would the oil directly on the engine, behind the starter come from? Isn't that outside of the turbo drain area?

For both parts, it looks like I need PN: 6171840180 and 6161840780