Trans leak

trents99 · May 25, 2005

Was able to finally drive my new to me car last night for about 40 miles to and from work. I moved it this afternoon at home and noticed some spots underneath and when I looked under it was dripping tranny fluid from right around the cross member area.

After I got the car I put in a PRO 5.0 and replaced the fluid with Mobil 1 ATF. I put in about 2.7 quarts. If by chance all the old fluid wasn't out and it caused an overfill would it leak out? Or like motor oil once you go from standard oil to synthetic could it have messed up the seals? It was kinda loud last night but I don't have the console in my car at the moment so I didn't think anything about it.

Zero_chance · May 26, 2005

Best bet would be to try to find exactly where the leak is coming from. If you just drove it 40 miles it could be like my car.... leaking rear intake seal that would drip down and then be forced back by the wind so it looked like it was dripping off my tranny and tranny crossmember.

sgarlic · May 26, 2005

This may be way off, but when I replaced my rad, the quick-disconnect fitting on the bottom trans-cooler line started leaking, and I had to replace it.. fixed everything.

I doubt it would be showing up by the cross member if it were that, though.

trents99 · May 27, 2005

Zero_chance said:
Best bet would be to try to find exactly where the leak is coming from. If you just drove it 40 miles it could be like my car.... leaking rear intake seal that would drip down and then be forced back by the wind so it looked like it was dripping off my tranny and tranny crossmember.

It's hard to tell where it's coming from. There is none around the shifter base so rule that out. Nothing coming out of the rear output shaft. It's coming from up high somewhere on the drivers side it appears. It's dripping down onto the h-pipe and running down. You can see where it has stained the pipe. Also dripping around where the speedo gear goes into the tranny.
It's trans fluid though because it is fresh looking and red.

Stang8URMPRT · May 27, 2005

Might want to try lookign at the rear seal where the driveshaft goes in. They are notorius for leaking. Good luck.

five-o-joe · May 31, 2005

trents99 said:
Also dripping around where the speedo gear goes into the tranny. It's trans fluid though because it is fresh looking and red.

I logged in today looking for the answer to the exact same problem. My '93 coupe is leaking fresh red fluid all over the trans mount and crossmember and it appears to be coming from where the speedo cable plugs into the transmission. It does not appear to be leaking at all at the driveshaft. In a post from '04 found after searching "T-5 leak" a member stated that fluid can escape from the speedo to trans connection. And a quick look at my Chilton's manual revealed that there is an o-ring that must be properly seated in the speedometer sensor before installing the speedometer cable. I am going to pull the sensor out and re-install this weekend to see if this solves the problem.

I also have an motor oil leak at the pan and a gear oil leak on the passenger side to contend with.

89MustangGX · May 31, 2005

Take the fill plug out and then level the car. Any excess will drain out. There is a vent on the top of the tranny IIRC, so if overfull it could come out the vent and end up as a mystery leak.

_jb_ · Jun 1, 2005

five-o-joe said:
I logged in today looking for the answer to the exact same problem. My '93 coupe is leaking fresh red fluid all over the trans mount and crossmember and it appears to be coming from where the speedo cable plugs into the transmission. It does not appear to be leaking at all at the driveshaft. In a post from '04 found after searching "T-5 leak" a member stated that fluid can escape from the speedo to trans connection. And a quick look at my Chilton's manual revealed that there is an o-ring that must be properly seated in the speedometer sensor before installing the speedometer cable. I am going to pull the sensor out and re-install this weekend to see if this solves the problem.

I also have an motor oil leak at the pan and a gear oil leak on the passenger side to contend with.

Yep, for me I didn't push the speedo cable in all the way and it was leaking a little bit from there.

tunedin302 · Jun 1, 2005

five-o-joe said:
In a post from '04 found after searching "T-5 leak" a member stated that fluid can escape from the speedo to trans connection. And a quick look at my Chilton's manual revealed that there is an o-ring that must be properly seated in the speedometer sensor before installing the speedometer cable. I am going to pull the sensor out and re-install this weekend to see if this solves the problem.

Also, if the speedo gear is chewed up then it will allow fluid to escape even if the o-ring is properly seated.

srothfuss · Jun 1, 2005

89MustangGX said:
Take the fill plug out and then level the car. Any excess will drain out. There is a vent on the top of the tranny IIRC, so if overfull it could come out the vent and end up as a mystery leak.

When you filled the tranny you didn't mention if you checked to make sure that it was full... If you used the fill plug on the left side of the tranny, then the fluid should be just under the level of this hole. Verify that it's full first (refering to your noise comment).

On your drive: Did you do any 'fast cornering?' Lots of 'Hard acceleration?' Meaning, did you slosh the ATF to one particluar spot of the tranny more than others? (if that makes sense) You also said that the car has been sitting.? Long enough for the rear seal to dry out?

For the leak everyone here has covered the key areas for a leaky T-5. Best thing to do to find it: Jack up the car high enough (safely) and get the biggest light that you have. Wipe down as much of the tranny as you can, then start looking.

trents99 · Jun 1, 2005

Hey thanks for the ideas. It's been raining here all week so I can't get under mine but to me it looks like it's leaking where the bellhousing meets the trans. I just have a feeling since I switched to synthetic it mad the seal in there shrink up. Hoepfully I can get under there and clean it off real good and check this weekend.

Trans leak

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