Fluid Leak

[punes]

I seem to be losing some fluid, and wondered what issue or resolution anyone can offer.

The leak is coming from just above the flex disc on the drive shaft under the car. It is clear fluid.

It seems to be part of the tranny directly underneath where the gear shifter is housed. There are three bolts that I have tightened but it still leaks...not terribly but since it my only and new leak, it bugs me.

After a drive, it will leak about a teaspoon full, after a few hours...I have a clean cardboard underneath and I will move it to a clean spot to monitor the leak....the next day even without running the car it still has leaked a bit more.

Any ideas?

Thanks

79 Fiat Spider

[ventura ace]

Clear fluid?? It could be transmission fluid, coming through the seal around the horizontal shifter linkage, or it could be some lube that was put in place around the shifter handle mechanism. The latter was the source of leaks for me. I had lubed all the shifter handle components with white lithium grease, which turned out to be a mistake because it melts and drools out and gets slung everywhere by the donut. Try to discern if the fluid is tranny fluid or not. Hopefully not. The other leak is easy to fix.

Alvon

[kilrwail]

Does it smell familar? Does it evaporate? If not, is it slippery like a lube? Might help you identify it and hence the source.

[mbouse]

put down a clean sheet of cardboard or maybe a clean plastic bag, then some white paper. the cardboard/plastic bag is there to keep the white paper from absorbing dirt from the floor. put the white paper directly beneath the suspected leaking area.

betcha the next day, it won't be a clear liquid that has dripped on the white paper.

your cardboard is deceiving you.. that fluid must have a color, or it ain't coming from your mechanical lubrications.

[punes]

I just cleaned the shifter housing area very clean and took it for a 15 minute drive, raised it on the ramps and watched...it seems to have a seeping leak around the bottom of the rear plate of the shifter housing. Also the drivers side bolt of the 3 bolts holding the lower cap of the shifter housing is a little wet as well but that might just be because I didnt clean it good enough when I sprayed wd40 to clean the area.

Now is this backing plate and gasket something that can be changed easily? It seems to only have one bolt on the bottom driverside and one on the upper passenger side which I believe is the post for reverse?

Also I have occasionaly noticed a drip in this area on the floor in previous years but it was intermitant...this seems to be regular after each drive lately. Can it also be because of the warmer temperature.Something that will somewhat seal itself up..

My twin 40IDF's do the same...they begin the season by leaking a bit, and then later the leaking is gone.

Thanks

Frank

79 Spider

[punes]

Sorry for the double post...would this be tranny fluid? When it dripped on the cement floor it looked kind of clear...like a clean oil...definitely not red.

Also would a tranny fluid change possibly rectify the problem?

I have to admit I am not one who is terribly sold on changing tranny fluid, especially when I dont know when the previous owner did if ever. I have 107,000 kms (60,000miles) on the odometer.

I did once on my pickup and ended up doing a rebuild...after that I decided to change it every 2 years and it went again.So I decided to never change fluid again...I know most might disagree.

[mbouse]

should not be tranny fluid. this access plate gets you into the shifter lever area. there is also a round plate with three ears...or maybe a triangular plate at the bottom of this cavity. removal of either one or both gets you to the same place.

no tranny fluid should be there. maybe as Alvon stated, someone may have lubed up the shifter lever to stop the incessant rattle that frequently occurs there when parts are worn or missing (tried it myself once). there isn't too much standard grease that can handle the amount of heat captured inside that little cubicle. and, to my knowledge, these plates weren't designed to be fluid tight, no gaskets involved.

[So Cal Mark]

if the trans was overfilled (using the upper plug on the side) then fluid will get into the shifter area and leak, since it doesn't use gaskets there

[punes]

I have a spare tranny and I checked that shifter housing last night...it doesnt hold any fluid and no change or fill of fluid was done on my vehicle...I guess I will just wait and see what happens and if it sort of dries itself out. Maybe just the heat is m sort of liquifying the copious amount of black undercoating...man was that stuff layed on thick.

Thanks.

[punes]

I took apart the top console and shifter rubber boot. There is dark fluid in the shifter housing. It must have been put there by the previous owner. The rear plate on the shifter housing does have a paper gasket and that is exactly where it is leaking from.

I want to ask that if I drain this "oil" that smells like gear oil, the shifter linkages will be fine? This way I can also monitor if any new fluid enters the area. I have a spare tranny and can use the gasket from that one.

I just find it odd that the back plate has a gasket and not the bottom one. And why have a gasket if there isnt suppose to be any lube in the housing?

Frank

79 Spider

[So Cal Mark]

you don't need any oil up in that housing

[ventura ace]

I agree that you should dry it out and see if any more oil comes in that area. There is a rubber seal around the horizontal shifter shaft, and if it leaks then transmission fluid can enter that area. If so, the only way to get to the seal is to remove the shifter extension, and then you will need to change the gasket between the shifter extension and the rear tranny section also. The seal for the shifter shaft is hard to find from the vendors, so I hope that isn't your issue.

You can lube the shifter pivot ball with a high temperature gease to keep it from wearing away. Don't use white lithium grease like I did, because it seems to melt with the hot temperatures that are typical in that area.

A

[punes]

Thanks for the advice. I already took the rear plate off the shifter housing and cleaned out the lubricant. I figured there being a gasket on this plate warranted having oil in the housing. I will keep an eye on it now that it is emptied, and if it begins to leak again, then it must be the seal on the horizontal shaft.

In the 6 years I have had it I haven't touched the tranny fluid, so overfilling is not an issue.

If anyone has experienced this how did they remedy the situation?

Thanks for your help.