Bad tranny leak after driving..... Too hot?

[outcrydrummer]

Been driving the k5 back and forth around town and to and from work.....short distances.

Today I took it about 20 mins up the road and 20 mins back......10 miles each way on the interstate.

Well on the way back before I got back to my exit I noticed a tranny fluid smell seaping into the cab.....then right at my exit I started seeing smoke trailing behind me. Luckily I live right off of the exit.
Got the truck back and noticed it leaking really badly. It was tranny fluid and it was leaking all over.......appeared to be coming from the top of the tranny and coming down saturating the oil pan.....trans pan.....front drive shaft and everything. Guess it started dripping on the header and burning.

Do you think it just got too hot and started coming out of the overflow tube? It has an aftermarket trans cooler on it but no fan for it.

Trans is a th350 and its in a 78 k5.

Thanks

 

[y5mgisi]

Geesh thats a tough one. Someone on here will have a good answer for you, but for now, i'll ask a couple questions. When you check the fluid, (hot, engine running, in park) is it at the propper level? Is this a new trans? Is fluid coming out the dipstick tube?

 

[Deuling]

Might be a front seal on it. Check your tranny cooler lines. Those would be the highest thing to leak if you say its coming from up top.

 

[outcrydrummer]

Well it would appear its overfilled........
I just had the trans serviced by amco about two weeks ago...never really thought to check behind them since they are a transmission shop. Oh well guess it got hot and was already overfilled and decided to pee out some tranny fluid everywhere lol.

 

[y5mgisi]

So you did check it and it showed over full?

 

[Deuling]

Ahhh yes that may have been some good info to know lol.

Overflow line is the only thing higher on the tranny than the cooler lines

 

[reece13]

this happened to my wifes s10 blazer. she noticed it smoking, started shifting funny, then puked fluid everywhere...turned out a transmission line came loose and dumped fluid all over the road and under truck.