transmission leak

["Dave Grove" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would be a bit "leery" of "Trans-X".  One of the reasons it "works so
good" is because it contains a lot of stuff that aggressively "attack" seals
etc (thus the "cure" seems to arrive quickly, - or at least the leaks stop
quickly.
Do a search for "transmission additives", and you may find a site that lists
many of the ingredients in such products, and also the percentage of same in
many of the different brands.
I do transmission repairs here a lot, and the only product that I have found
(and that I will use) is made by "Gunk"/Solder-seal", and is called M15/12.
This stuff works (although rather "slowly" in some cases), - but I can tell
you from personal experience that it will NOT "hurt" the transmission.  The
problem with the more "aggressive" products is that although the work the
same way (by "softening/expanding" the rubber parts in the transmission), -
some of them do not know when to quit, and will just keep expanding the
rubber stuff until it "explodes".  Then you have a real problem.
A lot of leaks occur in cars that "sit" that if the cars were "used"
everyday, - would have viortually no leaks at all.  This is due to the fluid
in the torque converter (eventually) draining back into the pan, - the now
extra-high level of fluid can then find it's way to places where it would
not normally be if the car were used more frequently.  Some of these
"places" are the seal where the valve body goes through the case (where the
shift levers are attached), - I have had to replace a LOT of these seals, in
the case of cable-shifted transmissions, - the O-rings on the cables will
almost always leak when the fluid level in the pan is very high.  The rear
seal (output) may leak also under these circumstances, yet never leak if the
car is driven often.  Another "trouble spot" is the O-ring located on the
reverse band strut shaft.  This puppy will leak, and you would swear that
the pan gasket is at fault, - but after 2 or 3 pan gaskets have not fixed
it, - you can bet that's where the leak is.  Easy enough to tell, - at the
back of the case, - there will be a small "depression", and if you look
carefully, - you can see the shaft (it's about 1/2" in diameter).  If the O
ring is leaking, there will be fluid accumulation in this depression, - if
no fluid here, - then the O ring is not leaking.  Since this depression is
right above the pan rail, - it looks for all the world like the pan gasket
is the problem.
As for a "front seal leak", - note that rarely (if ever) will this seal leak
unless the engine is running (and the shifter in some position *other* than
"Park" (does not apply to cable-shifted units).  You can get fluid from the
bellhousing area without the engine running, - but that leak would be coming
from the pump cover O-ring (or out of the pipe-plug for the kickdown band
shaft).  Pump cover O ring leaks are fairly rare, - I have taken 727s apart
that had NO O ring here (someone forgot to install it), but had no (or at
least no *complaint* about leakage), - so what does that tell you?  It tells
me that the car gets driven every day, and there is not much fluid in that
area to leak out to begin with.

Regards,
DaveG.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Woolf,Richard" <richard.woolf@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:16 AM
Subject: IML: transmission leak


> Hi Everybody,
>  My '73 has develop a transmission leak. I had the fluid changed with a
new
> pan gasket. The leak is still there, and I'm wondering what the list
thinks
> of "Trans X" to stop leaks. The mechanic I go to said the torqueflite
"727"
> was a great transmission, and he has had good success with "Trans X." Any
> experience/comments would be appreciated.
>
> Rich Woolf
> '66 Crown
> '73 LeBaron
>
>