[T3] Passed test - good and bad news

["Daniel Baum" <daniel@type34.info>]

<x-flowed>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 

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