Transmission loses fluid and question about rpm's

[jruss1601]

I have a 95 atx SHO 3.2 with 127k miles. I got the car around 96k and have just about replaced every part in the car within that time span except the engine and transmission. Right after i bought the car i pulled up to a red light, stomped on the gas, the car reved up and i heard a loud CLUNK! I left off the gas and was still able to accelerate and drive the car carefully. Shortly after that i got the transmission fluid changed and the garage found a very small piece of metal in the fluid. Very small....talking 1 or 2 mm. I've never stomped on the gas again.

Fast forward about 2 years and about 30,000 miles later and the SHo is still running. I've added lucas stop leak to the transmission, added fluid ever few months but it keeps leaking out. Recently i've added something i've bought at walmart thats guarantees my satisification in 60 days but it had water like consistancy. I wont question how its made if it works, but shortly after that first garage changed my fluid and put a new gasket on it, it started leaking again. I went to another garage and told them to do whatever it takes but please stop the leaking. They changed the gasket and it worked for a while but low and behold its leaking again. Now i've replaced transmission gaskets before and i hate it. I had a 79 Ford LTD and i've had a few bolts strip themselves and a few other lost their heads so i refuse to do that anymore. And even after all that was fixed it still leaked fluid. I had to sell the car. So is it just that ford transmissions must leak? I would not say i drive hard at all. Ever since my stop light incident i easy up on first gear and then get up to speed in 2nd and 3rd. I do drive alot though.

I don't know if the walmart stuff worked yet which leads me to my other question. When you are crusiing down the highway doing around 65-70 what are your rpm supposed to be at? I believe mine were around 2700-3000. At the lowest 2500. That just seems high and i don't know if its because maybe the transmission is low on fluid again or if it just doesn't have enough gears.

So i have the RPM question and i wonder if theres any advice on transmission leaks. Thank you for your help.

 

[llamaking122]

it needs the seal i i think your o/d might be out

 

[jruss1601]

it needs the seal i i think your o/d might be out

what seal is that? And my overdrive button seems to work fine.....

 

[Bob Gervais]

Another ATX owner will have to comment on the RPM's at cruise. I've never driven one long enough to know what it should be. Perhaps counting the shifts will help, along with seeing the converter lock up once you're at cruising speed.

In regards to the "mystery seal" mentioned above, disregard that post, forget you ever read it, and pretend it didn't steal any of your IQ points away.

There's a few areas that the trans can leak fluid. The pan (which you've already had done), the axle seals, the converter seal, the lines going to the cooler, the cooler itself...

I'd say the easiest way to diagnose where it's coming from is to park on a clean sheet of cardboard, and note where the oil spots are. That'll get you closer to the actual problem.

 

[llamaking122]

Sorry i wasnt clear . Im thinking mabe an axle seal or maybe it punctured the case. Iirc when u take ur foot off the gas going 65 it drops to 1250 but dont quote me. Ill try to drive my dads this week

 

[Ashley_MTX]

ATX with transmission problems. Hmmm. Tough one.

No seriously- look at Babs' post. We did the axle seals on my MTX and ended up having one of them disintegrate as it was pulled out. It was really great. No it wasn't but it did explain the leak and we hadn't seen my car drop fluid onto the ground.

 

[hawkeye18]

Axle seals are a mother#$%*er to figure out; they don't leak when the car is staying still, and when the car is moving for them to leak, the fluid gets flung out instead of dripping. If you have a mysterious leak that doesn't show up on cardboard at night, I'd start looking at these real hard.

My 94 would run at about 2200-2300 at 65. Yours seems a bit high. You might want to look at whether the torque converter is engaging or not. You'll notice it engage but it won't feel like a gear shift. The shift pattern during normal driving SHOULD be:

1-2-3-TC Engages-4

Sometimes, depending on throttle position, the TC and 4th gear will swap, as in the car will shift into 4th before the torque converter locks up. ~3000 at 65 tells me your torque converter is not locking up.

 

[jruss1601]

Axle seals are a mother#$%*er to figure out; they don't leak when the car is staying still, and when the car is moving for them to leak, the fluid gets flung out instead of dripping. If you have a mysterious leak that doesn't show up on cardboard at night, I'd start looking at these real hard.

My 94 would run at about 2200-2300 at 65. Yours seems a bit high. You might want to look at whether the torque converter is engaging or not. You'll notice it engage but it won't feel like a gear shift. The shift pattern during normal driving SHOULD be:

1-2-3-TC Engages-4

Sometimes, depending on throttle position, the TC and 4th gear will swap, as in the car will shift into 4th before the torque converter locks up. ~3000 at 65 tells me your torque converter is not locking up.

Hmm...Would this be why i cant get great highway gas mileage? I get a steady 22 mpg all the time and drive mostly interstate. I was driving the SHO today and i was getting the ~2300 rpms around 65 mph. I was pretty happy. My transmission is tempermental

 

[GEN:II_SHO]

if you are doingaround 70-75 then yeah hats where rpms are cause i always wondered and had it checked, its cause its a 4 speed (3 speed w/over drive) and the gears are not only close but short as well. the leak, i have had that problem and it was the main seal, the one for tranny to engine that was leaking down and made it seem it wa the pan cause i replaced everything just about like you were saying. i got a 93 atx 133k. been in family its whole life. so check the seal and see. bye.