Sup forum,


So i was out mowing the lawn today and glanced under my truck. It sits in the driveway most of the time cuz I don't really drive it too much. It's more of a work truck/project than a daily driver; I hope it to become a daily driver as my Taurus is in rough shape :-o

Anyway, I looked under it and noticed a stain on the driveway. i put the truck in neutral and rolled it back to check the fluid and it was trans fluid!
So I got under the truck and used a paper towel to wipe the pan up real well. I noticed a drip coming off the exhaust. I wiped it all up and hope to find where it's leaking from! This just seems so random, there were no previous signs of leaks and then suddenly i find a huge spot of fluid!

I am thinking the trans pan gasket is shot. I noticed the gasket has little tabs that stick out and when i ran my finger across the side of the pan and bumped the gasket that part ripped. I am hoping that a good gasket change (and fluid change while im at it since i'll be there anyway) will fix the problem up.

Any recommendations?


Thanks forum!

 

You're on the right track with the gasket change. Also check the o-ring at the filler tube.

 

not to panic you or anything but when mine started leaking trans fluid i brought it to a trans shop and needed the rear main seal replaced. they also did the pan gasket, axel seals, and oil pan gasket at the same time....it was a bit of money but a good investment. While ur at it have em clean the pick up filter on ur oil pump, i recently had a heart attack when my oil light came on and the oil pressure dropped of the chart....i thought i needed a new oil pump and the guys on the forum told me to check the oil sending unit. Turns out it was a 60 dollar fix as opposed to changing the oil pump which is like doing open heart surgery from what im told....good luck

 

The rear main seal failing could cause the transmission to leak?

 

unless the rear seal is near the front of the transmission i think its not to worried about. depending on where on the exhaust pipe the fluid was on it might just be the pan gasket being bad.

did you check the bolts on the pan to make sure they aren't loose?

 

Negative, I sure havn't checked. I noticed the leak, cleaned around it then was off to dinner and errands and stuff. I'm thinking about doing the gasket and fluid/filter. I found the chunkers in the fluid sample i got from doing the NSS and was sorta planning on doing this job anyway..... I just HATE getting all covered in trans fluid

Any recommendations on how to do it and what fluid to use and stuff?

Thx

 

Atf+4 only!!!!!

 

I always pick a corner of the pan and start loosening bolts there and then work my way out/around until I can pop the pan loose and let it drain from that corner...you're gonna ruin a T-shirt unless you have a good plastic sheet/drop cloth. Let it drain until empty, then remove the catch pan and the bolts. Pan off, change filter, check for shavings on the pan magnet, clean pan and tranny, seat new gasket and rehang the pan. Fluid in from the filler/dipstick tube, check it in Park at operating temp. Bobs your uncle.

 

last time i did it just like that till the fluid stopped draining then i took it completely off and tilted it to drain slowely...well it slipped out of my hand and dumped all over the driveway.

i would suggest doing this on a drive that is sloping away from you...lol

 

LOL! That has happened to me before too! I always used 4 oil buckets to catch it. But they are round so some oil slips through.

I got sick of it. So I bought a universal drain plug for it. Drill the hole and install it. Very easy and clean when draining. $5 I think at Pepboys!