Cant find source of trans leak

[Rapom]

Its me again. Starting to warm up over here so i decided to take a break from engine and work on this bad trans leak. 95 auto 4x4 2dr 16v. Does anyone have pics of the 3speed auto? Ive replaced the pan gasket 5 times now. I replaced the shift shaft seal and the tcc connector O ring thats on the driver side on top of the pan. Im loosing my mind. Is there something on the very top of the trans between body/floor and trans that has an O ring? The entire pan gasket is wet all the way around with the mass dripping from the rear of the trans. Im starting to suspect... is there a seal between the trans and T case? How hard to remove T case?

Im convinced its not a pan gasket or warped pan. Ive gone over and beyond to rule that out. Ive used a feeler gauge between pan and trans with no gasket.. no gaps found. I used sealer on both sides of the rubber pan gasket one time. Tourque was correct and in order. Ive tried also under torquing and over torquing. Always same results. It cant be the pan/gasket. Ive used new gaskets every time.

[fixkick]

the only way to find leaks is start 100% clean , drive short distances, and then look. (or the dye test methods)
it can only leak from a small number of sources. my 3sp page shows that.

9 ways?
pan (so it not the pan leaking, some even rust out and leak)
front seal (pump and TC) leaks to bottom front TCC inspection cover. and TC will be soaking wet if you look there. id 8, http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/slush/slid...ge_10.html
rear seal to 4wd adapter housing and down to vent, below,,, in there. see bottom vent here? http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/centerbox.JPG
shift rod, seals,
Kickdown cable connection (loves to leak we are told)
vacuum modulator, make sure nipple pulled it dont leak ATF. it has seal on the interface point seen here...http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/slush/slide3L30/html/image_14.html
dipstick tube seal.
vents (2 ways, direct and blocked tubes)


the electric TTC lockup wired jack has seal too. id 16, http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/slush/auto-base1.jpg
the top of the trans is a vent and if plugged up will make any trans leak even brand new. (the breather must breath or it builds pressure, (hot things expand) the hose there is shared to the transfer case breather, and goes up to the top of the rear side of engine an has this water blocking breather cap there, missing on many old cars now, so owners see empty hose there and think
its needs to be plugged up, and is wrong it's the 4wd high water mark breather hose same as both axles have.

type 3sp in my search box, and land here.
http://www.fixkick.com/slush-pump.html

and 3L30
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/slush/slid...index.html

and see leaks link?

best is clean it , drive it ,look, no better way exists....
yes the transfer case just unbolts from the adapter flange, that what makes TH180 a 3L30 is that adaption to 4wd. (box must me drained transfer first) but if the bottom adaptor vent is not leaking ATF why do that? there is a vent there, a tell tale vent .
and the hidden bolt top rear.? (not sure on 3sp but 5 has this nasty hidden bolt,keeping transfer case stuck there)
[img] http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/slush/3L30A.jpg[/img]

[fixkick]

my slush page, is here

http://www.fixkick.com/slush-pump.html

don't you just hate leaks, , me too.

we clean the bottom with steam cleaner and then test drive it.
other buy UV dye kit, and find it,

like engines, make sure the breathers work first (PCV if engine leaks) before condemning any seal !
and the fluid level, on the 3sp, is checked hot, in park, if overfilled it foams up and nothing but bad happens after, even leaks.
never check ATF levels like any engine, that is why they removed the dip top on newer cars, to end that folly. (lots of new boxes wrecked, by this mistake)

[fixkick]

the maker of the box ,GM France, TH180 , goes back to 1975 , even used on our US, MAIL delivery wagon, still a few left, (small)
The top 3 trans parts seller all sell a full manual on it, on CD.
and full parts lists are there, here is one, MAKCO?

http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/3L30-180.html


cd and parts. some can be had from suzuki too. ask.
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/Tran...s/5765.htm

[fixkick]

find which if the 6 sides leak, of the box. if the top leaks, get new vent hoses.

[Rapom]

The trans/xfer vent under hood was missing the vent cap when i acquired the kick. I put one on from a donor vehicle. Its possible dirt snd debris got into the line clogging it. Im ass-u-me-ing that using compressed air at the end of that hose is a huge no no. Accessing the top nipple on the trans looks to be next to impossible without removal of trans? Trans fluid level always checked hot/running on level surface

[fixkick]

2ways to get there, not sure on first, one.
console off, and both shifter boots pulled.
actually the trans can be tilted down, with rear tail shaft off, and cross member 4 end bolts pulled, JACK in place,
plywood square behind distrib to it cant get crushed in the trans tilt. (as the FSM states this too)




not sure how the 3 speed floor pan , looks
but the 5speed has huge hole here
im manually shifting the box here, 5speed stick as you can see the hole in the body is big.
the 3sp has cable.only, and 4wd lever, im not sure if either allow access to the top of box and reach the vent fitting.



im sure your leak is ATF and not GL4, right. red ATF and not brown GL4.
nor engine oil, you do know ,right all these cars that both O-rings in the distributor leak like mad, until upgraded as seen my hard to buy parts page.
it leaks engine oil like crazy down the bell housing and all over the top of trans and more, endless flow of oil from engine, and a huge huge mess.
all do that. for one reason
the cheap o-RINGS USED, non viton rings get hard as rock and leak like made, never seen one not do that. (until upgraded)

[fixkick]

if you do tilt a trans.
make sure the cables do not bind up , both it and Kick down cable.
and that the 4dw lever is removed or freed up. and protected from damage. console off

id first want to know what side of the trans leaks and what fluid is leakking (type)

keep in IN mind at all times any leak , will blow to places confusing the mechanic. (any one) the wind down there is crazy driving and blows it all over the place.
to find a true leak source take careful work. (cleaned, short driving , look repeat) other than that its wild guess. (even knowing its RED ATF leaking)
9ways it can leak and the FSM says, 10th, casting flaws in the case, (i guess Suzuki does not pressure test there boxes?) wow.

[Rapom]

Its 100% atf fluid leaking. Being that ive changed it 5 times in around 300 miles driving. The fluid leaking out is the same color as whats in a new atf bottle. Monday is the day for sure il be looking at it. Hoping not to find rusted out atf cooler lines. Not even sure where they attach to the trans yet

[fixkick]

ok, so the front clutch is dry,? looking in the TC viewing port, bottom of bell, housing? look up with a flash light.
if dry 1?, down 5 to go.
then that Transfer case, see that, vent on the bottom of the front 4wd adapter partition? that would leak constantly if the rear seal was bad on the 3sp tail shaft. (inside)
if dry there? 2down 4 to go.
put in the dye kit,
the driver 10 miles.
and point the UV lamp (comes with kit) at the left side. see fresh, dye oozing out? the TCC lockup power connector there seal leaks, or anything there.
then the right side, shifter arm leaking, and below Kickdown cable seal,
and the rear see the vacuum modulator (fails often) with seal leaking or missing?, does the MOD. nipple leak, hose off? if yes it is bad, replace it. see color code on my pages. 3L30.
post 7 shows the 2 lines and sure they can rust, but not very easy , only if the car is driven in the RUST belt (wiki that), where there lay down salt on roads for winter and wreck cars.
the pipes there are plated, to prevent rust. but salt is powerful force of destruction.

of all those test pass, testing I'd do the top last, after all it's the most hard inspection.

ATF lines, did you miss all my photos posted?