willexoIX

hey guys and gals,

I've got an 89 camaro RS with a 2.8/700r4

recently i have encountered a shudder like if you shift a manual trans too early. picked up a filter, gasket and fluid. changed it all and the shudder went away, also installed a new TV cable (PITA). encountered a bad leak, turned out the pan bolts were put on a little tight. so i changed the gasket again, rubber gasket, no rtv. hand tight at first, then warmed up the tranny, then tightened them down. it appears to be leaking from the gasket but i definately think its something else. after 20 minute drives its almost like the fluid is spraying onto the cad converter, almost looks to be coming from the back of the pan.

the pan itself isnt bent, and when i make the left turn by my house there are multiple lines of tran fluid on the road, im quite sure its from me. it looks like it pours out but i check the fluid regularly and there is ever little difference in the level.

im looking for either someone who has had the same problem, or someone who can help troubleshoot.

im unemployed atm, so im looking to see if i cant fix it cheap to avoid a rebuild.

motor and probably tranny too have almost 200,000 miles and it runs like a champ, aside from my trans issue. any help would be greatly appreciated.

willexoIX

any ideas or common areas to leak? its not the front or rear seals.

ls six

Could be the servo cover is cracked and leaking, or the housing it's self. I have had them pop out on the dyno before but thats almost always builder error and shows up right away after a build.

Check the dipstick tube grommet, and make sure the tube is seated. The cooler lines are there also so look those over.

Also get a cork gasket if you can find one (all the local stores here sell the crappy rubber one, the one that looks like innertube material) a local trans supply place should be able to get one for you though. Make sure all surfaces are clean and dry, eye ball the pan flange and be sure the bolt holes are not pulled upward from being re-tightened in the past. If they are a simple fix is a ball peen hammer and the side of a bench or something similar. Suppoer the rail on the bench and knock each raised portion down till it's just slightly below the rest of the rail. Also be sure your pan side rail is flat, without the raised bead that the later trannies had. If it has this then it will split the usual cork and rubber gaskets and you'll need one for a later 4L60E/4L65E.

If done right nothing seals as good as cork, a rubber coated steel gasket or silicone one is good if you'll be dropping the pan often but if it'll be on there for thousands of miles cork is the way to go and you shouldnt lose a drop.

willexoIX

well i made sure the bolt holes were flat and the pan does have the raised bead in the middle of the mating surface. checked the servo cover no leak there. still have to check the cooler lines and the dip tube as well as tv cable. ive heard bad things about cork gaskets coming from alot of people, specifically for transmissions. also, how do i know if it is a newer pan or if its been replaced by the 4l60 pan? like i said it only started after doing the gasket and TV cable, so chances are its the cable i guess. it just seems like alot of leakage. i drive about 70 miles to school and the cad converter is alway smoking when i get there so it seems like an awful lot is spraying out, but its also on the tranny mount as well as all the way down the underside of the car, on the back bumper and license plate. and looks to be coming mostly from the back of the pan, but doesnt seem to be coming from the gasket itself. me and my dad are both mechanics and we have been stumped for about a month now.

willexoIX

anyone got any other input?

willexoIX

i took a look at the 4L60 and 65 pan gaskets, they have different bolt patterns than the 700r4 pan, but mine still has the raised bead on the pan, what should i do?

ls six

The raised ridge pan shouldnt be used with cork but other than that it's still the best material out there, most peoples complaints stem from improper instalation ar the difficulties in doing a quick fluid/filter service.

Yeah many later 700/s/4l60's came with the raised ridge pan so yours could be one of those or the pan may have been swapped.

The TV cable is on the drivers side so any leakage there shouldnt hit the cats.

Take it to a shop with a lift and have them run it while in the air, they should be able to spot the leak in action, they may let you look also.

IROC212

iTrader: (1)

Almost sounds like the tv cable grommet is ripped and its pouring out of there. Maybe try to get the car on an angle (driver side higher than right side) and see if its coming out of the dipstick tube grommet or the tv cable. When you make left turns all the fluid in the pan is probably sloshing to that side and coming out and running to the back of the trans.

willexoIX

well i dont really know anyone with a lift and the transmission shops and garages around me charge just to take a look, personally i think thats ridiculous.

@ls six- the tv cable is on the same side as the dipstick, passenger side on the 700r4.

im just gonna deal with it until i get the rest of my tax money in april and have a transmission shop do whatever needs to be done, cause im stumped. i had it on 4 jack stands and ran it for 15-20 minutes, it only leaks while actually driving or a little bit when it just sits there after the car is off and the pan fills back up.

thanks for the help guys, ill be on this forum for awhile, lol.

ls six

Your right about the TV cable, my bad but the 700 and 4L60 are the same trans, it's not until the 60E that the bolt pattern changes.

When you can get a better look check in and we can proabably help you fix the source.

willexoIX

i took my car to a recommended transmission shop and they determined that it was the TV grommet, they also replaced the oring for the speedo housing. when i got it home i let it sit for about 20 min and there was another puddle under the car. right now they have my car at the shop overnight to see if they cant find out where the leak is coming from. i also found out that they apparently dont make a rubber gasket with the metal insert in it for the 700r4, can anyone confirm this? if they do make one could someone point me in the right direction.

thanks for the help guys, i'll keep you all posted

willexoIX

also does anyone have a link to a good site that sells the 700r4 pan without the ridge on the rail? i would actually rather have that pan then the one i have. thanks

ls six

Most if not all the aluminum pans from the aftermarket are flat railed.

willexoIX

So they had my car overnight and found out that the TV cable that I bought and put in happened to have an extra oring on it. Go figure, lol. Well 200 miles later and no leaks, but the TV cable is off a little bit cause it sits differently without the extra oring. I can put the pedal to the floor and it won't downshift. I want to pull the adjuster inside the housing a little more to see if it might help then I'm putting a screw in it to keep it from pulling out once its properly adjusted. Thanks for the help guys, problem solved

Pactallica

Hey I know this is a old tread but I'm having the same problem myself and want to send it to a shop to have it look at and was wondering how much the shop charged you to find and fix the problem?

willexoIX

Well the shop by me charged like $59 to swap the speedo oring, then when I told them it was still leaking they had me bring it back to find out there was an extra oring on the tv cable. Since they charged me the $59 and didnt fix the leak the first time, they didnt charge me for the second time. Hope that helps.

Trans now has 280,000 miles and still going strong

Pactallica

Thanks hopefully it would cost around the same for me....