automatic trans blew

[dphdo]

Hey all. Well here's what happened. I just installed my freshly rebuilt 1800 engine into my '74 412 squareback. I had the trans rebuilt at a nationally known place (Rancho in San Diago, CA). I started the engine (and yes, I added the appropriate tranny fluid), and while I was making the adjustments to the motor, a tremendous amount of smoke billowed from the trans, followed by a large amount of burnt fluid pouring out of the rear of the transaxle (it was brown and smelled burnt). Any ideas of what happened? What should I do? I've read that you need fancy tools to work on the tranny, is this true? (By the way, the trans was rebuilt about 3 years ago, but has had NO milage put on it - this has been a slow restoration). HELP!!!!!

Dale

[MchAlf]

Hi' dphdo.

You told us that the fluid that came out from the trans was brown ?

Is the automatictransmissionfluid ( ATF ) not normaly red ??

If could it be oil from the engine ?

Tell us more as you take it appart.

MchAlf

[ray greenwood]

iT Would help to know exactly where the fluid came out of. If it was the bell housing holes...itw ould probably be a shaft seal around the end of the torque converter...or the torque converter casing itself. If it came from the vacume hose..it would be the modulator valve crapped out. If it was burnt smelling...it very well could be brown. As to why it smoked just sitting still...you would have to disect it. Ray

[ray greenwood]

Wait...one more question. Was there oil pouring from the small vent cap near the rear of the transaxle (near the bushing donut...tail cone end) ? If so...The main seal betwen the differential and the transmission may have failed. When that happens...common if not replaced...the heavier gear oil mixes with the trans fluid and will destroy a lot of things. How you got smoke...I'm not sure. But you will get heavy smoke when the modulator fails and sucks fluid into the engine, but it would come from the exhaust pipe. Ray

[dphdo]

The oil poured out of the bell housing holes, mainly on the left side (?) I also noticed, when I installed the engine, the Torque Converter was blue (a lovely shade at that), now it's black (ich). Is there anything in the T.C. that can burn up like that? The rear seal appears soft and non-damaged. ???

[ray greenwood]

There are a couple of seals involved with the torque converter I belive. You have an outer seal where the staor splines onto the differential housing and an inner seal where the shaft come through...I think? The burned fluid could very well have been from the torque converter being used, having not been cleaned out and re-installed on the new tranmission. Wherin, it would pump all of the crap from the destroyed box it came from, back into your transmission. To get all of the oil from a torque converter, it has to be siphoned or pumped at the proper angle. Ray

[dphdo]

Well, for those interested, it turned out to be the torque converter that burned up. The shop totally discected the trans, and it was in 100% perfect condition. They told me that there was an unusual fluid in it that probably burned up the seals (or something like that). At first, I didn't know what they were talking about; but then I remembered that I bought some additive off an "infomercial" - So I'm sure that was the culpret (sp?). Thanks for the interest and help!!! SMILES! Dale

[Piledriver]

Speaking of the "deadly" seal issue common to these transmissions, (all versions, including the WC) anyone running this ATF?

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_gear ... tegoryID=8

Bit thicker than the D4/D6, those also rated the same.

Mercon III and GL4 rated... Use the same fluid in both sections, no "mixing" worries?

[MGVWfan]

I've got about 40K miles on a home-rebuilt '73 412 003 auto trans. I've used nothing but Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF in it, and Castrol 80W90 Hypoid Lube in the diff. It's still working great