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The plate covers an access point to slot an air pump (because drifting. Really.) on the Automatic versions of the car. This pump needs to be oiled, so it also pulls oil from a banjo bolt at the front of the head (top) back to there, oils the pump and feeds it back into the head (at the back).
On M/T models, they simply install that plate to block it off, but that area still gets oil into it as it's open to the rest of the head.
Now, here's the key point. There is no gasket behind that plate. There is simply silicone sealant - like the stuff you can buy in the store. And it's not very thick at all. So I wouldn't be surprised if, on some cars, there's just not enough silicone sealant at some point on the plate, and a little bit of oil is leaking out.
We know of this because that's where our mechanical oil pump for our turbo kit mounts...
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