Sudden Trans leak at speedo cable???...or.....???

[vandelay industries]

Background:

1) Trans is new, reman ATI "streetrodder" TH-350. Has been working great the past year and no leaks that i know of (until now).

2) i park in the same spot all the time---home, work, friend's houses etc.

3) Tuesday morning i see A LOT of fluid under the truck. Not just a few drops (and even that isn't good because transes aren't supposed to leak....) but quite a bit of fluid. NOTE: truck was parked for only about 8 hours or so monday night.

4) So, the leak was SUDDEN, apparently starting monday night, and SEVERE (A LOT OF FLUID, LIKE MAYBE 1/4 TO 1/2 PINTS)

4) The only things i see is where the speedo cable screws into the trans. Also, there is a pan bolt that has some fluid on it and i suspect it needs to be retorqued, but there's no trail of fluid running down/across the trans. The trans case looks otherwise very dry and very clean .

Is the speedo output a potential leak point on a TH-350?

What other suggestions do you have?

 

[Blue85]

Whoa, bizzaro truck. Transfer case appears to be missing with a car transmission output in it's place.

How is the vent tube set up on that tranny? If it's one of those short stubs on top of the case, it's possible it puked a little. Assuming you've already checked the torque on the bolts and that wasn't the problem, pull the speedo sender out and check the o-ring. There is a kind of inner and outer seal.

 

[vandelay industries]

Whoa, bizzaro truck. Transfer case appears to be missing with a car transmission output in it's place.

How is the vent tube set up on that tranny? If it's one of those short stubs on top of the case, it's possible it puked a little. Assuming you've already checked the torque on the bolts and that wasn't the problem, pull the speedo sender out and check the o-ring. There is a kind of inner and outer seal.

This is a 2wd truck; So, i think only vega/monzas etc. had vent tubes on a TH-350?

Not sure about vents on 4wd transes?

 

[Kain]

isn't there an o'ring in the housing of the speedo cable?

 

[Blue85]

This is a 2wd truck; So, i think only vega/monzas etc. had vent tubes on a TH-350?

Not sure about vents on 4wd transes?

Yes, I get that it's 2WD. All TH-350 have a vent

 

[vandelay industries]

isn't there an o'ring in the housing of the speedo cable?

Not sure about the actual speedo cable housing, but there is one on the outside housing of the "bullet"/"module"(SENDER) that the cable screws onto and a smaller one for the speedo driven gear. Will address this soon, hopefully.

Yes, I get that it's 2WD. All TH-350 have a vent

Not doubting you, but where?

 

[diesel4me]

I'm pretty sure all TH350's have a vent,and its located on top of the gear housing near the bell housing ,facing the floor of the vehicle,so seeing it is difficult..
Most of the ones I have seen are just a tube poking out of the case at an angle..some dont have a tube though,like this one pictured below.

 

[vandelay industries]

Ahhhh......ok, got it.

 

[vandelay industries]

i felt up at the vent and while there is definitely some residue, it is certainly not an excessive amount and definitely no trail leading to the back of the trans.

Don't want to pull the sender yet if it's just this one time occurance OR even if it's on-going, i'll just keep topping off fluid for now; i am physically sick now from possibly being disoriented from lying on my back AND/OR breathing in some exhaust fume residue? i think this leak is possibly due to drainback from the converter----i had driven it daily and only parked it monday night in order to switch to another car.

i think if this leak continues i'll break out the ramps at a more convenient time and explore further.

Exploratory research so far is inconclusive.

 

[vandelay industries]

NOTE: i'm not copping out; This may be my Achilles's heel.

i remember one time i was messing around under the rear of another car and the room was literally spinning for me (you know phrase, "the room was spinning?")

i was able to install the trans without getting sick, so i think i just need to raise the truck and i'll be ok, hopefully.