My 71 442 runs and drives very well, but each time I pull it out have to wipe down my garage floor or clean out the drip pan. Driven 3 to 4 times a week - especially now with beautiful fall weather in the south east.
Small price to pay, but...

1) brake proportioning valve drips brake fluid (very very small amounts)

2) rear end yoke leaks, had rear rebuilt about a year ago - need to bring it back so they can reseal properly

3) TH 400 speedometer drivers side input leaks. Pretty easy fix but had trouble accessing. In my brain I’m still 25, but my body says differently.

So how many leaks do you have, and is this standard protocol with a 50 year old car? I’m sure as soon as I fix these others will happen.

 

Car's not leaking. It's marking its turf!

Lucky none of mine leak brake fluid, but they have their assorted coolant, oil and trans fluid, and grease drips. All part of owning older cars. Short of shelling out the bucks to stop them (which may or may not be successful), all you can do is stay on top of fluid levels.

 

As soon as I built my new garage, with a pristine floor, everything decided to start leaking or leak worse than before.
I now own 6 new drip pans.

My forklift hydraulic cylinders drip quite a bit.
I just put 4 new seals in the trans & transfer case in my military truck, so now only the engine drips slightly.
My 442 had an occasional drip from the speedometer cable, but it also got worse & then the power steering line suddenly leaked also.
My convertible always had a slight trans drip, but the steering box decided to spill its guts as soon as I moved it to its new home.
Even my Chevy Tk with 28K miles decided to lose a few drops out of the trans cooler line.
Then my Camaro decided to drip out of the new pinion seal & yoke over the winter after only 200 miles.
My S10 that I just finished with a complete new drive line doesn't drip any oil, but then the grease fittings in the lower ball joints dripped on the floor.
Even one of the fittings on my hot water boiler drips once in a while...

 

My 70 leaks a touch of oil, a touch of PS fluid…and hasn’t leaked trans fluid since I rebuilt it…but I suspect it will start leaking soon.

That’s the only way I know they have fluid.
It’s when it stops leaking that I get worried.


-peter

 

I have a steering rack leaking in my 85 Calais.

 

The Jetfire I just restored is the only car I have that don't leak anything. My W-41 leaks gear oil and motor oil but I think both will be a simple fix when I get to it. My wifes Jetfire leaks antifreeze, motor oil, and transmission fluid.

 

My 96 98 started leaking PS fluid and then the PS went out! I replaced the rack and pinion and fixed the PS leak but it still uses oil slowly and drips coolant.

Of course my 71 98 leaks too. It's oil from the pan and rear main seal; as well as, transmission fluid.

Let's not even talk about how much my Ford truck leaks...

 

Spedo cable at the trans, been leaking for 40 years on my 78TA. I’m tired of it. Finally have the parts. Still we’re avail at the dealer, I hope it fixes it, anyone with same prob, it’s a th350. There were 2 styles, I have the later.
It won’t load.my pic for some reason. It said alert damn Lerts

 

No leaks = out of oil...

 

2 speed Jetaway has had a tiny drip for eons. Now that I’m under the car, I can see where attempts have been made to stop the leaking. Valve covers were leaking like a sieve 4 years ago. Replaced cork gasket with synthetic and seems to have solved the problem for now.

 

Oil and tranny fluid. Should address it, but too much fun driving it. Just keep adding fluid and go...VROOOM!

 

Part of all of my vehicle PMs is to take a clean rag with me anytime I crawl under/in them and proactively wipe. It's part of how I was brought up in the military. Wiping IS maintenance. So was painting everything/anything that moved or didn't move. All things mechanical leak. It's the "running" leaks you need to fix. A weep or occasional drip is rust-proofing.

 

Sounds like I’m in good company. Fill up tranny and rear gear oil, check the gas, and go!
Sunny and 70 here today

 

Envious already and it’s only November. Fall was beautiful up here in the Midwest, but I know what’s coming next.

 

My most recent leak was the water heater. That was a whole day event.

But the Cutlass leaks trans fluid so there’s a drip pan with cardboard to soak up the fluid. Recently replaced the steering box lower seals so finally after 10 years that leak is gone.

 

I'm pretty fortunate, as for oil leaks on the 56 only a slight oil leak but its from the oil draft tube and to be expected no other oil leaks. I have however developed a trans leak and have not determined the source but it's getting to the point where I'm going to have to take a look at it or I may take it to a small independent trans shop that's only a mile or so down the road and keep my fingers crossed it's something minor.