Jen

I have a transmission fluid leak. My dad suggested I change the gasket in the pan (he is far far away and unable to help). This is all new to me, so be understanding. My question is, what is this thing in the picture blocking my way to the top bolts on the transmission pan? Can I take it off? Is that difficult? Help??

Olds Dad

that's the oil pan...trans is further back

Tedd Thompson

Are you sure it's a transmission leak or perhaps a rear main leak? What color is the oil, red oil is transmission, brown is engine oil and could be a rear main.The reason I ask is you were working on the wrong pan and rear mains are a common problem on this era engines...Tedd

Olds Dad

Jen

Yup, looking towards the front of the car. It is definitely pinkish transmission fluid, nice sized puddle on the ground. It is leaking from the seam (if that is what you call it) where all the bolts are on that pan. It is actually kinda all over everything in that general area though. My dad suggested just trying the gasket first, but I can't reach the top bolts to get them off cause the cross member (learned something new) is in my way of reaching.....

Jen

Oh, and I haven't actually done anything to it yet because I don't know how to get those top bolts out and didn't want to start something that I wasn't sure of...

johns59super88

Hi Jen.

I think you can get at those bolts with a socket and extension on your ratchet wrench. BTW, don't forget to drain it first. There's a lot of fluid in there!

Are you certain the fluid is coming from the gasket and not the seal in front of the trans? A good way to find out is to clean the area really well getting all the fluid off, then inspect as it leaks again to see where it's coming from. I use gasoline but that's obviously not safe. Use a rag on the end of a long narrow rod like a long screw driver.

Leaks usually come from things that wear out, not gaskets.

John

Jen

Great call on the draining first...that could've been messy. My manual should tell me where the drain would be? I am not sure that that is where it is leaking from. Cleaning it up and then checking is a wonderful idea. I think I will try that. I am still waiting for my gas tank to be returned to me from its repair....so I am trying to take care of this while I wait.

johns59super88

I don't have that particular car but I expect the drain would be on the pan itself. Hold on to the plug because you may have to put it back in if your drain container gets full.

Jen

I don't see a drain and these manuals help if you already know what you are doing! Which I don't...yet. I guess I have to call for backup. I wanted to try this one on my own, but you have to know when you are in over your head I guess. I did clean off all the fluid and have yet to see any fluid leaking again. Although, I suppose that is because it hasn't been driven (no gas tank and all).

Mak

I would clean it really well, drive it a little, and see if you can confirm where it's coming from before tearing into it. I recently had what I thought was a trans pan leak on my 67 Delta 88... but it only leaked after long drives. It turned out the fluid was coming out of the vent tube on top of trans, running down the side & dripping off the pan. Once I got it cleaned up I could see what was happening. I had the trans fluid filled to the full mark on the dip-stick... I sucked out about 1/2 pint through the dip-stick tube (no drain plug on mine) and the leak stopped. I'm not saying that this is your problem, just that leaks are not always what they seem. Good luck!

Tedd Thompson

Jen,

The drain plug is located in the bottom of the bell housing. If you have a Oldsmobile shop manual for 1955 there is a picture of it's location on page 2-3 under lubrication. It's not on the pan its self and may have a sheet metal cover hiding it.The bolt (plug) has a 7/16 head size and you will need a socket to get to it. Be ready to receive about 8 or 9 quarts of fluid so make sure your catch pan is big enough to hold that much fluid.....Tedd

Jen

thanks! I see it now. I finally have her back on the road as of yesterday. It was below the L mark on the dipstick!!!! Drove awful, obviously. After putting in 3 quarts, it shifted fine again. So, I really need to figure out this leak situation. Now that it is actually drivable again, I will repeat cleaning off the transmission fluid, then seeing if I can tell where it is coming from. Is it safe to guess that since it shifts fine when full, that it is probably the leak that is causing the tough shifting when low??? I didn't realize it got that low (it had been sitting for almost a month). Otherwise, she is driving superb!

Jen

Anyone know someone to work on an automatic transmission this old in the Tampa Bay area?

55miketn

The 7/16 plug that is under the inspectionn plate(after you turn the torus(torque) converter to see it, ONLY drains the torus converter. The dip stick holder/fill tube has a nut at the pan that has to be loosened, which allows the dip stick tube to be rotated out of the way. CAREFUL! When you move the dipstick holder, fluid comes RUSHING out!!

Did this yesterday!! Changed fluid, THEN it develops a leat??? Murphy's law???

Luck to ya!

Jen

I am a little scared of tackling this. I am just looking for someone to diagnose it first....

hookem horns

Try cleaning and isolating the leak as previously suggested before going to a shop if possible. I always prefer to go in knowing what needs to be done rather than having a shop try things ( and charge) until they find it.

Cratethis

Hang in there. You'll figure it out. Take your time. Seems like you got through your gas tank repair. Wish we were closer to each other. It would be fun fixing our '55's together.

Feel free to keep asking questions on my thread if you need help with something, or a picture reference.

55miketn

I am not a big fan of additives; but, I added some Lucas trans. stop leak to my trans., and (miracle) it stopped the leak. I figured a $10 investment would be cheaper to try than a rebuild at this time. It is really thick, so I heated it with a hair dryer, and poured it in. So far so good. Just thought I would let you know. You could try it. May get you by for a while.

oldsmobum

Those old hydramatic 4 speeds have something like 12 possible leak points... maybe even more. How bad is the leak? I assume kinda bas as it got 3 quarts low. And yes that was likely the problem you were having was low fluid. In a transmission the fluid is not just a lubricant it is also necessary for the operation of the transmission.

Jen

Gas leak repair went well. Now that I fixed the mystery problem of random stranding (points-which I learned to change on my own), I am ready to get back to the transmission leak and also put in my pertronix. I thought about adding the stop leak stuff, but figured someone would yell at me for doing so. 12 possible leak points?! Sheesh.... I am starting with the pan gasket I bought. I did clean it all up again and watch for the leak, which appears to be dripping from that area. So, I will do that on my own. If it is still leaking the mass amounts it has been, I am letting a friend take over. I think transmission is a little out of my expertise-for now.

d2_willys

My experiences with these transmissions point to several places for the transmission to leak. First, after running the vehicle, place some newspaper under the transmission. This should then point to the actual area of leakage. If it leaks at the front of the transmission (where the small sheet metal cover is with two bolts), then you have either a front seal or torus cover gasket problem. If it leaks toward the rear of the transmission (under the pan), then the pan gasket, the oil filler tube o-ring, the side cover gasket, or the shift seals (located at the shift lever on the side of the side cover) are leaking. If it leaks way in the back of the transmission, then the rear seal is bad.

If you suspect the pan gasket is the culprit, you might tightening the pan bolts till snug. It might be possible that the bolts have come loose and this is where it is leaking.

There should be enough room to get a small 1/4 ratchet, extension, and socket in between the crossmember and the oil pan bolts. If it is not, then the transmission mounts may be gone and the transmission has sunk low enough to not allow easy removal of the bolts.

Jen

She is awaiting service tomorrow. My leak quickly turned into an extreme pour. I had it towed to a transmission shop that works on older cars. They did a 54 Olds last week, so hopefully that is a good thing. After a friend looked at her, he said front pump and recommended the place I took it to. So, crossing my fingers.

Rickman48

Make sure they call with a price before repairing! Those old hydros can be expensive, especially to the unexperienced rebuilder!
Might check the B+M Transmission websight - that's what they built their name on!
Getting one from them might be cheaper, even with that shop doing the R+R.
Through the mid '60's, a B+M Hydro was the hot setup - Clutch Hydro's were the best - clutch instead of the torque converter!
Good luck!

Jen

They were fantastic! They called with a price before doing anything. Wasn't the front pump after all. Turns out it was the side pan leaking. Also, the huge puddle came from over filling, which I did not do by the way. I guess when they changed the pan gasket at another shop, they overfilled the fluid. The guys at Snyder's were super and went ahead and changed all seals and such. Parts and labor, $300 well spent. No more leak!!! They also have some retired guys that can work on the hydramatics if I ever need them, good to know. Thank you all for the advice and putting up with my silly questions. I am learning to set the timing next week. Wish me luck!

Cratethis

No silly questions. We were all beginners at some point ourselves. Glad you got it fixed. Keep it up!

55miketn

Thanks! Mine has a small leak. Will check the side pan. New to Oldsmobiles and haven't learned all the ins and outs yet. Glad it is fixed.

mpolds

I have the pan gasket and transmission seals in stock, if you need them..
& a WHOLE LOT MORE for this car.......

Best to simply call me -- Craig -- 516 - 485 - 1935......

Jen

Definitely worth it! They just got one of those seal up kits and replaced all the seals and what not and voila! All was well. It only took a couple of hours. Now, I have a small oil leak that wasn't there before. It never ends.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

That's just the way it goes. An endless sea of "might as well's" with these cars..

The way i look at it. If you fix something as good as it was when it came from the factory. I have high hopes that it'll last another 40 years! (or 56 in the case of your 55).

Jen

Yup. I just see it as the next learning opportunity. So far, she has dictated what I will be learning as we go along. Being pretty much new to car repair, I have learned a great deal about everything that has gone wrong. I can now tell you all about the fuel system and ignition system (on my own car at least). Looks like now I will be learning about whatever is leaking the oil. And timing. Still slacking on that. Saturday is garage day, so I will be setting the timing from my last project.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

That's awesome! and i completely agree. Garage days are what makes me work for the weekend

I just finished school, and oddly enough, it didnt teach me much about design and how machines actually work. I actually think i've probably learnt more ripping apart this Cutlass for the past 3 years.. I dont plan on selling my car just because of all we've gone through, can't put a price on that!

Jen

I am surprised I keep being allowed back in these poor guys' garage. I have had some pretty big messes and ask LOTS of questions, including, can I use this blow torch on something? I can relate to the hands on learning. I am a librarian and am used to searching books for "the answer". This proves more difficult with cars. I read it and don't have a clue what it meant until I start taking things apart.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I definitely hear ya on the garage side. Garage folk have messed up my cars more than once, so if i can do it myself. I will make every effort to do so. What kind of mess ups have you had in the garage? The more questions you ask, the better!

Jen! I beg to differ! Factory service/shop manuals are a must-have! Anyone on here know if there is one available for the 55 olds? They've got great diagrams, specifications. Some of them are harder to read than others, but if you have the oldsmobile version, they're quite a good read.. lol

I even have my factory service manual loaded onto my iPhone for some light reading on the train home from work.. Heh.

Jen

Oh, wait, let me clarify! I mean LEARNING. My manual has been a life saver! It helps the guys help me. However, for me to just read it, it doesn't make sense until i start taking things apart. Then I have the aha moment. It seems to be written for someone that already has car knowledge. I would never underestimate the power of a good reference source! I just don't "get it" till I am doing the hands on part.

Jen

I think you can find the manual on ebay.

The major mess I have created was dumping gallons of gas on the floor while draining my tank before we dropped it. I was told to drive the gas out....thought I did. Turns out, there were still at least 12 gallons in there. oops. Then, I was told not to take the drain plug all the way out. I just meant to loosen it a little more, when it popped all the way out into the funnel and gas went spewing everywhere! teehee. learned to listen to those that are helping me. And don't pour absorber on your spill in front of a large fan, it blows in the eyes and that hurts. Wear your safety glasses and don't rub your eyes when they are covered in gas. You can see how this day went.

Next was all the transmission fluid in my hair when checking the leak.

The list goes on. They are good about not yelling at me much and answering all of my questions. Still didn't get to use the blow torch yet...

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Ah! Gotcha, my bad.. I read too quick for my own good (countless articles have been written on engineers not being able to decipher the English language :P)

Oh man, when I first bought my manual, I had no idea what half the diagrams were talking about! The fun is ripping the car apart and learning from our mistakes. That was really the big learning curve me, learning All the nomenclature and acronyms..

Jen

Thank goodness for technology, most of the time. When trying to do something on my own, at least I can snap a picture with my cell phone of whatever I am looking at and send it so that I can make more sense when asking about the thing next to the round thingy. Like today, I learned the term throttle linkage. Yay!

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Awesome! All I know is the throttle linkage makes my car go vroom

I work alot with engineering documentation, so I get how people love making Acronyms for everything.. I wish there was an automotive or even engineering dictionary out there. It would be great to include that in the curriculum at schools.

Thats totally what I do as well, plus people always like pictures! Especially when they see how our cars are slowly transformed to the way they should be from the factory.

d2_willys

You are very lucky to find someone who works on hydramatics. Great transmissions, but complicated. You happen to have a very good year for hydramatics, as 54-56 hydramatics had 8 front and 8 rear clutch paks, which makes it a very durable (and reliable) transmission.

But seriously, don't try and tear one apart! These guys weigh 280 lbs and are not for beginners!

Enjoy your Olds and hydramatic for years to come! (Love the 53-55 Olds hydramatic shift indicator. In case you didn't know, it uses electricity to move the needle to the various positions. And don't forget that R is also a parking gear when engine is not running!)