Tranny leak

Tiny
RON BALDWIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1994 FORD EXPLORER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 250,000 MILES
I just bought, it was sitting for almost 4 years, it had only been started now and then. I drove home, while driving no visible leaks anywhere temp gauges were all normal reading. When I got home the tranny started leaking from where it buts up to motor. I am thinking seals are bad for it sat so long and it was not driven. The tranny fluid was coming out pretty fast, the tranny was not hot and it shifted properly the time I was driving it. What would think would be wrong with it? Also there was old gas left in the tank the guy told me he did add more to it, the motor runs strong but was very sluggish but no oil leaks and no major sound coming from motor
Saturday, August 27th, 2016 AT 1:13 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Main suspect is a front pump seal is leaking. Fluid will run out from the bottom of the bell housing right behind the engine.
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Saturday, August 27th, 2016 AT 1:27 PM
Tiny
RON BALDWIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I was thinking that myself do to it sitting for so long
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Saturday, August 27th, 2016 AT 2:13 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Actually that shouldn't do it, but with no fluid circulation, rubber seals can dry out. There are seal conditioner additives in oils to keep them pliable, so running the engine even once every few months should be sufficient to keep them wet. I've seen front pump seals suddenly crack from dry-rot and start leaking on vehicles that are being driven daily. What is more concerning to me is the fiber clutch plates drying out when the fluid runs out of the rotating housings. We soak those plates in transmission fluid before installing them during a transmission rebuild. That is so they aren't dry when the transmission first starts spinning. It seems to reason the same damage will occur to them on a vehicle that sits for a long time. That said, I have a '93 Dodge Dynasty with 4,950 miles. It has sat multiple times for more than six years without being started. Drove it well over 100 miles this summer, ... And no transmission problems.

The time when front pump seals are most likely to leak is after a removed engine or transmission is reinstalled. That seal gets hard and brittle from age, then when the engine and transmission are separated, the full weight of the torque converter drops down on the seal and cracks it. Experienced mechanics will try to stuff a wedge under it to support it, but that rarely works. It's best to just include a new seal in any repair procedure. Once the parts are separated, it just takes a couple of extra minutes to pop it in.

I'm sure sitting has had something to do with this, but blame it more on mileage.
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Sunday, August 28th, 2016 AT 12:46 AM

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