Hi all,

I have a 98 Dakota slt, 5.2.

I have a small tranny fluid leak, and only when it's idling in park. I've kept a constant check on it, and it's been doing it for a month, and the level, according to the dip stick, hasnt gone down...a small drip..sometimes the size of my palm but not a deep puddle.

Its coming from the corner of the tranny fluid pan by the dip stick holder.

Im thinking it's either the tranny pan seal or the dip stick holder o ring.

Is this an easy fix? I dont like messing with my tranny and I dont like getting ripped off.

I have 208k on the engine now...runs like a top. The transmission was changed at some point, and my mechanic said they replaced it with a certain type of tranny that he said was one of the best.

Would lucas hurt it if i drained some tranny fluid and put in a quart or half quart of that? I've heard good things about it and that it is actually good for the tranny belts etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

A new pan gasket is just a messy fix, usually not that hard.

 

Drop the pan, change the gasket (filter while you're in there) and you're good to go. Some light grease around the o-ring will help it go in place.

Put Lucas in and you will be getting ripped off and likely have to mess with your tranny sooner rather than later.

All these things do is make the seals swell more than normal. It's at best a temporary solution. The problem is it isn't just the one seal that it affects.

Drop the pan, do it right.

 

What about the dip stick holder? I heard the o-ring on those get brittle. Or, when the guy i had do my freezeout plugs (behind the tranny on the block) moved the tranny, it might have loosened the holder. Is that difficult to get to? I cant see that well. If I losen the bracket that holds it to the firewall, and try and wiggle it down to seat it better...will that cause a problem? LOL...my goal is to make it better, not worse. That's why I ask before doing!

Thanks

 

Pick up a new o-ring for the dipstick holder. Put some grease on it to help it go into position without getting damaged.

You can try just repositioning it but a 14 year old o-ring probably won't be pliable enough to reseat.