# Transmission stop leak?



## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,.... Sounds like the main front seal is Gone,...

Stop-leak is better at gettin' yer money outa yer wallet, than it is at stoppin' leaks...


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I suspect you are correct. Seal drips but tranny is smooth shifting. My silhouette was totaled and the villager was the "best" $1500 minivan I could find on short notice. Even had $100 left frm the insurance. 

Hmmm..... $400 I figure to replace a dripping seal. Or $7 for the magic tranny sauce.  maybe that and the power of prayer!


----------



## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

I bought a Ford Windstar with 54,999 all original miles for $1350.00 cash. Not a thing wrong. Love those types of deals.


----------



## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

well, if the main seal is leaking, it will leak oil, not transmission fluid. I spoke.


----------



## chitownken (Nov 22, 2012)

There's a seal where the torque converter connects to the transmission. Agree with Bondo, transmission stop leak rarely works.


----------



## Marty1Mc (Mar 19, 2011)

Worse, you are adding something designed to gunk up, that is just not good for the internals. That stuff runs all through the tranny and if it hangs in the valve body, your well shifting transmission will have a new problem.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Must be the torque converter/AT seal. Definitely AT fluid seepage. I am skeptical of and fix-in-a-bottle. Replacing this gasket would be rather expensive, I wager. Reviews on amazon of this stuff are positive, with caveats. This is not a sealer, but rather a softener that causing gaskets to swell and reseal. 

Lucas makes one brand. Might give it a try.


----------



## cjm94 (Sep 25, 2011)

Never use that crap if you have ever taken a tranny apart that had it in you would see all the seals are turned to mush. It a temporary fix at best. If its coming out of the bell housing. It is most likely the converter seal. I would clean it all real good and add some uv dye to find the leak oil has a tendency to spread all over making it hard to pinpoint accurately


----------



## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

I also agree- stay away from it. Its like those ac system stop leak products. Work for a while, but man, dont ever open up that ac system!


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

If it's only a few drops.....don't worry about it right now.....but I would have a look under the carriage and make sure you don't have an 'oil spill' moving down the bottom of the car. 

I think the going rate for replacing just the front seal in a tranny is around $250.....almost all of that is labor....you can buy a lot of transmisson fluid for that.

What you have to decide is how long you want to keep the van.....if it's a long time....get it fixed....if your only looking at another year or two....leave it....

And do NOT put anything in there....all it will do is keep leaking and screw of the tranny.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I had my91 Silhouette for ten years and would still be driving it except for the 2000 Volvo S70 that ran off the road and totaled it. I will have this Villager at least as long, I hope. Other than the tranny leak and bad rear shocks it's in pretty good shape. Me, the wife and the four kids are going be in it for awhile. 

I will probably get the seal done in the spring. Seems a little too big for DYI.


----------



## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

chitownken said:


> There's a seal where the torque converter connects to the transmission. Agree with Bondo, transmission stop leak rarely works.


yes, but then it's not main seal. sorry. 
Big, just add good bit of Lucas treatment. I had 91 Civic, bought for $250, that was leaking ATF everywhere (still doing 38 mpg) and that actually helped much. At some point, I think, I had most of ATF replaced with Lucas and was basically driving on it.:whistling2: Helped a lot with shifts also.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I cleaned up everything I could reach and ran it a few days. The leak is from the oil seal where the passenger side half axle goes into the tranny. A lot to take apart to replace a five dollar seal.


----------



## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Bigplanz said:


> I cleaned up everything I could reach and ran it a few days. The leak is from the oil seal where the passenger side half axle goes into the tranny. A lot to take apart to replace a five dollar seal.


It only seems like alot the first time you do it. Remember to use jack stands. They will save your life.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

I had the van on a pair of 8000 pound rated ramps, wheels chocked on. Both sides, parking brake on. I also have a pair of three ton and six Tom jack stands for use if needed. I never get under a car without proper support.


----------



## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Bigplanz said:


> I had the van on a pair of 8000 pound rated ramps, wheels chocked on. Both sides, parking brake on. I also have a pair of three ton and six Tom jack stands for use if needed. I never get under a car without proper support.


:thumbup: I've read horror stories on car forums, and always feel the need to mention jack stands everytime someone works on a car. Good to know you have it covered.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

r0ckstarr said:


> :thumbup: I've read horror stories on car forums, and always feel the need to mention jack stands everytime someone works on a car. Good to know you have it covered.


I had a car fall off a jack once. I was standing beside it; no injuries, but not something you forget. I had to replace a starter in a downtown parking garage and it took two trips on the bus to get the jack stands and blocks to the car.


----------



## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Bigplanz said:


> I had a car fall off a jack once. I was standing beside it; no injuries, but not something you forget. I had to replace a starter in a downtown parking garage and it took two trips on the bus to get the jack stands and blocks to the car.


When I was younger, I jacked up my truck to look at the rear brakes. My intentions were to pull the drum off and decide if I need new shoes, then put the drum and wheel back on. I figured that this wouldn't take long, so why bother getting jack stands, right?

Wrong.

As soon as I slid the wheel off of the lugs, the jack started failing. A seal gave out and the truck slowly started dropping. My father started pumping the jack to try to keep it up, but with every pump, it would fall a little faster. So, he was pumping away as fast as possible while I was trying to get one lug nut started to hold the wheel on. 

That was enough to scare me.

Sorry about straying off topic. :whistling2:


----------



## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Bigplanz said:


> I cleaned up everything I could reach and ran it a few days. *The leak is from the oil seal where the passenger side half axle goes into the tranny. A lot to take apart to replace a five dollar seal*.


Ayuh,... But it's a 'ell of alot Less work than pullin' the tranny to change the T/C Seal.....

Poppin' the axle out is fairly Easy, once the ball-joint is split...


----------

