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Dipstick seal leak fix

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Old 03-17-2008, 01:26 AM
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Default Dipstick seal leak fix

Well my car has been down for a week, I was putting in headers, ls6 intake, and a newer stocker kmember with new motor mount's. While I was doing this my buddy noticed that my transmission oil dipstick had two seal's and told me it would leak, and I had forgotten to put the bolt that holds it in place. I had been running it like that for a few months with some track passes with no problems. So I get it started and take it to the exhaust shop to work on the y pipe and when I start it I notice that there was a puddle of trans fluid that my car leaked, and traced it back to the dipstick so the guy at the exhaust shop cut the extra seal, but it would still leak. I brought it home and my buddy got the bolt in thinking it might be that, and still same leak, so I put some rtv gasket maker and it would still leak. It's dripping a drop exactly every 2 seconds, I left the dipstick out overnight and woke up to a garge with trans fluid on the floor.

Wanted to know if there is a way I get the seal changed out without having to drop the transmission?
Old 03-17-2008, 02:03 AM
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The seal should just press in from the top of the transmission. How did you manage to get 2 on there?? There about a inch long. If you have 2 on there you have over filled your trans and thats why it is leaking out of there.
Old 03-17-2008, 02:47 AM
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This is my thrid transmission and I think the transmission that's on there had the seal on it and the dipstick I put in also had a seal on it, which made for two. I let my buddy put in the dipstick on this last trans install, and he say's that's what he thinks happened.

Funny that you mention that, because before I left to the exhaust shop I put in about a 3/8 of a quart of trans oil. I didn't take the two seals making up for a different reading of oil level, but I thought for some reason maybe it had to much fluid. lol
I even let the car run for a few minutes hoping it would stop dripping.
If the seal is broken though, is there anyway I can pull the dipstick out of the transmission to isntall new seal in place. Right now it doesn't come out completley, Im going to try lowering the transmission to see if it will allow enough space for me to change the seal.

Thanks
Old 03-17-2008, 09:19 AM
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Best way to seal it up is get a new one from advance/ autozone, whoever else might have a motormite help section. Jack the car up on one side or drain the fluid, clean the seal, dipstick tube and hole in the trans with brake cleaner. If you just jack the car up to get the level down put the cleaner on a rag to keep it out of the fluid.

Put a light coating of a good silicone sealer on the seal and put it in, then start 1/4" up with silicone on the tube and put it in. Install the bolt so it won't move around and start leaking again.
Old 03-17-2008, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by 9000th01ss
Best way to seal it up is get a new one from advance/ autozone, whoever else might have a motormite help section. Jack the car up on one side or drain the fluid, clean the seal, dipstick tube and hole in the trans with brake cleaner. If you just jack the car up to get the level down put the cleaner on a rag to keep it out of the fluid.

Put a light coating of a good silicone sealer on the seal and put it in, then start 1/4" up with silicone on the tube and put it in. Install the bolt so it won't move around and start leaking again.
I noticed that the seal is broken at the lower part, a small piece is torn. So know I have to remove the dipstick. Or do you think I can put silicone around it and it'll seal?
Old 03-17-2008, 05:50 PM
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I took off the transmission crossmember to lower the transmission as low as possible and I still can't take out the dipstick in order to replace the seal/gasket. I saw were it's torn, it's on the lower part. I bought a new one at the delaership already, I just can't take it out though.

HELP!!
Thanks in advance
Old 03-17-2008, 08:04 PM
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Dropping the crossmember and trans won't help, it's still all one piece.
It's a pain but you need to remove the dipstick tube bolt and pull the tube out of the trans.

Anything you use silicone on has to be 100% degreased or it will not seal right.
Old 03-18-2008, 02:57 AM
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Me and my buddy got the dipstick out, and I put the new seal back on. But after tightning the bolt in the dipstick would pop out alittle, like half of the seal would only stay in. So we pulled it back off and tried bending it abit but then again after tightning the bolt it would come out again. I turned the car on and it after being on for a minute it started to leak lightly, I took out for a drive and got back home and it was still leaking.

Dammm it's always the little things.lol

Thanks
Old 03-18-2008, 05:44 PM
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Dammm this thing is getting fustrating, I tried a few things and I got it to come down. I checked my buddys car and his has a very small gap between the seal and trans, I have the same gap now. I started the car and it still leaks.

What should I do now? If I buy one of those lokar dipstick you guys think it would fix the problem?
Old 03-18-2008, 08:26 PM
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those seals are a pia. I ripped mine doing a TC swap and ended up pulling the tranny to replace it.

Another way if you can find room, is to try and get the bolt from the top ( passengers side head)
Old 03-18-2008, 08:51 PM
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I remember mine now. It had the gap in it so I got it out of the trans, bolted it back to the engine and pulled down on it. Then when I got it back in the trans the bolt hole didn't line up so I had to bend the bracket down which pushed the tube into the trans.

Next time I dropped the trans I left the tube bolted up, pulled down on it and guided it in as I jacked the trans up.
I hate fluid leaks, I'd still be sure to degrease it and put silicone on it, and don't use a cork pan gasket.
Old 03-18-2008, 11:08 PM
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The bolt isn't really too much of a problem, my buddy can take it out in a few minutes now, he's taken it off and put back on a handful of times already.

What I did notice is when I push down it will seal but when my buddy puts the bolt in the seal comes up a bit. I've got it down right now, but it still leak's. My freind is coming over right now, were going to try leaving the bolt out and see if it leak's, if doesn't then I'll zip tie it.

Any thought on the lokar dipstick?
Old 03-18-2008, 11:28 PM
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Originally Posted by BLOWN SS/T

Any thought on the lokar dipstick?
I don't know, it shouldn't be that difficult to seal up. You might have the same problem with any dipstick.

Are you using the stock tube thats never been bent or anything?

I've seen them crack around the part that sits on top of the seal, not very often though.
Old 03-19-2008, 03:26 AM
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Oh mann this thing is starting to become annoying more everyday.

My buddy unbolted the screw and we cleaned up the seal and all, got it back on without putting in the bolt it would seal perfectly so we started it up and sure enough it starts to leak again. I'm completly lost at this point, as we've tried just about everything. It's the stock tube it's never been bent untill yesterday that we completly removed it in order to install new seal.

The other thing that only makes adds up is that the tranmission is cracked were the dipstick goes, but it seems unlikey as I don't see how it would crack in the first place, or as you said the dipstick which seems more realistic. The buddy that helped me out with the oil pan gakset, was the one who noticed the two seals in the first place. So I'm thinking maybe the 2nd seal probaly sealed up a crack if there is one.

Does anyone know how many seal's go were the dipstick is at? And is there another o ring or anything else that goes along with the seal?

Thanks
Old 03-19-2008, 04:44 AM
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I was thinking about what you said, about how the dipstick can be broken. After turning on the car so many times and checking for leaks I noticed the oil runs down from the back side of what's visble atleast of the dipstick.
So I was wondering if it is cracked does the transmission have enough psi to leak through the dipstick, since it would have to reach all the way up? I know the fluid level is low now so it would be harder for it leak all the way up, but then again the oil dripping has decreased some.
Damm I'm lost I dont even know what to think anymore.
Old 03-19-2008, 05:05 AM
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Well you could have cracked your dipstick, or punctered a hole in it.

I have gone through this twice, First time was doing a stall, forgot to put the seal in all together. lol. And it took me and two other guys litteraly 3 hours to do, without dropping the tranny. ha ha.

The second time was just two weeks ago, when I installed my new performbuilt tranny. Somehow the seal ripped when I put the new tranny in, and caused it to leak, But this time before I put the tranny in, I cut off 3/8's of an inch off the end of the dipstick tube, just in case I was ever in need of changing that seal again, I was lucky i did that, it only took me a total of 30 minutes to change. Have not had a problem with it since.

Stupid GM thinks its good to have 3 inches of tube down in the tranny... WTF. 2 inches max should be more than enough to be down in the port.

I doubt your tranny is cracked there, more than likely it is your dipstick, or you have another ripped seal.

Also, when you guys bolt the dipstick back up, try and bend that flange upwords, that way when it is all tight, it will put some downward pressure to the seal on the tranny.
Old 03-19-2008, 05:47 PM
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I have another spare dipstick handy, but it seems impossible to get it in. I got the dipstick out of the whole again, and I looked at the dipstick, the whole in for the dipstick, and the seal for cracks with a mirror and I can't see anything.
I went ahead and ordered the lokar 36" dipstick from summit just incase.
I also put some super weld (the liqud weld kind of stuff) around the dipstick incase there are any cracks that I cant see, Im going to let that dry up. Then I'll put the seal on and put some rtv silcone gasket maker on it, put everything together and give it a try. If it leaks then, I don't know what Im going to do.

On the spare dipstick I cut off a piece of the lower meatal.

Does anyone know if the dipstick takes more then one seal or an o ring at the top of the ridge? Or is it just that 1" piece?

Thanks
Old 03-19-2008, 06:42 PM
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I've had trouble with the dip stick seal also. The best way to do it I think is to leave the tube bolted to the head and slowly raise the tranny, guiding it in. A little grease will help it go in smoothly. This should be one of the first steps when raising the transmission up to the block. Good Luck
Old 03-20-2008, 02:00 AM
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I'm thinking maybe it's the cooler line that hooks up to the transmission. I said it would leak from the rear of the dipstick and tried looking for a crack back there and nothing, so I kinda traced the oil leak on the transmission and it looks like it's coming from the top. So tommaorw I'm going to unbolt the driveshaft and torque arm and see if I can reach then, and tighten them up. Don't know why they would start leaking all of a sudden, I changed out the k member for another stocker, the cooler lines were moved around alittle at the front by the motor, dont know if that caused a leak or if the snaped or something, or maybe just got loose.

Thanks



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