Trans leaks, will it need a full tear down?

[AKcharger]

My trans leaks like crazy. I changed the front seal which is now good, but still have leaks from the shift linkage and up by the cooling lines. Can all those areas be sealed without going into th clutches or bands?

Thanks

[Hemidog]

I think your tranny leaks from the shifter seal.
I managed to replace mine without removing or dropping the tranny, but it wasn't easy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Torqueflite-727-904-1966-Shift-Tower-Kickdown-SEALS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a570Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem220359152770QQitemZ220359152770QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[RD]

1. drop the pan
2. remove shifter and throttle pressure levers
3. drop valve body by removing 10 bolts
4. let valve body hang from parking brake rod (wont hurt it)
5. use flat tip screwdriver and hammer to pop out old shifter shaft seal
6. put in new shifter seal by hammering into place using a plethora of methods.. find one that best works for you (i.e. c clamp with a small piece of board or a washer to apply pressure evenly)
7. grease inside of seal
8. put valve body back into position, bolt 10 bolts to 15-20" lbs (if i remember correctly, check service manual)
9. bolt pan back into place
10. replace shifter and throttle pressure levers
11. add fluid
12. start in neutral

et voila monsieur!

*edit* you can use a 6" or smaller c clamp to apply pressure... recommended as you will have limited space.

[tecmopar]

I guess I'm just lucky to have the Millers-falls seal tool for the shift shaft seal removal and install. It takes longer to get it on and off the lift and clean the area then it does to change the seal. I'm sure someone must still make this tool but I wouldn't know who, good luck.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I used that tool as well but it was made by K-D I believe....a friend had it.....no dropping of the VB necessary

[flyinlow]

You said the trans was leaking like crazy. I don't think the valvebody seal is below the fluid level . Any chance the fluid is over filled?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

You said the trans was leaking like crazy. I don't think the valvebody seal is below the fluid level . Any chance the fluid is over filled?

True....the shift selector seal will leak only when the car is off & has been sitting for a while...the converter drains back into the trans filling the pan up past the shift seal....

[ACUDANUT]

Man this is my curse. EVERY 727 I own leaks bad.

[Ghoste]

Not the situation in this case but further to what Chris said, it also isn't that uncommon for the leak to be from teh other side where the dipstick tube goes into the case. For the same reasons, car sitting-fluid draining from tc to pan, the fluid will creep up into the dipstick tube and often even if the seal is good the tube will still have fatigue cracks in it.

[AKcharger]

Well I think you guys might be hitting on something with the Torque Converter (TQ). Since the car only gets driven on Fridays and Weekends I notice if I let it sit for a day or two i have to either wait a bit for the torque converter to hook-up or I have to cycle it through the gears before it will move. so could this be more or a TQ problem?

Other info is the car sat for a while before I got it in 2004. It leaked after I got it on the road and it looked like the front seal and the pan gasket. I changed the pan gasket...still leaked. Then I replaced the pan gasket again and the front seal this summer...still leaking. Front seal is good now but looks like the pan is leaking AGAIN! problem is with the leaks at the linkage I'm not sure if its the pan or the stuff above it leaking down.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

More than likely its ABOVE the pan.....rarely do the pan gaskets fail especially now with the availability of the steel inserted re-usable rubber ones from Mopar.

TQ drainback is inherent to the design and IIRC the front pump doesnt work in park.....it does work in neutral. (could be wrong though...Mr. Kunkle?)

Try this next start up....start it in park then put it in neutral....give it a few revs & the TQ will fill faster in neutral....at least that's what I do

[Ghoste]

The pump operates anytime the engine is running, I think its more an issue of how the fluid is directed in neutral versus park and that neutral routes it more directly to the tc and the rest of the hydraulic circuits for want of a better way of trying to get my head around it.  Same reason I believe that fluid is to be checked in neutral and not in park.

[69chargerR/T]

Did you try changing the neutral safety switch ??  I had a trans leak that I thought was the pan gasket Tried different gaskets and pan still leaked    I changed the neutral switch, no  more leak     I didn't think it was the switch because it was fairly new, but I tried another switch and it fixed the leak    Sometimes new parts can be defective, I went crazy trying to fix this leak, and it ended up being a new switch that was defective and leaking 

[squeakfinder]

You said it leaks up by the cooler lines. So is it leaking from the fittings where the flared end of the lines attach to it? I'm just wondering if one of those fittings didn't get scored when the transmission was put back in after the front seal was replaced.

[AKcharger]

Well it's hard to tell as there is residual fluid all over the trans body I guess where ever it leaks from it's gets "blown" around when i drive.

So what is the "fix" for the TQ leaking back?

[Ghoste]

Clean it off, park it, let it sit and then check for where it's coming out once the level rises.  I believe later model Torqueflites did not have the drainback feature but I'm not certain.  John Kunkel will know.

[John_Kunkel]

So what is the "fix" for the TQ leaking back?

There is no fix, converter drainback is endemic to the design...if the seals are in good condition they should hold back the increased volume from the drainback.

While the drainback can't be prevented, the refilling of the converter can be hastened by starting in Neutral or by the addition of a redesigned manual valve in the valve body; these are available from TransGo or Sonnax.

[AKcharger]

Gotcha! So if I replace all the seals it should not leak even if the TQ leaks back correct?