(WARNING: this post is long and a summary of my passed few endeavors. scroll to the* for the actual question in this post if you don't care about back story. thank you!)


Hi everyone,

So it's been a tic since i made a post so I figured I would stop in and update everyone on my truck and the situation.

Winter is basically here. Any moment I'm sure the unholy Michigan skies will turn on me and explode a fury of snow and doom upon me. I took today to finish up my wiring for the fuel pump. I ran the wire along the rest of the sheathing and zip tied it to the rest of the bundle. Soldered good connections, taped and shrink tubing, pump issue resolved.

As some of you might remember I embarked on a transmission fluid/pan gasket/filter project before the fuel pump power was an issue. Well I finished that up today as well now that I had a fuel pump that stayed on and took it for a spin.......not good.

While driving the transmission wouldn't engage worth anything. put it in reverse and no good, would barely catch. ran down the road and back and rough shift and low power, etc etc. Also while out driving around the truck shut off twice and wouldn't stay idle unless i kept on the throttle (kinda like a bad TPS).

Got her home and double checked the fluid level and it was now waaayyy low. I added the last Qt of ATF+4 I had, and like magic it worked a little better. I ran down to AZ and got 2 more Qt of ATF+4 because when I put the old fluid into the ATF bottles it filled 4 FULL and a plastic Foldgers coffee can.

Whew, at least thats all........oh wait I forgot. The brakes. They are MEGA soft and the brake light is on. I checked the front cap of the Master Cylinder and it was pretty much dry, and the back was pretty much full.

I've heard that letting a vehicle sit is very bad for it and I'd like to tell anyone who doubts that statement, it is true. I didn't have half these issues when I parked the truck because of the fuel issues.

*Sorry this is such a long post. I havn't even gotten to the point yet. Above all the other issues I listed the initial problem I was having with the transmission is back. The truck is leaking transmission fluid from the bell housing area. I havn't been able to pinpoint the exact spot of the leak but the fluid drips off the exhaust pipe. I am looking for a few suggestions of what could cause this. I know that anything like that is not an "easy" job per-say because it does require removal of the transmission from the vehicle. I've never pulled a transmission before but I'm thinking I am up the challenge. Only one way to learn, right?

I am also wondering what I should look at with the brakes being so soft. I am thinking I must have air in the lines at this point so bleeding the brakes is probably a good idea.

bahhh, so much to do and so little time!

thanks everyone!!

 

As for the leak it can be anything. I had a similar problem in that corner, and it was the O-Ring for the dip stick.

The soft brakes are most likely air in the lines due to low fluid. Bleed all 4 wheels to get all air and moisture out of the lines.

 

Crazy4x4 has a good idea, check to see if the fluid is leaking by the dipstick.

 

thanks for the idea. Now that you mention it i DID see what looked like residue around that area. I will clean it up real well and see if anything new shows up.

As far as bleeding the brakes, any tips/tricks on doing that? I am sure I will inevitably come across a stuck bleeder or something strange/difficult. lol.

 

Bleeding tips.

1. The bleeders are very easy to round off and can get stuck over time, if possible replace them with new ones, they are cheep. One man bleeders are best.

2. Clean the bleeders before try to open if there is dirt or rust ect. Use a wire brush if needed. Once clean use WD or penetrating oil.

3. To crack open the bleeders use a 6 point socket. Replace all before you start.

4. Start with the furthest to the closest brakes to the master cly. So Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front, Left Front.

Just crack the line slightly with a socket. Hook up a hose to the nipple and down to a can. Use an open end wrench to adjust the fluid level, you want a strong stream but some slight pressure to it.

5. Have a 2nd person press on the brake pedal. Keep going until the fluid is out of air bubbles and until the fluid has a clear color.

6. One clear then have the other guy hold the pedal half way down and don't move. Use a open end wrench to close it. Then tighten it down with the socket. Then let go of the pedal.

7. Repeat to all wheels in the previous stated order. Don't forget to keep on checking the master cly fluid level all during the process. If it runs dry at anytime start over from he beginning, or else you will have air in the lines again.

After all of that then the brake light should reset itself, once the pressure is equal front to rear. If not check the FAQ for a link to check the light.

 

Thanks Crazy!

I will be checking around the transmission today for the source of the leak. In addition to the o ring for the dipstick tube, what are a few other possibilities as to the leak?

Thanks!

 

I had a leak too a couple years ago on my dakota, was fixed by tightening the bolts, sealed it up nicely. I would see a chilton or haynes manual for torque specs and pattern.

 

Thx MoparMan. are you talking about the bolts on the pan? When I did the gasket and all I torqued the bolts down pretty tight. I didn't have a torque wrench at the time so I didn't get a specific torque amount. Not a bad idea for me to double check my pan :-D

Thank you much!

 

Yeah no problem. What I meant to say was you could check all transmission bolts to make sure they are tightened properly to see if you can stop the leak. When my mechanic had done mine he just said "You had a slight leak in the transmission but tightening the transmission bolts fixed that". Not sure exactly which ones he was referring to but put simply, if there's tranny bolts holding together a seal, check em', lol.

 

my 1997 pickup leaks transmission fluid in reverse only...it leaks alot!!! any ideas?