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Re: [T3] Passed test - good and bad news

<x-flowed windows-1255>>I don't think your screw driver could have hurt anything. You were 
actually under the ring gear for the starter.
Torque converter seal is not that hard. You probably have all the tools
to do it. A floor jack, and basic hand wrenches. A couple stands to hold
the car up safely. A coat hanger to support the tranny while the engine
is out. You might have to improvise something to re-install the seal.


. . . .

If you decide to do it yourself, I can help talk you through it.

OK. Let's say I let myself get talked into doing the job myself. It's happened before. I really need to know what it involves before I get started. I can most likely get some help in taking the engine out etc.

- Is there any way to be completely sure what's leaking before I start? Or, once I've got everything apart, will it be obvious where the leak is coming from?

- I think I've got all the parts and tools I will need to do it, though I might need taller jack stands than the ones I have at the moment. I have a full gasket set for the tranny. I even have another torque converter. Apparently it originally came from a bus, would this be right for a Type 3? I will provide pics if necessary.

- Is there anything else I should do while it's apart? I've read that there is a seal between the tranny and the final drive which can also leak. Should I change this while I'm at it? I assume the tranny needs to come for this? Even so, I'd hate to do all the work and then find that it's still leaking. What about the engine oil seal?



Thanks,

Daniel

-







You have been down this long. a couple more weeks isn't going to hurt.
As for driving it, remember one thing, The worst thing you can do to one
of these trannies, is to run it low on fluid.
You might drive it on short trips and see how it does for fluid loss.
See if it heals itself. But don't drive it on extended trips. No farther
than you would want to pay a tow bill home. The seal could let go
completely at anytime, if that is what it is.
If you decide to do it yourself, I can help talk you through it.

On Thu, 2005-05-19 at 10:13, Daniel Baum wrote: 
Hi all,

[I am cross-posting this to the Type 34 and Type 3 lists.]

The car passed its test today, without any particular worries. The mechanic
at the garage where I always take it for its pre-test check-up says I have a
bad ball-joint, so I will have him change all four next time I go up there.
Apparently it was not bad enough to fail the test.

The drive there and back was OK. Just a couple of minor tuning issues that a
small tweak will solve (hopefully).

The bad news is that my tranny is now leaving a trail of ATF. It is really
pouring out. The mechanic reckons that the oil seal between the engine and
the tranny (or torque converter?) has given up. Changing this is a big job
and frankly I don't think I can do it myself, certainly not on my own. The
mechanic says he can do it, and I say rather him than me.

The problem is the bill, of course, which will probably be big. It will most
likely be a while before I can spare the cash. I hate the idea of letting
the car lie unused again for a long(ish) period of time. Is it safe to drive
it and top it up regularly? (Russ?) I drove it about 100 miles today there
and back, and it's used up all of the oil that I topped it up with a couple
of days ago.

Jim Adney once mentioned that the seals dry out when the car isn't used and
then start sealing again with use. Could this be the case here after a
four-month lay-up? Is there any point waiting to find out? It's always
leaked a bit, but never anywhere near this much, and the more I use it, the
less it leaks.

One more horrible possibility has crossed my mind: is it possible I cracked
something when I did this?:

http://www.type34.info/album/Engine%20work%20Jan-May%202005/slides/Flywheel%20lock.jpg

I was very careful to push the torque wrench slowly and smoothly, and didn't
hear anything snap, crackle, or pop. Is there any way I can tell for sure,
without taking everything apart?


Thanks,

Daniel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
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--
Russ Wolfe
'71 FB AT
'66 FB MT
'64 T34 (not running)
'65 T1 (not running)
'05 KIA Sorento SUV
russw@classicvw.org
http://www.classicvw.org




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