transmission troubles

ok......there's fluid coming out of the bottom end of my 1995 blazer's transmission. is it the gasket? if so, how many quarts of transmission fluid do i need to put back in after i replace the gasket, and are the bolts torque specific?

What color is the fluid seeping off the bottom of your truck? Before you go crazy thinking you have tranny leaks, make sure that it is your tranny for certain. I have a very *slow* oil line leak that *looks* like a tranny leak since air moving under the truck pushes it along the tranny pan. What helps to determine what may be leaking from under your truck is to drive it for 15 minutes, then park it for 15 more minutes, engine off. Put a fresh piece of cardboard under the truck to collect a sample of what it may be. Dark and gritty? Most likely a slow oil leak. Congrats, our trucks are 1/2 oil leak to engine block in ratio. Welcome to the club. :) If it's a dark red, or cherry red color and not very gritty - it's tranny fluid. Let us know.

it's tranny fluid.

Might be in for a pan gasket replacement indeed. And as far as I know, the pan bolts are not terribly sensitive to torque. Only that they be put in snug, but not so tight that they cut the gasket and create the leak again. Try tightening up all of your pan bolts, some will be tough to reach, but you can reach them easily with a U-joint wobble on the end of a 6" extension or a 20 degree wobble extension. Again, you want them *snug*, not >>Tight<<! See if that takes care of it. Also, check your tranny fluid level when the engine and tranny are HOT, engine idling in park. A romp down the highway for 20 minutes should get you up to temperature. Anyway, find a level place to park it and check fluid levels. If overfilled, the "leak" you are seeing is the fluid foaming up and puking itself out of a vent. ;)

thanks

how many quarts of tranny fluid should it take?

If you drop the pan? Buy 5 quarts to be on the safe side. You will loose about 4.5 quarts total, with the slop in the pan and what you loose when you swap filters. Might as well do that while in there, and don't be lazy, install the new filter gasket too after extracting the old one.

When you seat the new gasket on the pan, fill it up with three quarts through the dipstick filler neck. Start the engine and with your foot on the brake, cycle through all gear ranges, pausing 10 seconds in each gear. Then work your way back to park, again pausing 10 seconds in each gear. Leave it in park and engine idling to then check fluid. May take you a few tries, but the stick should be pretty dry. Add a pint at a time (8 oz.) until you see oil at the tip of the stick. Take the truck for a drive and check fluid again. 20 minutes of driving should do it. Check it again when in park, engine idle. Add enough fluid to fill it to the top of the hot hash mark on the stick if needed. Over the next few days, check for leaks and fluid level, again checking fluid when hot and engine idling in park. Adjust fluid as needed. It's okay to run it a little on the low side, but overfilling beyond the hot mark is not cool. ;)

how many quarts of tranny fluid should it take?

Can you take a picture of it?

This is probably coming from the rear seal.

Sorry, can't take a pic of it...Well I did, but it is too big to post here....guess that's what I get for buying my wife a 5 megapixel camera.... I made it the lowest quality i possibly could and it's still 143kb, is there another way I could get it to you?

oh yeah..i did have one more question...the pan is being held in by a bracket that is welded in place...how do you suppose I get that off so I can drop the pan and replace the gasket and filter???

You may benefit from reading this article, as I go into detail here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=365804

ok that really didn't help me man...I have a bracket PLUS the bolts that I already took out, mine isn't so easy...how do u suppose I get the bracket off or at least out of my way???

Third page,, man - I tell you how to move that crossbar behind the tranny so you can tilt the pan down over your solenoid body without damaging anything. ;> There are bolts inside the frame itself that have to come out. Loosen the driver's side, remove the passenger side completely. Use a magnetic socket if you can 'cause if you drop the bolt inside the frame - you're sunk.

Thanks man...we figured that out a few minutes ago...believe it or not...my mother-in-law knew...go figure..lol, thanks again, you've been very helpful

now it just won't go!!!!!!!! it dosen't even make the engine rpm's go down when i put it in gear!!!! help!!!!!!!!!!!! i added 4 quarts of fluid, but no go!

Okay, relax. There has to be something you overlooked. Did you replace the filter and the gasket the filter pops up into when you had the pan down? How did you extract the old gasket? How did you insert the new one? Is it fully seated? Any air leaks at that point will make a tranny cease to shift because it is sucking air, not fluid. Recheck your work before you make yourself stir crazy. (Sorry for being gone for a few days - grandmother just died)

now it just won't go!!!!!!!! it dosen't even make the engine rpm's go down when i put it in gear!!!! help!!!!!!!!!!!! i added 4 quarts of fluid, but no go!

Did you knock the filter out? The filter acts as a "pickup" for the fluid. If you accidently hit it while removing or replacing the pan it could cause the tranny to not go in gear.