3.0L engine swap

[Lwanmtr]

Yaay on the sensor...ouch on the other 2 bits. Mine has a tranny leak also, but havent been able to check it yet to see where from.

[DMC5180]

the Kicker with the Axle sealing is that the full oil level is half way up the shaft diameter. I'm not sure why the designers did that given the fact that all the pieces inside are splash lubed or submerged in gear oil when rotating.

[Farrar]

The idea in replacing the stock ATF cooler is to move its replacement out of the way of all of the stuff by the transmission and engine via long hoses and where there will be plenty of air flow.

I think I will use this transmission cooler, if it will fit.

atcooler.jpg

Our chosen mounting location (inside the front U-bend of the frame) will supply plenty of air flow but leaves little room for height, and the way the hoses will be routed means that top-located hose connections would be best. I scoured the internet for a couple of hours today looking for something suitable. The aftermarket offerings in this size range don't exactly thrill me when it comes to quality -- it seems the major manufacturers choose to fry larger fish, as it were: pretty much everything in the one-foot-or-less range is a Mishimoto, or something that looks just like it and is priced around $30 without fittings, hoses, & brackets. After reviewing the options, I simply picked the one that looked exactly like all of the others, and that comes from a company in California and carries a ten-year warranty.

As long as it fits, and it isn't any worse at cooling than the stock cooler, I'll be happy with it.

[Farrar]

After thoroughly cleaning and drying the area yesterday, Bill looked carefully at where the ATF was coming from. It appeared to be coming not from a mating surface but instead from around one of the fasteners where the left and right pieces of the transmission case come together. He removed the fastener and applied anaerobic sealant to both sides of the washer and nut. A day later, this appears to have fixed the ATF leak. Hope springs eternal, as the Bard would say.

(Side note: The same anaerobic sealant was used on the oil pan and transmission pan. It has proven to be really good stuff. I like anaerobic sealant.)

The gear oil leak appears to be miniscule. In 24 hours, it hasn't formed a drip so much as it has formed a thin film of oil extending maybe an inch down. And it's only on one side. That's fine by me. A tiny gear oil leak is not an obstacle to driving home. I'm going to just hang on to the replacement seals for future use.

[Lwanmtr]

Dont suppose you know where the fastener was that was leaking? Im about to replace my filter and then run the engine to try and locate a leak i have on mine.

[Farrar]

where the fastener was that was leaking?

One of the bolts at the bottom where the left and right halves of the casing come together.

[Lwanmtr]

Cool ill keep an eye there, but mine seems to be mostly near the rear....ill know more when i get all that done

[DMC5180]

One of the bolts at the bottom where the left and right halves of the casing come together.

I've never had an Automatic apart, but the split case section primarily contains the differential with Gear oil. I would expect a leak from the case half bolt to be gear oil not ATF fluid.

[Farrar]

I've never had an Automatic apart, but the split case section primarily contains the differential with Gear oil. I would expect a leak from the case half bolt to be gear oil not ATF fluid.

Correct. And in fact the bolt was a red herring.

Once all of the ATF from the broken cooler fitting was cleaned up, no more ATF was to be found. Gear oil, however, did reappear as a small film on one side -- not quite enough to form a drip and get onto the pavement after 24 hours, so a very small/slow leak.

The gear oil seems to be coming from the passenger side axle seal. Much as Bill wanted to send this car home leak-free, such a small amount of gear oil is coming out that neither of us thinks it's a problem to drive the 6+ hours home with the seal in its current condition.

[Farrar]

Aftermarket transmission cooler has been installed. It works and does not leak.

Bill has taken #2613 on a successful test drive, including highway driving. Post-drive inspection revealed a cracked radiator bracket, although for all we know it may have been cracked before the drive. The radiator bracket will be repaired.