Uhg! Found a puddle...

[71 SE3834V]

After I replaced the rotted p. steering return line, that showed up over the winter, I fired it up and moved it out into the sunshine for the first time since Sept. Found a big puddle of trans fluid. Knew it was leaking when I put it away but looks like the trans will have to be pulled. Front seal.
Oh, did I mention the radiator started seeping over the winter also?? Ahh! It never seems to end....

[ws23rt]

This could be bad. If water in the trans froze and broke the case? Oh Oh. I have had this happen.

[JB400]

Water in the trans is bad no matter if it's froze or not.


If you're gonna pull the pump, you might as well figure on a rebuild.  Even if it worked fine, it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

[skip68]

    

[ws23rt]

I just remembered having a power steering pump case split from freezing as well as trans. case. This could be your (case) since many folks used trans fluid in them. And more likely as well.

[71 SE3834V]

Nah, nothing that drastic. P. S. leak is fixed. just a rotted hose. Trans fluid is nice & red though a pint low. It leaked on the last run last year b4 I put it away. Without jacking it up I squeezed under it & it sure looked like it was running down the bell housing. I figured it was the front seal. I guess it's worse then I thought. Yeah it might need a rebuild since it doesn't seem to "engage" solidly when first started. Don't know if the torque convertor is leaking down or something else. Noticed the fluid was real overfull until I shifted it through all the gears and put it in neutral. Runs down the road fine in fact it'll bark the tire (open diff) on the 1-2 shift.
Couldn't do anything about it all winter as I was recovering from a knee replacement & back injury. Besides I have work out in the cold. Now I'm ready to get back at it but I had other things to fix w/o a major job like this to do.

[A383Wing]

are you sure leak is not from shifter shaft seal? Would be a real waste of time & money to take trans out for rebuild only to find out it was a $5 seal that can be replaced with trans in car

Bryan

[71 SE3834V]

Well I think that's leaking also since last year I kept getting fluid at the pan seal. Had replaced the pan gasket & it seemed to keep on seeping even though I made sure the flange was "straight & flat". Couldn't quite pin it down as things are real grimey under there. Then this lastest leak is just running down the bell housing. Wiped it off and watched it. Not coming from the side. Believe me, I will throughly check it when I can get it up in the air. Might even run it by the trans shop b4 I pull it which ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

[Tilar]

Yeah it might need a rebuild since it doesn't seem to "engage" solidly when first started. Don't know if the torque convertor is leaking down or something else.

Try putting it in neutral for a just few seconds and then drop it in gear and see how it feels. These transmissions don't circulate fluid when they are in park and as a result they don't drop right in gear when you first fire them up... This is why they tell you to put it in netural to check the fluid level.

[Pete in NH]

Yes, it seems our cars really don't like to sit unused over the long winter. I found a leaking rear wheel cylinder on my 71, which I'm in the process of replacing.

I just wanted to comment on the transmission shift/ throttle shaft seal someone mentioned. When the one on my car started to leak I never saw something dump out so much fluid so fast! There was a puddle running out from under the car. It was an easy fix though by just dropping the pan and valve body. I know that's likely not the case here but, did want to mention it is an easy repair.

I also wanted to comment on the rotted power steering return hose and checking the pressure hose carefully as well. The whole pressure hose routing is so close to the exhaust manifold on a 383 installation any leak could have real unpleasant consequences on these cars.

[71 SE3834V]

Yes, it seems our cars really don't like to sit unused over the long winter. I found a leaking rear wheel cylinder on my 71, which I'm in the process of replacing.

I just wanted to comment on the transmission shift/ throttle shaft seal someone mentioned. When the one on my car started to leak I never saw something dump out so much fluid so fast! There was a puddle running out from under the car. It was an easy fix though by just dropping the pan and valve body. I know that's likely not the case here but, did want to mention it is an easy repair.

I also wanted to comment on the rotted power steering return hose and checking the pressure hose carefully as well. The whole pressure hose routing is so close to the exhaust manifold on a 383 installation any leak could have real unpleasant consequences on these cars.

Yeah and I don't think they like to sit for 20 yrs also as was i my cars case! Everything rubber needs to be replace as opposed to my 72 Galaxie. I've had to do very minimal work to it even though it only had under 42k on it when I bought it. It must have been driving just enough over the years to keep the seals and such lubed and the guy I got it off of put at least 10k on it (according to the tire receipt in the glovebox) so maybe he had a few things done to it.
I did throughly clean & check the p.s. pressure hose for cracks.