Bizarre transmission leak, puking out dip stick? Pressure?

[redraif]

I swear I'm over this leak. We have been chasing it since we decided to get this rig back running. 2001 xls 4wd montero sport 3.0l.

History on the tranny. When we bought the sport it had a bad transmission. We bought a new used one from LKQ. It was a low mile transmission. 60,000 if I remember right. So it developed a slight leak at the transfer case to transmission we were told right after it was installed. Long story short. They refused to warrenty the seal and promptly were out of business. It was a little drip and honestly with all the chaos of the other issues it got forgotten. It had a massive oil leak. We kept fixing things and the tranny leak became a non issue. The level stayed perfect and all was well.

Fast forward to now. It sat for over a year. We took it in to the shop to ask him to check out the leaks. He sorted out the oil leaks and said it was the trans pan. We it was so minimal he kept forgetting it due to its other issue. Well finally last week he focused on it. He swore it was the tranny pan. So I agreed to due a service. With the rig taking the mud bath before it was parked and having a trans light for a moment, I figured it was a good ldea. Well I told him everything needed to come from mitsubishi. So that's what they did. He pulled the pan and replaced the filter. Said the fluid was not bad at all.

So here is where things went sideways. He went to refill the trans once it was buttoned up. He said it called for about 5 to refill after a service. Well it took about 4 then refused anymore unless you filled it really slow. He said it sat in the funnel. He was baffled it took less then it called for, but went for it. He sectioned out the access from the tube and got it to the proper level. He drove it and things seemed ok shifting wise. He checked a filled slowly a few times and got it dialed back in on the dip stick. Drove it again and it stayed where it was supposed to.

So we took it home. The 5 minute drive was uneventful. I jumped on it a few times and it seemed normal. Drove it thru a few slow accelerations too. Again all was well. So I parked it for the weekend. Yesterday I took it to the bus station. One the way home it must have started dripping tranny fluid again. It left a trail down the driveway. I slipped it's drip pan under and had a 2 foot puddle by morning. Wtf?



I'm lost. The whole side of the motor on the drivers side it wet. Not sure if it's from when he overflowed the tube or from what is going on now. He said he cleaned off all the spill. But I'm not sure how thorough he was. It was still wet when I picked it up from him. I wish I would have gotten under it with brake cleaner this weekend. Grrr....

Any thoughts you guys? Even had one puke back up its tube. What could that be? Again it seems to drive and shift normal.

Any tests I can do tonight? I think I'll clean it up with brake cleaner to dry up the splatter and see if a trail shows itself.

[russiankid]

I am pretty sure there is an o-ring in the dipstick tube as it consists of two parts, an upper section that is bolted to the block and a lower section that is molded into the pan. I highly doubt that fluid is leaking out of the dipstick tube as the area where the two halves meet is rather high up. I would clean up the trans and all the oil and keep a close eye as to where oil appears. If its the seal between the trans and transfer case, not a fun job to do but not too difficult.

[redraif]

I talked to the owner at the shop. He did the job. He said to clean it up with brake cleaner and get all the fluid off. Then bring it to him tomorrow. The drive over should show him where the fluid is leaking from.

I will be sure to mention the o-rings to him.

[redraif]

Ok.... 5 cans of brake cleaner later... I hit everything I could see under the truck that was Shiney. Lol! I'm gonna find this dang leak!!!

[jkdv8]

If it was overfilled it could have blown another seal when you jumped in the accelerator. It's best to fill by using the dipstick, when warm, rather than what the manual stats. Some will remain in the torque converter even after its drained. There is also a vent on the top of the trans where it can escape from when heated and overfilled.

[redraif]

Well the tech filled it slowly via the tube. He went by the specs for a filter service only. So he was aware some would remain in the convertor. He and I both think he did overfill. He sucked everything back out of the tube and kept testing and sucking till it read right on the dip stick. But if he did not heat it up enough could it have expanded further once I drove it for 15 minutes and came out the upper vent?

[russiankid]

Possibly but you'd have to overfill it by a lot. Did you end up finding the leak?

[redraif]

He never looked at it. Grrr... So much for the fact that it has been back and forth to him with the leak on the list since before Christmas.

I called this AM about an hour after they opened. He had it up in the air at that point. Have not gotten a call just yet. I mentioned that it has a vent hose at the top of the trans. PLease check this as well to be sure that was not the issue. That it was just venting from being overfilled.

Will update when I know more.

I can't wait to get this rig back adn really clean it up. IMO that is the only way to be sure of where and what is leaking. get it spotless and then the leak will jump out a you the minute it starts.

To that end... what is the best way to get splattered mud off the engine? LOL. I don't want to OVER wash it with a scrub brush and tooth brush using Dawn and destroy some electrical component. YIPES! But I don't see that the brake cleaner or degreaser did a thing to the caked on mud when I was cleaning under it for this leak. Somehow I see my future self on a creeper with a screw driver and wire brush cleaning for hours and hours! LOL!

[russiankid]

Degreaser and a pressure washer. Back when I used to do trails and mud holes in my lifted Ranger, I'd power wash everything down afterwards and it usually did the trick.

[jkdv8]

Just be careful with pressure washing. Even the weaker ones at a car wash can cause problems. Especially electrical.

[redraif]

Ok thanks... duely noted.

On to the tranny leak. So the shop called. tech says when it haets up to opperating temp the fluid is coming up the dip stick tube. He is trying to determine why. I suggested maybe to check the vent at the top of the tranny.. Could it be clogged or the vacuume hose on it is pinched or collapsed?

What do you all think?

[russiankid]

Transmission fluids expands and fluid level rises when hot.If you look at your dip stick there is a cold mark under the hot mark. My guess is the trans is overfilled so when the trans is hot the fluid level rises and escapes through the first opening it can which in this case is the dip stick tube. Did he tell you if it is leaking out of the joint between the two halves of the tube?

[redraif]

All I got was info from the girl at the front desk. Basically reporting what he says. I will ask her this directly.

She just said it is coming back up the dipstick and overflowing. I say suction it out. Hands down it sounds overfilled. He told me he suctioned it out of the dip stick tube this weekend when it did this. He assumed he overfilled it. I guess he did not get it hot enough to get it where it needed to be! I hate being an hour away. Otherwise I would be in the back with him seeing with my own eyes! GRRRR

[redraif]

Talked to him directly. Mention the 2 halves of the dip stick tube and a possible leak there? He said it was coming from the top of the dip stick tube and running down. Presently it shows that it is slightly low on the dip stick, so it should not be overfull anymore. If the trans one is clogged or collapsed (age) and not allowing proper venting, will this cause increasing internal pressure and puking up the tube?

He said he is going to call a transmission guy who is a friend and go over it with him. See if he has any ideas.

[russiankid]

I think if the vent was clogged it wouldn't puke fluid out of the tube but more or less just the air pressure inside. It is odd that fluid is coming up that way. I personally think it is just overfilled and not hot enough when he is filled it. If he is just letting it idle to warm then he is definitely overfilling it.