Leaking torque converter - need advice/moral support

[Liquid_force]

How did the bushing look in the torque converter. I hope it was not worn, as most likely it will still leak when hot. The stator is a good source for front seal leaks.

I assume you changed the front seal also...

Mike

There were a couple marks on it, but I didn't see any long term wear patterns.

Yes, I put a new seal in.

 

[Liquid_force]

Test drive was successful

I spent 2-3 hrs Thurs.
3p-12a Fri.
8a to 1a Sat (with a good helper from 12p-1a)
8a to 9p Sun.
7a-5p Mon.

I was limited by my tools. I probably spent 3 hrs or more just lifting and lowering it.

I think I had the trans in and out 3 different times because of my confusion on how to install the TC, but eventually it all went together well.

I like the feel of the WOT downshift at 30-40. Besides the seal leak it seems that TC might have been in need of replacement anyway.

Only time will tell whether it was worth the effort or not.

 

[Liquid_force]

Well son of a...

So - drove to work this morning - about 30 mi. Car ran fine. No fluid smell as I had always noticed before when it leaked.

Left work in the afternoon, 95 degrees, stop and go traffic for 15 min. Turned off.
After stopping for 15 min made another 15 min stop and go drive before hitting the hwy at 70-75. 10 min into the hwy trip --- **** --- heavy smoke in the rearview.

I got it off the road quickly, so I hope any chance of damage was minimized.
Trans fluid was puking everywhere.

I wonder if I did something wrong when I re-routed the trans lines.

The heaviest area of wetness appeared to be toward the front of the engine compartment toward the passenger's side so i was thinking it may be leaking at the inlet inlet of the stock tube cooler, but that connection looked dry.

I abandoned the trans lines into the radiator. Do those need to be capped?

I ran from the top connection at the trans to the passenger's side of the tube cooler, out the tube cooler to the aux cooler, out the aux cooler back to the bottom connection of the trans.

I would like to find a ruptured hose where it runs around the radiator to the pass side of the tube cooler, but that would be too easy (besides, why would new hose rupture?)

I won't have a chance to look close until tomorrow. Just looking for some ideas on likely causes.

 

[Liquid_force]

took off the bumper cover and lwr air dam.

I hope hope HOPE it was just a **** poor hose clamping job because the connection on the inlet side of the tube cooler was really loose, and it is very wet in that area. I could almost pull it off w/o even loosening the clamp.

Almost no way it could have gotten wet there unless the leak originated at that spot.
But man --- It lost a LOT of fluid. The WHOLE bottom of the car is coated. I don't know anything about system pressure at optimally hot conditions, but I envision once the seal at that connection gave out it might have shot out like a garden hose with your thumb on it.

But I can't help but fear there's more to it than that.

I'm going to go get a couple packs of good hose clamps and double clamp everything.

Fingers are crossed.

 

[Liquid_force]

Horrible Horrible Horrible.

Re-clamped the lines.
Fired it up.
Put about a qt of fluid in it, maybe qt and a half and started seeing it on the dip stick.

Cycled it through R/N/D, added another few oz.
Next check didn't see it on the dip stick.
Look under car -- fluid pouring from the TC.

It's bad.

A weekend wasted, and a grand - or more - soon to be spent.

 

[intimdatr]

Ive had days like that, it sucks.
Good luck with it!

 

[BamSHO]

Well, I'm in the same boat now. Coming back from our trip to Cedar Point, OH. MY friend was following me and said the was something on his windshield and there was smoke coming out from under the car. We stopped, need gas anyways, so looked under car where the tranny/motor come together and could see tranny fluid dripping out. Got home, but figured the TC seal went bye-bye. So will be calling around to see how much it is around here to do.

 

[SHO#7]

Stator shaft was most likely bad too.

I was hoping to catch you in time. If it makes you feel any better, had the TC not been installed correctly, it never would have went. So, most likely not something you did. More likely something you did not do.

Good luck sir.

Mike

 

[zak]

Just went through this with a Windstar (same trans) and wished I had caught this thread earlier as mine still has a minute drip.

To all those looking to do this, if you don't have the coin for a new or rebuilt torque converter then get one of those repair sleeves (RockAuto etc.) , clean up the TC snout with emery cloth, expand the sleeve it in an oven and then tap it on over the snout. This will give the new seal a fresh uncorroded ungrooved surface to ride against. I did not do this and am now kicking myself. On a bright note the single spot I was getting overnight keeps droping in size, from a quarter down to a dime size now.

I found r&r of the seal itself was the hardest part, but then I was working with an improvised slide hammer. Would also recommend a Ford seal and not aftermarket given the work involved (I was replacing the engine at the time).

 

[Liquid_force]

I just got the "done" call from the shop.
A shade over $1200.
Fabulous news.
Considering my original "estimate" of <$600 it's pretty hard to swallow.

Revised estimate, before I agreed to having the work done was $8xx.
A large part of that was the new torque conv since the one I just put on apparently was not adequate.

THEN they had to replace a battery terminal at an hr labor plus part (70 ish)
THEN they had to have the starter serviced at the auto elect shop for $90 + 1.3 (?) hrs for close to $200.

Plus tax.

The ~$300 they tacked on is what really bugs me.
If I wasn't so deflated by the whole situation I would have just told them to jump the stupid thing and let me take care of the easy stuff, but they did the battery terminal w/o contacting me first, and since I was there when the starter puked I saw the guy take it off in 2 mins. I mistakenly thought they'd just pass on the elect shop's rate and and a few bux for getting it done -- nope, book rate.

I just hate paying out the nose for crap i can easily do myself.

 

[Liquid_force]

Two problems.
The alignment's off, so I guess the sub-frame needs aligned.

The bigger issue -- I have no passing gear.
It will NOT downshift on the hwy. At ALL.
It will go through the gears "ok" when I accelerate from a stop (although it doesn't seem as smooth as I recall).
But going 50 on a flat road and literally STANDING on it will not get it to shift out of OD.

Thoughts?

 

[zak]

Hmm. Possibly the speed sensor is not hooked up, or the external electrical connector for one of the actuators isn't connected.

 

[Liquid_force]

I think it was the connection at the TPS.

I called the shop back after I made that last post and they suggested a problem with the TPS.

I drove it again after that and it was WAY worse. Idling at 3k. Not shifting out of first. I struggled to get it moved about a mile.

I looked closely around the intake/throttle body and it looked like the tps connector was loose. Actually I think it may have been completely disconnected.

Plugged it back in and took it around the block and it was acting normal again.

Drove it to work this morning (about 30 mi) and everything is acting like it should.

 

[ghoon59]

im a transmission builder been in the business for 30+ years and i can tell you from working on these if the converter seal leaks afte 100k the stator has wear on it that you will only see looking up from the bottom of the stator will be to one side and its were the converter bushing rides replacement of the stator means spliting the case halves these unit and the 4.6l lincolin continental both do it.

 

[Liquid_force]

Well, I was told the replacement torque converter I bought (Alliance Industries - a supplier for Rockauto) would have all necessary updated/upgraded goodies.

Either it wasn't nearly as good as advertised, or I beat it up when I tried to install it the wrong way.