belkins

Okay, here are the specifics:

2002 Honda Accord V6
- 4 door
- automatic transmission

I've got an oil leak that I figured was a loose oil filter since I recently changed the oil. After putting the car up on jacks and nosing around it was obviously not the oil filter or the drain plug.

Looking around I found where the oil leak was and this is where it gets weird!

Where the transmission and the motor bolt together there was what appeared to be a steel plate amongst all this aluminum. I thought it was steel simply because it had a rusted appearance. After pondering it some more and tapping on it and examining the edges with a pick it was PLASTIC!!!

Well, it doesn't matter if it's plastic or not but the main point is this appears to be the source of the oil leak.

Does anyone have any ideas what this might be? I spoke to the local Honda service department (of course they weren't a lot of help to a do-it-yourselfer) and the parts department couldn't locate the part on their diagrams.

I figure there is probably a gasket behind this piece that needs to be replaced but since I need the car to get to work I didn't want to start disassembling things just yet.

Thanks for any ideas as to the mystery part.

belkins