Good_Music_n_Cars

dont hate me now, i got another transmission leak question here
ok so i put a shift kit in my turbo 350. (71 cutlass) it leaked before. no that bad though tool months to get a couple drips. now..... shoot it leaks like crazy but this is the thing. if i drive the car, its dry as a bone. then i park it and it sits for 6 hours and here it comes....... i have put 4 different gaskets and changed the pan. also tried high heat gasket sealer (wortha shot). seem to be coming from the pan bolts in the front under the fly wheel. i dont see and leak from above at all. any suggestions? and help is much appreciated ! GOD BLESS

davesdelta

I`m no mechanic but it really sounds like a bad front seal...Could be anything else though, I suppose.

citcapp

Silly question but did to flatten the lip of the pan at the bolt holes to get rid of any dimples before installing the pan?

Good_Music_n_Cars

well there was no dimples around the bolt holes. it's flat around the holes then there's a 2 inch dimple between the bolt holes. can I ask why u asked that? curious

Good_Music_n_Cars

did I read u right? are u talkin bout the lip of the pan or the raised dimples that are between the bolt holes that press the gasket down?

citcapp

quite often the pan bolts are over torqued causing the pan to dimple into the gasket, the when re-installed the the dimples hold the pan from sealing against the gasket. Hence a leak occurs

Good_Music_n_Cars

ok it is kinda a cheap pan. it was all I could find locally. but all in all the damn thing doesn't leek until hours after the car is sitting. there's not a drip when the car is on the road. if there was a leak in the pan wouldn't it leak either way? should I try another pan? when I put it on the ground face down it does wabble a tad cause it's not flat? how tight should the bolts be. 10 psi right

Shizzy

pull the inspection cover for the converter and see if you can see if the fluid is leaking down from the front pump seal.

You are probably just seeing it as it drips down far enough to look like a pan leak.

Good_Music_n_Cars

yeah i did that dont see nothin there.

Good_Music_n_Cars

can anyone recommend a pan and gasket that help them with there leaking 350? are moroso gaskets worth the 32 dollars?

scubastever

the biggest mistake people make when resealing a pan gasket is forgetting to clean the bolt holes and bolt ends of residue silicone.

when you retorque those bolts, with silicone in the holes, you end up with a lower clamping force applied to the pan & gasket.

so guys (and gals),

please clean your bolts and your holes !

Olds64

Be careful using silicone on a transmission pan gasket. If it oozes out on the inisde of the transmission it can work free and cause damage to your valve body. I've never had to use RTV on a transmission pan gasket before, and they always seal well. I am with Pat on this one. Ensure your pan is flat and then install the pan to the proper torque with the gasket.

jeffu231

If it is on the passenger side, it could be either the dipstick tube or where the downshift cable goes in. They are just above the pan area and if leaking can make it look like a pan gasket. Also after sitting the oil in the transmission will rise as it drains back to the pan and thus raising into the area where it can leak from these two areas. They both have a simple O ring to seal them.

Good_Music_n_Cars

thanks everybody. ima clean it up real good with brake cleaner and watch it all day fro the exact leak. i got a lil dental mirror to check in hard to see areas. yes jeff i change the orings there already but thanks alot bra. i will get dirty tommorow for the last time findin the damn leak! hahahahah ! good night God Bless

Shizzy

X2 on the dipstick tube area.

OLD SKL 69

That's the best way to do it. Leaks like that can travel around. Good luck.

Good_Music_n_Cars

ok so after my lil mirror came in handy its definitely the front seal leaking. i didnt know if i should make different post for this but my question now is........... taking the trans out? its a turbo 350, any certain bolts to start on first? any tricks of the trade u seniors can hand down to a freshman? LOL...... while the transmission is down, i will change the front and real seal. anything else u would recommend? thanks for the info gents! GOD Bless

Olds luvr

Well I just had mine out, not too hard to do. Although my leak is now from the kick down cable and driving me nuts. make sure the car is high enough to get the trans out from under if you are on the floor. I have a trans jack and the trans on the jack did not fit under the car. The 2 top bell housing bolts I did from up top and the middle 2 and lower 2 from the bottom. Long extensions and wabbles will help you out. I also used big wood blocks to prevent the engine from tilting backwards but do not know if that was needed

Good_Music_n_Cars

kick down cable? is that an o ring? should i change that while its out? also how did u get the car high enough. what did u put it on? thanks bra !

Olds luvr

I would change the o ring for the cable and the dipstick tube while it is out. Make sure you disconnect the cable at the gas pedal and undo it from the firewall so the cable stays in the trans when you remove it.

I had the car on jackstands, then had to take the trans off of the jack to slide the trans out from under the car. Then putting the trans back in I had to slide the trans under the car and then put it back on the tranny jack. maybe my jackstands are shorter but they are 3 ton, maybe the 4 ton are higher.

Good_Music_n_Cars

cool man thanks alot! is there any pattern of bolts to start with first? can anyone chime in in that?

Olds luvr

Do the top 2 from the engine compartment fisrt before you put the car in the air. The dipstick tube for the trans is bolted to one of the bell housing bolts anyways. drain the trans before removing the dipstick tube. So basicly, lift the car, drain the trans, drop the car to get the top 2 bell housing bots (do not need to drop it but I did to make it easier) Then get the car up on all fours, middle and bottom bellhousing bolts and have at it. there are 4 bolts in the cross member and 2 on the trans mount. get a factory manual it will help. I have the factory and the cheaper haynes manual

Good_Music_n_Cars

coolio !!! thanks alot brotha ! God Bless

Good_Music_n_Cars

ok one more question. not only is the front seal leaking but, it looks like i have a small leak on the passanger side of the transmission. i believe called the accumulator? its that 2 1/4 inch circle on the pass. side of trans held by a snap ring? am i right in saying this? its not the downshift tube or the dipstick. i changed bot the O rings there . as far as the accumulator goes.........is that a gasket change or an O ring?