Big Transmission Leak
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
Big Transmission Leak
Noticed I was leaving a trail of oil in the driveway. It was trans fluid. Shut the car off and looked underneath. Did not see the source. Started the car and looked again. Now I saw trans fluid driping at an alarming rate next to my header. Upon crawling under the car, I saw my trans lines where against the header. I looks like the header finally wore though the lines. I could not pull the lines far enough away from the header to take a good look, but that's where the leak is coming from. Glad I was not driving on the freeway oblivious to the leak. The way this thing is leaking, it would not have taken long at all to run the trans dry.
There are no vettes in salvage yards around here. Does the 3rd gen Camaro use the same lines? They don't look that difficult to change. That or I'll try some trans shops. Vette is out of comission for now.
Oh Well. S**t happens. I guess I should have spaced the lines away from the header. That's just the way the damn thing fit though, right against the line.
There are no vettes in salvage yards around here. Does the 3rd gen Camaro use the same lines? They don't look that difficult to change. That or I'll try some trans shops. Vette is out of comission for now.
Oh Well. S**t happens. I guess I should have spaced the lines away from the header. That's just the way the damn thing fit though, right against the line.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
It's pretty close to where the lines begin to turn. It looks like it would have been easier had it been on a nice straight section a little more downstream, but still looks doable. Like this?
http://www.creativehomeowner.com/ind...ectid=chplm166
http://www.creativehomeowner.com/ind...ectid=chplm166
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
A large portion of the undercarriege from there back is soaked with trans fluid. So clearly I did drive around like that for some time before I found out.
I figure by splicing a new piece as Pete K mentioned, I can add a different bend to keep it off the header from now on.
I figure by splicing a new piece as Pete K mentioned, I can add a different bend to keep it off the header from now on.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
Bend the line to clear and cut the line where the leak is and use a brass compression coupler...
to couple the line back together. I think it may be a 1/2" line. Throw a mic on it and then get the correct coupler......less than a $5.00 fix.
to couple the line back together. I think it may be a 1/2" line. Throw a mic on it and then get the correct coupler......less than a $5.00 fix.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
This never even occured to me. Sure beats tracking one of these down. Splicing it is.
Question though. When cutting (with pipe cutter) and flaring the ends, should this be done with the lines on or off the car? Wouldn't this potentially introduce debris into the oil lines?
Question though. When cutting (with pipe cutter) and flaring the ends, should this be done with the lines on or off the car? Wouldn't this potentially introduce debris into the oil lines?
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,816
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From: :45 minutes from everywhere / E-I-E-I-O
This never even occured to me. Sure beats tracking one of these down. Splicing it is.
Question though. When cutting (with pipe cutter) and flaring the ends, should this be done with the lines on or off the car? Wouldn't this potentially introduce debris into the oil lines?
Question though. When cutting (with pipe cutter) and flaring the ends, should this be done with the lines on or off the car? Wouldn't this potentially introduce debris into the oil lines?
Smart thinkin'... What IS the tolerance for particulate stuff in the lines?
Tranny fluid is not hi-pressure like oil flow. I just repaired my Jimmy 4.3 remote filter lines' crimps, with standard hose gaskets.
I dremeled off the crimps, pulled back the rubber line, and didn't even have to replace the rubber line - just put on the screw clamps.
Fixed. 1 hour, $3.65.
ed.:
If the line is already halfway cut thru, some debris might have already gotten into the line. It may be no concern, although I would definitely change the fluid afterward, since it's been exposed to a little 'extra' heat...
My
Last edited by schrade; May 21, 2008 at 12:12 AM.
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A large portion of the undercarriege from there back is soaked with trans fluid. So clearly I did drive around like that for some time before I found out.
I figure by splicing a new piece as Pete K mentioned, I can add a different bend to keep it off the header from now on.
I figure by splicing a new piece as Pete K mentioned, I can add a different bend to keep it off the header from now on.
The repaired section of line can be cleaned off the car, and the fluid dripping out of the existing line will carry the almost unmeasurable debris away.
I would be more worried about the extra heat that was added to the trans (via header contact and running trans low on fluid),
than I would be worried about shavings.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
with Peter K. Cut the line with a small tube cutter. It has a hardened wheel that cuts into the tube leaving a clean cut. You do not have to flare the ends of the tube if you use the compression coupler. It is brass and when you take off the nut you will find a brass compression washer (almost like a "O" ring). Put the nut over the line then the compression washer and push the line into the main body of the coupler. When you tighten the nut, it will squeeze the compression washer onto the line and form a excellent seal. Do the same for the other side and you are good to go.Picture:
You can see the nut, compression washer and main body in this picture.
Last edited by John A. Marker; May 21, 2008 at 11:34 PM. Reason: Add picture
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
This thing is really starting to **** me off. Getting the fittings at the trans lines loose is about impossible. The right size crowfoot wants to round off the fitting. And there is no room to put a flare wrench up in there. I guess what I need is a flared crowfoot which I don't have. I got an entire set of regular crowfoots which does me no good
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 560
Likes: 0
From: Hamilton New Jersey
Line wrenches are the correct tool for the job, I have a set of stubbies with a 25 degree bend on em which fits right up in there and gets the job done. You can buy a set fairly cheap at advance auto for about $15.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
The right tool is everything. I guess you can never have too many.
Bought a set of flared crowfoot sockets. Got the lines off with extensions and wobble joints. It was still a royal PITA because someone had already partially rounded the fittings. That made it difficult to fit the flare crowfoot around the fittings. Here is where all that fluid was coming out of. The other line is fine.
Bought a set of flared crowfoot sockets. Got the lines off with extensions and wobble joints. It was still a royal PITA because someone had already partially rounded the fittings. That made it difficult to fit the flare crowfoot around the fittings. Here is where all that fluid was coming out of. The other line is fine.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
Fixed
Fixed. Rented the flaring tool and tube bender from Autozone.
Refilled and ran the car, not a drop of fluid. Left plenty of clearance away from the header this time.
Refilled and ran the car, not a drop of fluid. Left plenty of clearance away from the header this time.