I have a leak around my transmission pan gasket and can not fix it. I have tried all kinds of gaskets, RTV, new pan and I am done trying. Too many days under the car and wasted transmission fluid and gaskets has spoiled the fun of trying to do my self. I called a tranny shop today (supposedly very good) and they quoted me 2400 dollars for a complete overhaul. Everything done. Well it is a turbo 350 3 speed automatic transmission and I think that is way over priced! I don't want anything special done to it, just to stop leaking and an overhaul since it is 30 years old.

Any ideas? I live in the Virginia Beach area. I don't think I can do it myself, I have never done any transmission work, ever. I won't spend 2400 dollars on it. Thanks.
Dan

 

It's a 600 buck job if they R&R the thing....I guess you can smell RIP OFF too!!!

IF it is leaking from the dip stick tube the thing will drip on that front/pass corner....if maybe the shift lever? the dr side....maybe to check above for wet areas and shoot with carb/brake cleaner.....

hard to see while under the car, but maybe a good light and a mirror??

 

Rebuilt TH350s run $600-900 outside of labor.

 

I allow 80 bux to R&R the thing
60 for a Trans Go Shift kit...
80 for a rebuild kit...
120 for a converter.....

it's about the simplest tranny around to rebuild....unless a torqueflight...
3 speed.....

 

$2400 for a Turbo 350 is WAY too much... I had a 700 R4 R&R and rebuilt for $800 here is Southern Cali..granted this was under what most trans shops charge because it was done by a Transmission Tech that was laid off from a nearby Chevy Dealer who was renting a stall from another shop.

I wouldnt think it would cost more than $900 - $1000 tops, unless you are rebuiliding it to withstand 1000 horespower..

 

A rebuild shouldn't cost over $500-600, if you deliver the already removed tranny to the rebuild shop. If that quote was for the removal, rebuild, and reinstallation, the $2400 bill might not be too far off; removal of that unit from the car [and reinstall] is the bulk of the effort. The actual rebuild is a 'piece of cake' for a tranny shop (couple of hours for a good tech).

If your car and engine/tranny are 'numbers matching', you will want to require use of your original tranny case and retaining any associated serial numbers (VIN derivitive) in any contract you sign. You don't want an exchange transmission in that instance.

 

Four years ago, it cost me $400 to have my TH400 bench built at the local shop, that included installing the shift kit I supplied and a new pan with drain plug that I supplied.

R&R under $1,000 sounds more realistic to me...

Audie

 

I have the stock engine in it with headers, different cam, intake and eldebrock carb but I doubt if I get 300hp. I am just looking for a stock tranny. I cleaned all around the transmission and it leaking at the pan, just sitting in the garage. I don't know if I can pull the tranny without a lift? Would jack stands raise the car enough to get the tranny out or would I have to pull the engine and tranny out as one. I think I have the knowledge to pull it out myself but as far as rebuilding my self, I just don't know about that. It seems like I could almost get a new one for 2400. golly

 

You're wanting to rebuild the tranny to fix a leak? Leaks can be very frustrating . . . took me forever to get mine to stop too. But it would be much easier to fix leak than replace tranny, not to mention the cost. Make sure all the pan bolts will secure tightly, heli-coil any holes that are stripped. Use thick Felpro rubber gasket w/o RTV. Most importantly, make sure the pan surface is flat. With the stamped steel pans, they get bent very easily. Place pan on flat surface and use hammer to straighten/flatten -- especially around the holes. Also, look into using UV die to spot exact location of leak. I went through a bunch of fluid too until I started saving what I was dumping, just make sure it's clean and not contaminated going back in. Worst case, I would have them fix the pan leak. Just hate seeing you throw money at a leak without taking a step back and re-analyzing.

 

redman, i understand what you are saying. I was going to have the rebuild it what they were working on it. Maybe I will just go for fixing the leak and then rebuild when and if the tranny goes bad.

 

You should first determine exactly where the leak is located. Anything leaking from the transmission will eventually run down to the pan. So every tranny leak looks like it is at the pan. You need to get under the car, then clean the outside of the tranny as well as you can with a solvent cleaner. Get all the oil/dirt/grease off the outer surface where leaks can occur: speedo gear/cable attachment area, governor cover, output seal, shifter shaft seal, breather pipe area (at outlet), vacuum modulator area, cooler plumbing (in and out) connections, and around the front inspection cover. You should probably drop that inspection cover to see if any oil is on the front pump surface; the pump input seal could be leaking, too. Once you've cleaned everything off, you should run the engine (idle) long enough to get the engine warmed up...then cycle the tranny through the gears [with foot on brake]. Shut down and look for where any leakage is showing.

As mentioned in a previous post, there are dyes that you can add to the tranny fluid so that you can easily spot leakage. Or, you can buy a spray can of "Baker's Secret" (spray-on flour for using on cookie sheets, etc.) and spray it over the 'just cleaned' surfaces of the tranny before you fire it up. After shut-down, any areas getting oil will appear very dark.

Once you know where the leakage is coming from, start another thread and ask how to fix leaks in those areas...without tranny removal. Almost all can be done in the car (front pump seal is an exception).

 

Hello I've never done this and i need help changing my 1970 manual transmission oil.
How to do it?
How many qts do i need?
And what type do i put back in it?

thanks

 

My Brother had this job done last September on his 1979 TH350 for less than $300.00. The professionals have seen all the leaks before and know how to repair them.

 

Ahhhh.....isn't it nice to have pockets full of money and be the owner of one of those sporty Corvettes......

 

7T1, I will get under there again and look. I have seriously replaced that bugger 10 times. I don't see it coming down from anywhere but I will look again. arghhhh
Coll, don't ask me, I still can't figure out how to do it right. hahah If it is like an automatic, do this....
drop the pan, get a new gasket and filter from advance auto and yours should take approx 5 quarts. Not that hard unless I am doing it. Put in about 3 quarts, check your dip stick, then keep adding a little bit until you are almost to the full mark. Warm your transmission up and cycle through the gears and then fill up the tranny to the "hot" mark.

 

Admittedly this was in the mid 90's and was friend's with the shop owner, but he towed my Chevy pick up 30 mile's, installed a rebuilt 700R4(because my case was internally trashed), and total bill was $1400. I agree with trying the above mentioned UV dye, and if really a pan leak, maybe a more solid cast aluminum pan.

 

Also check for a leak at the speedometer driven gear seal. They leak and will run down the pan. The gears develop a groove where the seal rides on them or the seals get hard with age and leak.

There is also an O-ring that can leak where the speedo gear housing goes into the transmission.

 

I have a really nice rebuilt TH400 with a shift kit for sale out of my 72. Never used it yet. Painted up real nice.