If the throwout bearing was lubricated correctly before it was installed on
the shaft, it will tend to sling any leaking tranny fluid out to the
bellhousing. A bad leak or a plugged bellhousing drain might allow tranny
fluid to drip onto the clutch, or build up until the flywheel and clutch
contacts a puddle of fluid. (I've not run across this on a Miata, but there
is always a first time.)

On the other hand, a Miata shop like R Speed in Atlanta would more likely
have run across all the possibilities.
..
"XS11E" > wrote in message
...
> Lanny Chambers > wrote in
> :
>
> > In article >,
> > XS11E > wrote:
> >
> >> > I was thinking a small leak at the rear main seal might
> >> > contaminate your clutch without a visible drip.
> >>
> >> Isn't a leak from the transmission front seal much more likely to
> >> oil the clutch?
> >
> > Yeah, probably so. But Ithink the crank seal is a lot more likely
> > to leak in the first place than the tranny seal. Whatever. It's
> > SOP to replace both seals while it's apart, regardless.
>
> Maybe, on most cars (don't know about Miata) the flywheel needen't be
> removed (unless it needs to be resurfaced), oil from the rear engine
> seal will leak onto the flywheel and be thrown off as the flywheel
> spins but oil from the front tranny seal will follow the input shaft
> and right onto the clutch face.
>
> Personally, I'd just replace the Miata with a white one, Leo says
> they're faster* and he wouldn't kid us...... would he? ;-)
>
> *Actually, the fastest Miata I know of is green....
>
> http://www.diamondmotorsport.com/greenmiatas.htm
>