richieroo Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Hi all, I have a 87 Hatchback and I am working on the engine. For a while I have noticed tranny oil coming down on or near the cat converter. When I took the engine out, I see the thick gear oil sitting there but I cannot find the leak. I was sure it was in the bell housing around the throwout bearing, but I cannot find anything. Is there a seal I am missing or what? I guess I cannot post any images so email me for a couple pics to show ANYBODY what I am talking about (I think!) Is there supposed to be a seal right in where the shaft protrudes? Rich mvcnc@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Degrease engine and trans, remove the splash plate (plate is 3x6" between engine/trans on bottom of engine secured by 2 small bolts with 10MM heads), and check again. There are multiple places for the trans to leak here including side seals at the axles, and the front collar might be leaking but the seal is inside the trans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 The seal being inside is what I thought, but I don't have a good teardown diagram to look at anything for reference. Yes it could be coming from the axles I agree, but there was quite a bit of oil sitting inside the bell as I pulled the engine away. I would hate to put the engine back in and find that I should have done something else properly. Do you think there is a place online to find a good teardown diagram that could help me a bit? I will clean it all out this weekend before I put it all back together, but I want to know more before I do. Thanks for your input! Thanks again! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Well the oil is either coming from the Rear main on the engine or the shaft seal. The first is more likely but if you are only losing oil from the trans thats your problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 Oil is too thick for motor oil, it is gear and is the seal replced for the inside of the tranny? Wish I had a better book than Haynes! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Yep, seal is replaced with the trans split. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Diagram in Haynes is Fig 7.9 on page 154, item 4. Mine is the 1980-1989 version in Red cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 NUTS! Have you done this, is this pretty hard? SOmething I can do in half a day or about what time frame? Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 Shawn I actually found my OLD haynes book! My son found it in the garage on a bookshelf. (I did find the pic) I will research it a bit more with this book. Anybody else got any ideas? Shawn do you mind if I email you a pic of the trans? Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 14, 2005 Author Share Posted April 14, 2005 Shawn have you ever taken apart a tranny on on ea81 before? Or Do you think I can put that seal in from the front? Wouldn't make sense to go all the way through the middle to get to the end, does it? Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 14, 2005 Author Share Posted April 14, 2005 Here are some pics for ya'll to look at and perhaps give me some advice! thanks! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 Rich, Check your email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 Rich, Hey, I guess my email didn't come through. I sent it to the one you gave me. I was just saying that I also have an '87 Hatchback with the same exact problem. Gear oil is all over the bell housing and rear of the block. And it is driving me crazy not knowing where it is coming from. And when it drips on the exhaust it is awful smelling. Have you figured out where the gear oil is coming from? Maybe we can both figure this one out of you haven't already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 16, 2005 Author Share Posted April 16, 2005 My best guess is that it is coming from the mainshaft and the seal inside. UNFORTUNATLY we will have to drop the tranny and crack the case adn replace it that way! But tomorrow I am going to really look harder and see what else it could be, although I am pretty sure it has to be split. Are you sure it isn't the rear main on yours? I KNOW this is gear oil! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 Yeah, I know it is gear oil. It is too thick to be engine oil, and the smell is distinctly trans oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 16, 2005 Author Share Posted April 16, 2005 Yeh I agree, what do you think of the pics? Is the bell housing like mine, I mean pretty sperad out with oilk as well? Hav eyou contacted any trans shop? I am thinking of dropping it and having them look at it. I have the motor out right now and if I drop it maybe they will give me a break MAYBE NOT! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 I haven't pulled the trans out yet to take a look at it. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that, but it sounds like I may have to. The bell housing looks identical to yours. My gear oil is even slung down on the catalytic converter. I have to check the gear oil once a week and add oil as necessary. Other than the gear oil slinging out, it doesn't have any other problems. If you do find out what this is, please let me know! Yeh I agree, what do you think of the pics? Is the bell housing like mine, I mean pretty sperad out with oilk as well? Hav eyou contacted any trans shop? I am thinking of dropping it and having them look at it. I have the motor out right now and if I drop it maybe they will give me a break MAYBE NOT! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 16, 2005 Author Share Posted April 16, 2005 Oh you can be sure I will post any cures for this! I gotta go see ya tomorrow and email me with anyquestions mvcnc@hotmail.com Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 17, 2005 Author Share Posted April 17, 2005 Okay i found the leak, and although it is a small one, it still contributes to the gear oil that goes down and out to the top of the muffler or Catylitic converter. Here are a couple pics my son took for me. Note how small it is and yet it can put out some oil, probabaly from the pressure of the transmission spinning all this around. I checked this by inserting a air nozzle into the dipstick hole and then gently added pressure and sure enough some came out of that! To all who have leaks try that, but DO NOT JUST BLOW AWAY AT 120 POUNDS! That is very dangerous! Turn down your pressure to around 10-20 pounds and STILL blow gently into it with a rag on the side of the hole to seal up the by passing air. BE CAREFUL WITH AIR! I left in the tranny and just decided to deal with the leak and get a 5 speed just as soon as I could. Thanks to all for your suggestions on that! Thanks Jerry! On top of this I had bought a used jap engine from a place in Texas and then decided to give my old ea81 one more chance. When I was going to trade parts to the jap engine I checked the PCV valve and it was absolutely clogged like I couldn't believe. So decided to get a new one form Autozone and try one more time (my problem with this engine was trusting someone who said they coud rebuild Soobies and it just smokes like a steel mill!) So after I put it back in (for the third time in 5 years!) I definately had more horsepower but it sTILL SMOKES! WHAT A VERY LONG DAY! After church tomorrow my sons and I are gonna try again! This time we will hopefully get it to work! Rich BTW Why can't I upload bigger pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 Rich, Thanks for posting that reply. I really appreciate it. I looked at the attached picture, but it is hard for me to tell where the oil is coming from. Is it a bad seal? Do you think the trans is going bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 17, 2005 Author Share Posted April 17, 2005 No I think some rock or something made a slight crack or .......I am not sure, I jsut know that I am going to go with a 5 speed as soon as I can. You got one lying around? ha ha Take care Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted April 17, 2005 Share Posted April 17, 2005 Yeah I have rebuilt one before. You cant do it from the front the trans comes apart rear to front so this would require a full teardown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 18, 2005 Author Share Posted April 18, 2005 I took out my engine to swap another engine in it's place and wow! The amount of oil, gear oil, was just too much to believe, so I really really need a 5 speed very quickly to put in it's place, or the guts to tear this one apart and replace that front main seal! Oh brother I wish I were a real mechanic! ha ha Thanks to you Shawn I will see about tearing this tranny apart but if you here of a good 5 speed then email me! Rcih mvcnc@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidekickin Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Rich, Sounds like I may be doing the same thing. My leak slowly keeps getting worse. Post any other pics you might have of it. I'm sure we would all appreciate it. Thanks! I'll probably pull the trans out when I do my yearly inner CV boot replacement on the passenger side. I can't find the heat resistant boot anywhere, so the catalytic converter cooks the boot and it tears on a yearly basis. A real pain in the butt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieroo Posted April 18, 2005 Author Share Posted April 18, 2005 I sure will, let me get some tomorrow. I sure hope this can get resolved soon. I ahave had this soobie for quite a while and I need to get it going for commuter reasons. Too much money, $2.75 a gallon mind you, to drive my big truck anymore. Let's put our heads together and get this going! I will probably try a little bit every night and let you know, show me what is going on with your delema as well! See ya Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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