is this bad?

i found this while putting my starter back in about an hour ago.

 

It looks like it is bad. But I'm not sure WHAT it is! The oil pan? The transmission dust cover?

 

its where the head and the block meet. the bottom left is the transmission starter bolt hole and the top right is the exhaust manifold

 

If thats where the head and block meet, yes, that is very bad. And by the looks of how dirty it is, it seems to me like it is leaking!

Sorry to say, but you may want to be on the lookout of a new engine... or at least a long block assembly.

 

i have a motor to replace it if it goes(so close to finishing that transmission swap too). i was going to use it in a project dakota i am building for the track. but i wiped my finger on it an the dirt didn't smell like oil or fuel it smelled like mud

 

Duct tape!!

 

throw some bailing wire in just in case for backup

 

JB weld!

 

now that i just so happen to have...lol but i looked at it more closely and it doesnt go very deep into the motor and the only reason it looks wet is from sitting in my garage(it retains a lot of cold air).

but i have come to some conclusions as to what might have caused it...
1. i hit a large rock
2. i cracked hitting that dip in the road at 40mph causing a "dukes of hazzard" type jump hile scuffing the inside of my drivers wheel well with the tire
3. it cracked when i looked at it...lol just kidding
4. maybe it was the way chrysler designed it...scary but non lethal?
5. could have been from when my radiator blew to pieces, frying my transmission in the process?

anybody else have a guess?