Oil Leak

[Garrysmith]

I've got a 1997 1.2 corsa with a oil leak coming from what looks like the seal between the engine and clutch. There is plenty of white gunk under the oil filler cap, and on the dipstick. I was wondering if this stuff could be blocking a breather tube somewhere and forcing the oil out. If so where would this breather be located?

[woodchopper]

The white GUNK is emulsified oil and water - the water comes from condensation within the engine and generally accumulates if the engine is not being run for long enough for the heat generated to burn off the water.
It generally won't do any harm but if the cause is short runs I would advise changing the oil a little more frequently.

Is the oil from the leak sitting on top of the joint between the gearbox and engine or is it dripping from it from below ?
I'm having a guess about the next bit - I've never owned a 97 corsa just a 94 and a 98 one- If it is the same as my 94 corsa and is fitted with a distributor - I would suspect the ' O ' ring on the distributor needs changing - if it is from below it could be the crankshaft oil seal at the gearbox end of it.
An inspection by a mechanic should be able to pinpoint where it is coming from.

[dannywells]

if you are finding this 'gunk' under both the cap and dipstick I would suspect a blown head gasket