Leaky Tranny

[Rolled Ranger]

The vehicle in question is the one in my sig. Last weekend while wheeling with some guys from here somebody noticed a leak from under my truck. I stopped to find a small puddle in the dirt and a little trail leading down the hill I just came up. Engine oil was fine and when I started the truck to check the tranny fluid it just started pouring out.

We had been running trails for a couple of hours and I had crossed a few large water holes if that might have anything to do with it. After being towed to the main road I put more fluid in it and found that the massive leak had stopped. I have been keeping an eye on it for the past two days and there has not been any more fluid loss.

Does anybody have any ideas what happened to my truck? Could water have gotten in some kind of vent tube? Could the strain of the larger tires caused it to get too hot?

Any kind of help or ideas would be appreciated at this point.

 

[Bruce]

Sounds like tranny got hot and either blew the oil out of the front seal(which is common)of it blew the fluid out of the over flow. You didnot state whether it was leaking in front of rear, also check your water level in radiator if any part of the internal cooler is exposed trans will get hot.

 

[2manyfords]

Most likely the TC bushing is hosed or well on it's way to being hosed and it starts blowing fluid out of the front seal.

Very common on POS A4LD's.

 

[Rolled Ranger]

Yeah I think it was the front seal. Right where the tranny mates with the engine. I have only been cruising it around town but it doesn't seem to be leaking anymore. Does the seal need to be replaced? or do i just need to make sure it stays cool? TC bushing? How hard would that be to replace?

 

[mhughes165]

time for a 5spd swap, a4lds dont like being wheeled, simple as that, once u overheat a a4ld which happens when wheeling there never the same again

 

[dogboy]

I was thinking an over heating issue not seal issue becuase if I remember right, when we first noticed it, the fluid was thin and VERY warm. but when we stopped at that hill, the fliud wasn't as runny/ thin (i dabbed a drip off of the bottom of the tranny).

I don't remember if you answered this in the other thread, but how long have you had the truck? And have you wheeled it before (other than in the snow)?

It was a very warm day (75-80 degrees and sunny), and with trails, there isn't much air flow through the cooler to speak of.

 

[#1 U.S.A.]

the trans got hot and started to spill out due to high pressure, ive seen this befor on
4r100 trannys. too do the torque converter/ pump bushing is a pretty good hassel, you have to drop the trans and then remove the fluid pump after that take apart the pump and press out the bushing then press in a new one. its kinda tough...

 

[Rolled Ranger]

I have had the truck for about eight months. This is the first time I have really put it to work. This has never happened before but Tuesday morning I checked the coolant and it took about half a gallon so you are all right. It definitely overheated. I dont think I blew any seals because it has not lost any fluid since Saturday when this happened. It had to have just blown out the overflow. I would prefer a 5spd so maybe I will invest in a new transcooler until I can make that happen.

Thanks for the input fellas.

 

[Loanranger]

I would definately invest in a small electric fan when you put a bigger cooler on, this will probably help with the slow speeds you encounter with wheeling.

http://www.bulkpart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=2&Product_Code=13730&Category_Code=derale-fan&Product_Count=2

Something like this, not sure on the line size, but this general idea, and the price aint bad.

 

[cocoasranger]

A4LD's are like loaves of week old bread. They look fine but probably won't last long.