1969 Transmission Leak

[Jeff Kinzler]

I have a 1969, 69,000 mile Fleetwood 60 Special original mileage.

It started leaking from the left side of the transmission near the driver door. I parked in in the garage about three weeks ago and found a fairly large puddle of ATF running out of the driveway near the left front tire- the car is backed into the garage.




This started with an 8 inch wet spot in the driveway while parked a few weeks earlier but not a huge puddle.

Any thoughts on the cause and remedy? last drive the car was running and shifting property. Before this for 3 years I didn't notice any leaks.

Thanks.

Jeff

[savemy67]

Hello Jeff,

That is quite a dribble!

On the left side of the transmission are the pressure test port, the manual valve shift shaft, the kick-down connector, and the pan.  I don't think any of these would produce such a prodigious leak as evinced in your photo, unless the seal/part fell out of the car.  However, on a 52 year old car, anything is possible.  The pressure test port is a pipe plug - no seal.  The shift shaft uses a seal.  The kick-down connector uses an o-ring, and the pan uses a gasket.

You can probably lie on the ground and look to see if you can actually locate the source of the leak on the side of the transmission.

Another possibility is that you have a power steering leak.  The pump, gearbox, hoses, and cooler are located on the left side of the car.  The amount of fluid could easily have come from a cracked power steering hose.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter

[35-709]

Agree, I would be suspecting something in the power steering is leaking.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

I agree.  The hoses to and from the PS pump for
a car that age may be the problem.  That much
fluid could possibly indicate a transmission issue
but I think that the PS unit is the more likely
problem.  A cracked hose could do that.

Mike

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Does either the transmission or power steering come up as low on fluid? If you let the car idle and look closely with a strong light under the hood in the right are, you might spot the leak.

Also, it is more common for power steering systems to leak when they are at or near the limit of their lock to lock travel.

Take a good look at your transmission cooler lines and the PS cooler lines (if 1969 used them). Fifty years of chafing against the frame may have taken a toll.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

X5 on a possible power steering leak.

[Scot Minesinger]

Yes, I have sealed up both PS and Trans leaks numerous times with good results.  First, please confirm which one it is.  Check your PS fluid, there is not much to lose.  Almost all trans leaks flow back to about where the drive shafts slides into the trans, no matter the source of the trans leak.  If the PS high press hose is original, it should be replaced anyway.  The return line should be replaced too.  Hopefully the PS and gear are good.

[Jeff Kinzler]

Investigation Findings:   

A Sneaky Leaker!

As it turned out, after much oily investigation, the leak was coming from the back of the transmission. I had a pan and absorbent material under the transmission and under the engine and both were completely dry. 

As you can see in the attached pictures , the leak just missed the back of the drip pan and ran underneath it, and due to the slope of the garage floor both toward the door and to the wall on the driver side, the oil exited from under the car behind the LF wheel.

I first checked the power steering and transmission fluid before moving the car. The power steering lines and fluid level were ok and the transmission dipstick, cold was about 6 inches above the top fill line and when warm showed a level about 1/8' on the bottom of the stick.

The car was able to move and shift from drive to reverse and go up and down the steep driveway without difficulty. 
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Is this a job for Blue Devil Transmission Leak Stop or is it more serious?

Thanks.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Two years ago, I bought a '72 coupe de Ville which has almost the same transmission. Usually, I'm parking my cars in reverse for various reasons. During the first winter, I noticed transmission oil on the floor. Strange as the rear seal was replaced...During the driving season, no oil leak. The last winter, I found again some oil on the floor. This spring, I began to park this car driving forwards and put a pan under the transmission's extension. Even after 3 weeks, no leak...I'm wondering if the leak is developing only when the car is parked in reverse?

[bcroe]

If you see a vent in the very center of the yoke which is
the leak source, the problem is the O ring on the trans output
shaft just inside the trans.  Can be changed by removing the
drive shaft, lowering the rear of the trans, and removing the
rear extension. 

HOWEVER, if this is low mileage original trans, this may be a
hint that all the rubber inside needs to be replaced, so a clutch
does not lose pressure, start slipping, and burn up.  With your
low miles and no operational problems, I would pull the trans
apart and put in a $40 seal kit, keeping all your original hard
parts which are probably better quality than replacements. 
Bruce Roe

[Scot Minesinger]

What Bruce wrote.

Be careful not to break the steel 3/8" bolts that thread into the aluminum trans body to remove the tail section. 

If the PS hose are original, you should replace them.  The 69 PS lines (65 thru 70) are located so that a leak generally causes a small fire when it drips onto the exhaust manifold.