I think the front seal on my C4 is starting to leak when the car is warm. When this happens trans fluid seems to be leaking out of the bottom of the bell housing. Is there anything besides the seal that can leak in there? Anybody got a picture of the C4, exploded view? Do I need a special instrument to install the seal? Any tips and tricks appreciated. I have a TCI breakaway 2400 stall that I will install at the same time do I need an extra cooler for street use?
being you are from..."Iceland", does the car really ever get warm? no speical tools to install. just pull tranny and pop the seal. i would suggest to replace the rear seal and bushing at the same time...frank...
Thanks for the advice. And no it doesn't get hot but neither does it get very cold, today it was a hot day 19 degrees centigrade that's very hot in may for this part of the world.
Just a note on the seal change. They can be a bit stubborn to get out if it was installed using gasket cement like permatex. A good seal puller or slide hammer should help, working around the stator support on the pump can be a bit tricky. Reinstalling may take some ingenuity on tapping the seal back in square. You may have to fabricate a seal driver to go over the support splines. I usually remove the whole pump and disassemble it for inspection of the rotors and put in the new seal easiley. A loose bell housing to pump mounting bolt could also cause your symptoms. Grooves in the converter stub shaft is usually what causes the seal to leak too. A cooler is always a good idea in any case, heat is a definate factor in tranmission life and performance. Keep the fluid cool and you can save the few dollars the cooler costs, in the long run. do a search on the web for C4, there are lot's of detailed pictures etc. If you still need one, let me know and I can send one to you via email. Hope this helps a bit.
There is also an after-market seal that is supposedly much more resistant to heat. The shop that installed my RMVB changed out the stock one with this "performance" seal while they had it at their shop. They said the aftermarket one was much more resistant to the heat that the torque converter put out (while on brake) and knew that the stock one would wear out in a short period of time. They didn't charge me extra for it so it wasn't like they were trying to sell me one of "their" brands. I can't remember who the manufacturer was (is) now. Anyone else know about these 'heat resistant' seals? The elastomer is gray, fwiw.
Wow thanks, this will help me alot. Is there a gasket under the pump that I would need if I remove it? I'll definitely check if any of the bolts are loose and put some thread locker on them to seal them. I will have to do this crawling on the garage floor so I probably will have to fabricate a mini gearbox jack, any good ideas?
Removing the pump is not as simple as one may assume, unless you have done some before. There is a gasket behind it but also some sealing rings and thrust washer that will come out too. Without going into a long post on this, I would get a Hayne's Ford transmission book, or one similiar, to follow for exact procedure. You can end up pulling the inner workings out and then have a bit of a problem reinstalling them. Properly, you need to check the end play on the input shaft before it is removed and then if not in spec, replace the proper thrust washers to obtain it. Going thru all this, might as well put in new clutches and seals, while it is out. Too much work involved in the removal to not think about doing this. The book can guide you thru it easiliy. A good floor jack with a piece of cardboard on the trans pan to prevent slipping, can be used, or buy a trans jack adapter to fit it etc. Just trying to help you not having to do the job twice.
I'm glad you responded to the last post, Old Guy. I remembered there being more to removing the pump. I had a shop (of young kids) change out a bellhousing for me - which I assume required accessing the parts you are talking about. It cost them another $200+ to take it to a 'real' shop and have them do it right. Thankfully, they didn't charge me.
Great based on all this information I have decided to check how much it will cost me to have this done in a professional workshop. After all the transmission is in good working order and swapping the converter and installing a new seal should not cost very much.
I think it might be cheaper,a lot less hassle (and more satisfying) to get the book and DIY (do it yourself). $13 at half.com ref: http://search.half.ebay.com/transmission-overhaul-haynes_W0QQmZbooks Good luck either way you go.
I'm waking up this old thread again because I have decided to replace the seal and install the new converter my self. I fixed this problem temporarily last summer by making a diaper under the bellhousing made from a plastic bottle that I had to empty every two weeks or so and check the fluid every time I took it for a ride. So now I have cleaned the garage floor and placed the comet on jack stands. And I'm now fabricating a trans adapter for the floor jack. I will have to remove at least one of the headers.
good deal when you get ready to install the trans. get back with us and we will check you out. ...not tell you what to do but the converter is a little tricky... ...frank...
Just a little tip on your project, after removing the trans, loosen the front band adjuster nut and run the screw in tight. This will hold the clutch packs from coming out when you pull the pump. It can also be stuck on the gasket or case lip and may require a little persuasion with a soft hammer, to come out. Have had to even tap a couple of the bolt holes,screw in some bolts, and use them as jacking bolts, to get it out(real bad old cruddy transmission). To simplify the job, see if you can get the seal out with a puller, etc. and then find a flat plate to fit over the stator support with a matching piece of pipe with a cap on the end. Then drive the seal in that way. Pulling the pump apart is not hard but you have to make sure the two rotors inside, are installed correctly so the converter will go in. Be sure and readjust the band after you are done, if you do pull the pump. I always use a couple of 7/16th's studs in the block to help line up the tranny on the dowels, when reinstalling it, especially if you are by yourself. Either way, you will learn a lot about the C4 in the process. Good luck, as always.
