What is this?

[Kneale Brownson]

At 11:14 AM 05/03/2003 +0200, Richard Tanimura wrote:
>I found this broken gasket while changing my timing belt and v-belts on my
>3B (I5 type motor)
>
>http://www.geocities.com/rictan302/gasket.JPG
>
>It's 80 mm in diameter = 3 in. If you slice throught the gasket, it has a
>"V" cross section. There are traces of caked oil on it. All I know is since
>I discovered it, my car leaks oil.
>
>Where does it come from? Can it be the reason for my oil leak?

Don't recognize the seal, but did the engine leak oil before you did the
timing belt?  If not, did you put a thread sealant on the longer bolts that
hold the back cover onto the block?  Failure to seal the threads on some of
those bolts can lead to a leak.