[Old Blue 66]

My sense of smell isn't so great this week....Brake fluid or rear gear fluid??

This is after sitting for about a week. Seems as though its coming from the center cap.

[Slick 50]

I like your wheels.

[abefromen]

If a wheel cylinder is leaking it will leak into the drum and onto the back of the tire spreading all over it as the wheel turns. Then again, if it's a wheel seal it would do the same in gear lube. Strange seeing it on the face of the wheel.........gear lube has a distinct odor. Brake fluid not as much. If it was leaking that much brake fluid, you would notice a low pedal for sure.

[fyrffytr1]

You don't have any dogs running loose in your neighbohood do you? From the picture, it sure looks like you have had your territory marked!

[pont406]

I'd say either a dog peed on your wheel, or you've busted a wheel cylinder, i hope you cleaned it off after the pics, as brake fluid or pee may damage the chrome!

[engineer]

gear lube has horrible smell, urine less but distinctive, brake none. What does back side of drum look like?

[Old Blue 66]

There have been no dogs in my garage.

I just put the rear end in last year. All I can assume is that its a busted brake cylinder like suggested. Allergies have taken over my sense of smell, but I may have been able to smell gear fluid.

I just though someone may be able to tell based on the color.

[Slick 50]

Is the fluid thick( 90 wt.) or thin(brake fluid)? If you have a bottle of each, try putting some next to the fluid on your tire/wheel. Have your wife/friend/children smell them. Check your brake reservoir level.
You can do it.

[goathead68]

Looks like brake fluid. Is the master cylinder low?

[A-body]

Jack up the car, remove the 5 nuts holding the rim on, and see where the leak is coming from. Thats the easiest way,

[fyrffytr1]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

There have been no dogs in my garage.

I just put the rear end in last year. All I can assume is that its a busted brake cylinder like suggested. Allergies have taken over my sense of smell, but I may have been able to smell gear fluid.

I just though someone may be able to tell based on the color.

Any number of animal could have done it. It may have been a cat. It's just odd that the fluid is on the front of the rim and the brake drum appears to be clean and dry. It does not look like gear oil.

[Brad B. Hillebrand]

Looks like brake fluid, and by it's position a wheel cylinder is letting go or the brake line fitting on the WH came lose or the bleeder screw is loose....you can pull the wheel and drum to check it out....you would see the area where it is leaking

[GTOGreg]

Brake fluid, that's exeactly how a leaking wheel cylinder looks. Didn't you replace yours not too long ago Paul? Brad's right - check the connect first, that little bugger can leak pretty easily. I like to back it off and then back on 2,3,4 times before torquing so that it seats better.

[Old Blue 66]

Master wasnt low so I took the wheel off. Fully expected to see a mess under the drum. Not the case. Everything was normal and dry.

Heres the weird thiing. I noticed this over the weekend while doing a little detailing. As you can see in the pics in my first post, its obvious that something is leaking. What I didnt post (and didnt feel it was nessesary) was that it was on the rear quarter like it had been spun off the wheel. I drove the car to the gas station (a couple of miles round trip) last week. If it spun of the wheel and dripped enough to make a little puddle on the rim in a week, something would show up somewhere.

What in the world is going on???????????? My garage is open quite a bit, but I just dont feel its an animal. What I wiped of the rim had a chemical smell.

Didn't you replace yours not too long ago Paul?

Your right Greg, I did. It was the other side.

[fyrffytr1]

I know you're getting tired of this but, no brake fluid or axle seal leaking. It could only come from an outside source. Clean it up and drive it. Check it right after you park it in the garage and again the next morning. If nothing shows up keep checking before and after driving it. That way you will know when it is happening.
Could you have run over something or maybe got marked by an animal when it was parked somewhere other than in your garage.

[troy_barker]

whats it taste like?

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

I know you're getting tired of this but, no brake fluid or axle seal leaking. It could only come from an outside source. Clean it up and drive it. Check it right after you park it in the garage and again the next morning. If nothing shows up keep checking before and after driving it. That way you will know when it is happening.
Could you have run over something or maybe got marked by an animal when it was parked somewhere other than in your garage.

I think this is the only answer. Obviously theres nothing else I can do. Thanks.

[OhMyGoat]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

I think this is the only answer. Obviously theres nothing else I can do. Thanks.

Keep the G D closed Paul. I hear that cougars run loose up your way on occasion.

Hope it's nothing too serious, and I agree...I like those wheels.

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by OhMyGoat

Keep the G D closed Paul. I hear that cougars run loose up your way on occasion.

Hope it's nothing too serious, and I agree...I like those wheels.

HA! You heard about the Cougar huh. That wasnt far from where I work.

[John V.]

If it was pee, it would evaporate. You surely can tell if it is oily or not when you wipe it up?

Wipe up with paper towel. If pee, paper towel will dry. If oil, paper towel will stay oily.

You saw same thing last weekend and cleaned it all off and after a week a new puddle has formed?

You checked and there is no oil puddling inside the wheel center cap, right?

Assuming it is oil of some kind, any chance you recently oiled your garage door mechanism and oil is dripping off from overhead?

Or do you have storage overhead and oil is leaking from a container?