leaking tranny/oil seal culprit

**kudil** · March 3rd, 2009 10:03 PM

Good evening.

Had replaced my A/T's oil seal twice in 6 months and it cost me a lot. Is there a way I can have this fixed without replacing entire transmission system. But if worse comes to worst, please advise if you know someone expert on Automatic transmissions and how much if i buy a new or at least a 2nd hand tranny.

**jick.cejoco** · March 4th, 2009 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by kudil

Good evening.

Had replaced my A/T's oil seal twice in 6 months and it cost me a lot. Is there a way I can have this fixed without replacing entire transmission system. But if worse comes to worst, please advise if you know someone expert on Automatic transmissions and how much if i buy a new or at least a 2nd hand tranny.

kudil,
if you have a transaxle(fwd) you will have three oil seals; one in the input side where the torque converter couples with the transaxle and two at the halfshafts. if you had a rwd vehicle you would have two oil seals. the input side where the torque converter is a little bit costlier to replace than at the output side. before installing the seal, it is a recommended to lubircate

the seal lip with vaseline to prevent the seal from burning during the first few turns of the shaft. the other sources of leak would be at the speed sensor, the odometer drive gear, at the dipstick tube o-ring and at the oilpan gasket. on the rotating parts that use the lip type seal, inspect the seal race for wear or nicks. if you use the wrong transmission oil it will also cause some leaks as the types of atf are formulated different. if the problem is just a simple leak and the shift timing and pattern are normal, just take care of the simple oil seal. slight seepage is normal part that provides lubrication for the seal. another point is to check that the transmission breather is free and not clogged, the transmission should not have excessive internal pressure or the oil will go past the seals which were not designed for pressure. good luck with the repairs
jick

**kudil** · March 12th, 2009 08:04 AM

Thanks for taking time to reply. Do you think it wise if I'll have it replaced by surplus? I've had quite several tranny repairs within 2 years and might finally decide to have it replaced. I inquired around and replacement is quite costly. If I'll have all the oil seals replaced and the leaks repaired, is there guarantee that the problem may be fixed. I observed that the 3rd gear slips back to neutral while it's still cold but doesn't slip anymore after about 10 minutes of driving. I also observed that 1st gear has gone weak and hard up when uphill. Help please.

**jick.cejoco** · March 12th, 2009 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by kudil

Thanks for taking time to reply. Do you think it wise if I'll have it replaced by surplus? I've had quite several tranny repairs within 2 years and might finally decide to have it replaced. I inquired around and replacement is quite costly. If I'll have all the oil seals replaced and the leaks repaired, is there guarantee that the problem may be fixed. I observed that the 3rd gear slips back to neutral while it's still cold but doesn't slip anymore after about 10 minutes of driving. I also observed that 1st gear has gone weak and hard up when uphill. Help please.

hi kudil,
what is the make/model/date of production/mileage/transmission type and all pertinent vitals for your specific car? we can shoot in the dark but there are no guarantees we hit the intended target. i do not guess and from what it sounds like, there are two possible causes for this symptom: a. that the filter maybe clogged or the suction side is restricted or the oil has thickened, b. that the sservo seals are worn or the bores for the pistons and servos might be worn and when the trans temperature is warmer, the pistons and the seals expand thereby improving sealing ability. although some transmission shops replace the seals, bands, clutch packs, some of them do not service the control valve body. if the problem is recurring, this might have been the case. have you done a stall test, a shift pattern test and drive the vehicle shifting manually from D1 to D2 toD3... and see if the symptoms are noticeable? to do a stall test, you will need a tachometer, chock the wheels, apply the parking brakes, service brakes applied, with engine running, place the transaxle to D and while standing on the brake pedal, rev the engine and note the stall speed( the engine speed under load until the rpm maxes out with the gas pedal floored). do this in reverse, the stall speed should be the same. then, do a shift lag test by shifting the transmission to D and note how long it takes to engage the gears, again repeat in R, the results should be around +/- two seconds. if your results are not consistent, your transmission is due for an overhaul my friend.
jick