Under the car this morning

[fost9508]

Well this morning was the first time I took a good look under my 88gt 5 spd mustang and I noticed a lot of grease/oil/tranmision build up around the oil pan all the way back to the u-joint. I can understand grease flun around the u-joint , but I also had a lot of build up on the transmission. I checked the transmission level it was find. Can a leaking gasket on the oil pan cause that much of a mess all the way back to the tranny. Also, I don't know a lot about the transmission, but I saw a rubber mount under the tranny, I supposed to dampen vibration, but I could grab the drive shaft where the u-joint is and slightly move the transmission, and when I would move it there would be a slight clunking sound. Is this normal? How often do those rubber mounts go bad? Could this explain the thumping noise I hear whenever I shift into first?

Thanks for the help........

fost9508

 

[payupsucka]

those rubber mounts go bad over time i replaced them in both the stangs i have had the clunk iam thinking is probably your u joints but i could be wrong

 

[crunchie12268]

That could be coming from a rear main seal. Also, I had my powersteering pump go to crap and cause that problem. I would take it to the car wash and blast the bottom side of it off and then it would probably be a lot easier to diagnose.

And about the tranny, there is suppose to be a small small amount of play with it and the bushing. Also, when you turn the driveshaft it will have a tiny bit of play in it... I am pretty sure. But I would blast the bottom side and that would probably help alot more.

 

[fost9508]

Yeah I understand that the drive shaft would have some play gears and all.... But when I push up on the drive shaft from the bottom I can move the whole transmission a little bit...normal???

"That could be coming from a rear main seal" where is that located. Thanks,

 

[crunchie12268]

rear main seal is located on the back side of the block. It is no easy task, usually people replace it when they do a clutch or throw out bearing. You have to unbolt the tranny, remove the driveshaft, unbolt the pressure plate, take of the clutch, take of the flywheel, and that is after you disconnect all the wiring and linkage. I have to do mine soon, but I am going to get it done when I replace the clutch.

you should be able to move the tranny a little bit, but not very much... it shouldn't move more than a quarter inch or so.

 

[HISSIN50]

the trans mount is fairly tight (and you are strong) if you can move the trans up.

they are very cheap -even the poly ones. i would go ahead and replace it. i once did a little write up on a thread i started - if interested look up threads started by me and you will find it. my last post is a synopsis of what worked and little things i had to do (i did all the mounts; i might recommend the same for you. if one is gone, the rest are likely not far behind).

if you grab on each side of a U-joint and twist/turn them against eachother, there should be NO play.
good luck.

 

[fost9508]

hissin50,

I just the car today and it is thumping on every shift...so its gotta be the mounts. I could push up on the u-joint and move the whole tranny. I need to find that post you made, do you rememer what the title was? Anyway, I am not sure how many mounts there are, I only found the one. Also what is entailed in changing them out. If it is a lot of work, what else could I do while in that area????

Thanks,

fost9508

 

[HISSIN50]

i forgot to add with all the oil splatter. the wind (as you noticed) blows oil all over. guys have had valve covers leak down the back side and then have the oil get flung all over. i surmise you have more than one leak, but that is just something to remember. i would clean the entire thing off and run it and watch.


i see that they dont go back far enough in searching threads started by me to find my thread. Jrichker has a very nice post about mounts too and you might come across mine in doing a generic search (i just looked under my name and threads started by me). it was titled something like "Motor mounts" LOL.

good luck.

 

[fost9508]

HISSIN50

Yeah,

After I bought the car I re-sealed the valve covers. They were filthy and probably the cause for most of the oil spatter. I still think I may have a leaky gasket down at the oil pan, but it seems I would have to pull the engine to fix that....since it sadles a cross-member...is this right?

Thanks for the info.

 

[wake]

is it bolted down(bolts missing)?

 

[v8only]

Great advice hissing, I was just gonna mention that. 9 out of ten times, it's the valve covers blowing oil all over the place. Those valve cover bolts work themselves loose, and spray over everything. use the one piece metal ford valve cover gaskets, gauranteed no leaks, and they are re useable. A rear main leak is usually more identifiable by drops of oil specifically hanging right between the bell and engine, though with bad valve cover gaskets, that could still be doing it.

 

[fost9508]

I think I have pretty much cleared up the valve cover issue. They have been clean since I re-sealed them. I also cleaned the best I could under the car...oil pan, bell housing, and tranny. So hopefully I can identify the leak.

Thanks

 

[HISSIN50]

use the one piece metal ford valve cover gaskets, gauranteed no leaks, and they are re useable.

very good point. it is worth the extra money for those gaskets (Fost, they are rubber over metal. reusable, as V8 said, and cant be overtorqued IIRC). nice pieces.

good luck with finding the leak. they can be fun.