trans leak (or not?)

[trixie]

I bought a 94 explorer with the clock showing 90k. Turns out it's more like 130k. Anyway, I drove it for about 3,000 miles, no problems. Then one day, I planned on taking a 500 mile round trip. Got about 75 miles into it, when I thought I saw a little smoke coming out from under the truck. I stopped, and checked it out. The bottom of the motor, and everything else was coated with trans fluid. I stopped at a shop, they put it on a lift, and checked it out. The guy said there was a front seal leak. He also said that (and I watched as he did it) it didn't seem to leak while it was running. (He had a helper gun the motor with the brakes engaged.) Now, the transmission is a new (rebuilt) one- done by a reputable shop. Is trans leakage that unusual?
Now, keep in mind the fact that I generally beat the crap out of the truck, it's either floored a lot of times or else I'm on the brakes. I was going at least 80mph when I noticed the smoke from the fluid leaking onto the exhaust. I've driven it roughly 1,000 miles since then, with no other symptoms. I've taken it easier on it, though. The fluid level (once filled back up) is fine, and isn't burnt, and it shifts fine. Should I care? Or should I just not beat the crap out of it for 3,000 miles without checking the transmision fluid? I'd like to keep the truck, since cosmetically it is more or less flawless.

Thanks for any insight,

Michael

 

[SteveVB]

Pretty common problem - the front seal is notorious in these trans(A4LD) Search the site for front seal- there are bulletins about checking the converter crank bushing, and the hub for wear, also could be a bad pump alignment job.
I would have the trans checked for pressure problems and the cause of the heating. The seal problems seem show up when the trnas gets hot- the question is why is it hot? Low pressures, slipping/ mis adjusted bands etc.

Personally on a rebuild they should REPLACE the pump, seal, crank bushing and the converter. Also the boost pressure valve passage should be checked and the valve replaced - one trans guy I spoke with thinks the valve replacement is mandatory but he thinks few techs check it.

Good Luck

 

[trixie]

Thanks

Thanks for your advice. The problem, I think will be in finding a decent shop in my area. I'm sure that there are plenty, but I just don't know which ones are. One shop I talked to told me that I needed to replace the trans (major chain) so I drove away. For the prices I was quoted, it might be stupid to spend the money on a 9 year old truck. But, the thing is in very good shape, so maybe that's wrong. The other thing is that I just found out about a super-charger system (from this site), which might make me want to have a sturdy trans. By the way, I live just outside Manhatten. If you know anyone nearby who does good work, let me know.

 

[Drageon]

Check to see if your radiator needs rodding out.

I just recently had mine rodded out (costed $110 at a local radiator shop.). I had this leak problem off and on, and it didn't happen at certain times, it just seemed after either long driving or in very hot conditions it would do this, and its been 3 days of long hot driving, and it seems to be fixed. I had went to a transmission shop in mind of having a nice large bill for a rebuild, instead he said he could either just replace the seal, or for me to have the radiatior rodded out and see if that did the trick. Bascially he said the A4LD had major heat problems even straight off the line, thats why they have those extra coolers standard, and you also need to remember that the tranny passes fluid through the radiator.. and it sounded to him like the fluid would get so hot it would just fall through the seal cause it was so thin.

ps- I have about 131k on mine, only transmission work done with it was the vaccum modulator changed, and of course fluid/filter change

 

[trixie]

trans

Thanks a lot. You may be onto something. The ****** I bought the truck from seems to have turned the clock back around 45,000 miles. While doing that, he also broke the lower dash piece, made the needle on the column go off kilter, and (I assumed) took out a wire to the temp gauge. Now --perhaps I overpaid. The guy seemed nice, I gave him 4500 for the truck. As I mentioned before, there is nothing cosmetically wrong with it, and it runs and drives fine. I wonder, though how many miles I can expect to get out of a motor with something like 130k+ on it. The guy I bought this thing from was not stupid. He owns a towing company here in N.J. So maybe the thing was overheating to begin with, and he cut the temp gauge lines. Who knows? Still, it runs fine, etc. except for that one day.

 

[Drageon]

even before my rodding out of my radiator, my truck never showed signs of overheating.. I know when you first start up that the guage flux for about the first 10 minutes, but from what ive read around this forum thats normal when its first cranked. Although I have noticed its stayed cooler after long drives on the expressway or intown trips. Before this the needle would hang around the R or M in "normal" on the guage, now it seems to just stay around the O. I hope that the rodding out will fix your problem as (it seems for the time being) it has fixed mine.

PS- I believe the guy at the tranny shop said that they can do a test to determine if it needs to be rodded out. So if you go to a radiator shop see if they can do one, I got the rodding done because I was more than sure it could have probally used it anyway.

 

[Drageon]

*Update*

Well its leaking again, looks like im in the same boat as you trixie.. im going to try a bigger atf cooler and go from there.. hope I dont have to get a new main seal :x

 

[trixie]

Just saw your reply, sorry, it's probablly old. What happenned with the leak, etc.? No problems yet with the trans leak I mentioned. Been driving it like grandma though. In 2k, I lost a little less than a pint of fluid. This trans, though is on thin ice. If it f's with me, I will replace it with something better-- maybe the motor too, if it gets wise.

 

[Jason_25]

Ok so you think the guy rolled back the miles? Run a vin check to make sure and then consider having your lawyer call the guy and make him buy the truck back from you. Cheaper than court costs. Something like that would be serious business with me.

 

[Drageon]

Well with mine I got it rebuilt, then it started leaking from the pan (nothing near as serious as that first leak) and now (as of a week ago, its been a month since the rebuild) my shifts between 2nd and 3rd are crap, I have to let off the gas and drop below 3k rpms for it to shift, and then it'll still kick down to 2nd gear if I dont watch it while im in 3rd OR 4th (!). Taking it back soon, thank god theres somewhat of a warranty on that rebuild.

 

[Drageon]

well I got my shifting and leak problem fixed, seems that a bolt on one of the bands wasnt tight enough, and it backed out not allowing the transmission to shift, which in turn overflowed the pan (or so I suspect.) At least now it kicks down to first like its supposed to when the shifter is in OD.