Infamous leak

Good2win22 · Nov 23, 2013

First let me say that I've search the forum and the old inter-web.

I recently had Jake's performance rebuild my tranny. He installed a Hughes deep sump pan. When I do the daily driving thing... no leaks. As soon as I make a WOT pull, I get a small leak from the right front of the pan.

Well I did the obvious and cleaned the tranny spotless to confirm the location of the leak. Same spot.

I replaced the seal at the TV mount. Cleaned again.... leaked again but no fluid above the pan

I pulled the pan and block sanded the rails... Did not find any low spots. New gasket and filter...Leaked again.

I read a post to run the deep sump pans a quart low... drained a little more than a quart...cleaned again.... Leaked again.

I am running just a cork gasket, no RTV and the tranny is not over filled. No fluid is venting from the top

The leak appears to be coming from the right front oil pan bolt, then down the cooling fins and all over the place from there.

What am I missing? All ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

jason

jpratt · Nov 23, 2013

It is possible the gasket is sticking in too far and creating a shelf for the oil to puddle on?

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VIN7 · Nov 23, 2013

My sheetmetal pan will leak at the same place. I use a thin smear of Permatex form a gasket on the pan rail, then lay on the gasket, and bolt it all together. No leaks, and when I need to drop the pan, the gasket sticks to the pan only.

Good2win22 · Nov 23, 2013

VIN7 I like that idea. When it warms up a bit around here, I may try that next. Also been thinking about putting the stock pan back on. Any more thoughts?

GNONYX · Nov 23, 2013

At one time I had the same problem thinking the transmission pan cover was leaking around the cover gasket.
Replaced it and leak again until this time look around the manual shaft seal (#701) and it was leaking a bit.
replaced the seal, and no more leak.

Get the tool from NAPA real cheap $7.20, and they also have the seal $5.87

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=BK_7769250_0117880293&An=0

Transmission shaft seal-
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=NOS4912_0094086151

bogies87 · Nov 24, 2013

how much fluid are you talking? I had one that did the same, Mine was bad enough they would shut me down at the track. After trying everything, I mean everything changed the transmission case.....same internal parts and pan....leak was gone. We never could find anything visible wrong with the old case but something was. Just a thought. I hope this is not your problem but dont rule it out.

Good2win22 · Nov 24, 2013

Bogies87, it leaks bad enough that I did get kicked off the track.

GNOYX, that shaft seal appears to be on the left side of the transmission, sealing the shaft for the gear selector. Or did I read that wrong? My leak is on the front right.

Thanks for the ideas fellas

1KWIKSIX · Nov 24, 2013

My suggestion would be to ditch the cork pan gskt & install a paper/fiber one. No issues with my Hughes Pan using one of these. I got my Hughes Deep Pan & extra gaskets from Nick Micale., however most good transmission shops will have the paper / fiber gaskets too.

On a side note: you may wish to have your Hughes Aluminum transmission Pan check for flatness at a machine shop. Who knows….it may be warped? They can put it on a milling machine & easily true it up.

Re-install it & after a few heat / cool cycles re-torque the bolts.

Just my 2cents.

dave

Good2win22 · Nov 24, 2013

Thanks Dave. I'll find another gasket. I did block sand the pan and didn't find any low spots but that doesn't mean that it's not warped. I'll update after the next "fix" attempt

robzombie · Nov 24, 2013

I would contact Lonnie Diers or Brian at GBP parts.

I had my trans rebuilt by Lonnie and when I picked up the car we had to pull the pan down three times to make adjustments.

I was blown away that he never cleaned the gasket or pan rails when re-installing the pan.

I tried to clean them up and he said don't worry it won't leak. he just cleaned it with brake clean after each install [of same gasket] and I had no leaks.

I've even had the pan down two months later and called him about needing a new gasket and he said the one I had would be fine.

I'll be damned if that gasket is still leak free after many removals and no RTV or any other sealing aids.

I will never use any other type of gasket again.

BTW; I also have a deep aluminum pan if that helps.

GNONYX · Nov 24, 2013

Good2win22 said:
Bogies87, it leaks bad enough that I did get kicked off the track.

GNOYX, that shaft seal appears to be on the left side of the transmission, sealing the shaft for the gear selector. Or did I read that wrong? My leak is on the front right.

Thanks for the ideas fellas

That's what I though after seeing the fluid dripping down on the right front side of the Transmission cover.
It got to the point I checked for pan cover surface level, replaced 2 gaskets, and still was leaking a little bit, and then finally replaced with a third gasket and a thin line of RTV. Guess what, It still was leaking

I keep cleaning and drying the cover just to see where the leak was coming from, until I saw a shining wet spots from the shaft side. Just a though, hope you find it, and post when you do find the little bastard of a leak.

bogies87 · Nov 24, 2013

I feel your pain... the trans with the case defect was removed 3-4 times checked, rechecked and over checked. Last resort was changing cases... never leaked after.. i still have no idea where it was leaking but normal driving it never leaked... brake torque it and the flood gates opened...

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Good2win22 · Nov 25, 2013

GNONYX said:
That's what I though after seeing the fluid dripping down on the right front side of the Transmission cover.
It got to the point I checked for pan cover surface level, replaced 2 gaskets, and still was leaking a little bit, and then finally replaced with a third gasket and a thin line of RTV. Guess what, It still was leaking
I keep cleaning and drying the cover just to see where the leak was coming from, until I saw a shining wet spots from the shaft side. Just a though, hope you find it, and post when you do find the little bastard of a leak.

When it dries up and warms up a bit, I'll clean it up again, make a pull and see if it's leaking at that seal. Nothing would make me happier if it was leaking there and replacing a seal would cure the leak

Good2win22 · Nov 25, 2013

robzombie said:
I would contact Lonnie Diers or Brian at GBP parts.

I had my trans rebuilt by Lonnie and when I picked up the car we had to pull the pan down three times to make adjustments.

I was blown away that he never cleaned the gasket or pan rails when re-installing the pan.

I tried to clean them up and he said don't worry it won't leak. he just cleaned it with brake clean after each install [of same gasket] and I had no leaks.

I've even had the pan down two months later and called him about needing a new gasket and he said the one I had would be fine.

I'll be damned if that gasket is still leak free after many removals and no RTV or any other sealing aids.

I will never use any other type of gasket again.

BTW; I also have a deep aluminum pan if that helps.

I'll call Brian, done some business with him, and see if he can supply this gasket. Thanks!

robzombie · Nov 25, 2013

I'll call Brian, done some business with him, and see if he can supply this gasket. Thanks!

You will never use another type of gasket after using the one/type he sold me.

Good2win22 · Feb 26, 2014

Warmed up a bit last week so I took another look at the transmission leak. Cleaned everything up, took off the dust cover, cranked up the car and watched... Pump area and TC seal was dry as usual and then it happened.... fluid began forming a drop from where the right hand dust cover bolt had been removed.

Not sure what the internals look like at this location. As in a pressurized passageway to the valve body and pump???? I was thinking of cleaning out the bolt hole with some electronics cleaner and then throwing some pookie (ultra black RTV) on the bolt.

Any thoughts?

notacarlo · Feb 26, 2014

Are you sure its transmission fluid? Just asking.

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Good2win22 · Feb 26, 2014

notacarlo said:
Are you sure its transmission fluid? Just asking.

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Absolutely certain that the fluid is transmission fluid

notacarlo · Feb 26, 2014

Shot in the dark...check the filler tube at its base. You may have covered that already, but I'm throwing it out there.

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GNONYX · Feb 26, 2014

Is there any way of taking some photo shots of the leaky area?

Infamous leak

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