Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

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Zippy
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by Zippy »

spiknek wrote:how big of a plug is that???
20mm
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4uall
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by 4uall »

Mine was only 17mm :shock:
Jay

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RRoller123
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by RRoller123 »

There is also a smaller plug on the back of the transmission that drains the pocket that gets trapped by a casting wall?
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spiknek

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

great thanks!
where to find the top plug on the shifter pan??? and what is it called
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Zippy
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by Zippy »

4uall wrote:Mine was only 17mm :shock:
I hope I didn't cause any confusion. The plug I was refering to is the one on the front of the shift housing. I went to NAPA and got a 20mm freeze plug to tap in there.

Spiknek, have you figured out where yours is leaking from yet?

Al
1978 Spider
spiknek

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

Yes That was the one I think mine is gone cuz trans oil comes from top of trans alot as I stop the car after driving it
spiknek

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

Al think mine is coming from that plug!
i will just buy a 20mm and a 17mm to be safe!
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4uall
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by 4uall »

I was only referring to the fill plug. :wink:
Jay

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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

got it thanks
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manoa matt
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Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider 1800
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by manoa matt »

Back up. When did it start leaking? What led to it? Did you recently have the trans oil replaced? How much did they add? It's kind of hard to overfill a 124 trans unless you/they removed the wrong plug higher up, or decided to fill it through the shifter housing. The only other way to overfill it is to remove the trans and tip it up on end.

FYI there is a vent in the gear case housing that is at a lower elevation from that plug. At the front of the gear box just behind the bell housing should be a small mushroom shape metal cap. It's a vent, and if the trans was truly overfilled to the point of the "freeze plug" in the photo, it would pour out of the vent first.

The rear diff also has a similar vent on the driver side axle tube near the brake line distribution block "T".


Does your spider have a mechanical fuel pump or a carburator?
spiknek

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

I dont know if it was over filled I just got the car about a month ago but its leaking from the top of the trans after its been running and I shut the car off ? Thats why I will like to drain all of the oil from trans after I replace the plug up on top ? I will first try to run the car after refilling the trans oil if it keeps leaking then change or replace the plug on top of trans ????
any other ideas or advise?????
PS mine is carburetor!
THANKS To all!!!

HJG
aka spiknek

manoa matt wrote:Back up. When did it start leaking? What led to it? Did you recently have the trans oil replaced? How much did they add? It's kind of hard to overfill a 124 trans unless you/they removed the wrong plug higher up, or decided to fill it through the shifter housing. The only other way to overfill it is to remove the trans and tip it up on end.

FYI there is a vent in the gear case housing that is at a lower elevation from that plug. At the front of the gear box just behind the bell housing should be a small mushroom shape metal cap. It's a vent, and if the trans was truly overfilled to the point of the "freeze plug" in the photo, it would pour out of the vent first.

The rear diff also has a similar vent on the driver side axle tube near the brake line distribution block "T".


Does your spider have a mechanical fuel pump or a carburator?
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Zippy
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by Zippy »

Matt,

I don't know about Spiknek but my transmission wasn't overfilled. It had a small leak that dripped every now and then. All of a sudden one day I pull my car out of the garage to wash it and there is this big puddle of transmission fluid. Following the suggestion from Denise I wiped down my transmission and drove it to find the leak. How or why the fluid is up there I don't know but it comes out alot. The rest is history.

Al
1978 Spider
spiknek

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by spiknek »

I have not done that yet ( the clean up ) because its been cold and very windy down here!
but it supposed to be warm and calm this weekend. hope it is!
that way I get the cleaning done! so I can really figure it out where is coming from !
majicwrench

Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by majicwrench »

Somethin doesn't sound right here. Are you SURE it is tranny fluid or are you guessing based on somebody's mention of their tranny leaking?? Does it come out if you just start car and have it running in driveway, or do you have to take it for a drive??
Huge cleanup really aint needed, if it is leaking that much you should be able to see.
Keith
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manoa matt
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Re: Big oil leak after my car if off!!!!!!!

Post by manoa matt »

The reason I asked about the carb/mechanical fuel pump is that the condition sounds very similar to a situation I encountered with a friends 78. The car would weep oil after it was shut off which seamed to be coming from around the front of the transmission. Due to how the transmission bellhousing encapsulates the clutch and flywheel you have to do some dectective work to determine if its the rear main or the trans input seal that is leaking as a leak in both places will manifest at the lower leading edge of the bellhousing where the inspection cover mounts.

What ended up happening was that the needle valve for the carb float vibrated loose from where its screwed into the carb top casting. This condition (don't ask me how) would allow an excess amout of gas into the crankcase, theryby diluting the engine oil and making the level rise to the level of the rear main seal. The diluted oil was thin enough to bypass the rear main seal. It would either drip down, or get flung radially by the flywheel against the sides of the bellhousing. It would then run down and drip out at the front edge of the bellhousing. A busted diaphragm in a mechanical fuel pump will also allow fuel into the engine oil.

I would do this: First, check the oil level and smell it for gasoline. If its normal, then proceed to inspecting the trans for the source of the leak. Its possible that pressed in plug fell out, however in that instance i would suspect it leaks more during driving, than when shut off. Unlike the engine, which has an oil pump and oil galleys to move the oil around the head and block, the trans relies on splash lubrication whereby the trans oil level is just above the lowest gears in the trans. As the gears move, they carry and splash up oil to the rest of the gears above. Again, very similar to a rear differential. The pressed in plug is pretty high up there (above the level of the transmission case vent) and I find it hard to believe how oil could get splashed up that high in the shifter housing without also comming out at the shifter hole itself. Although as Al has experienced, it can, and has happened.
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