So, on the drive home today, I noticed my car smoking a bit. Burning, it smelled sort of like what a clutch disc smells like when you slip it too much and wear away some of the surface. I thought it was coming from the exhaust, but when I got home, it was coming from the enormous drip from my crossmember. I jacked up the car, looked underneath, and saw oil all along the driveshaft, oil slung up underneath the car from the driveshaft rotation, and oil on my torque. arm. I just replace my torque arm with a BMR unit, poly bushing, etc. That was a week ago, and have had no problems up until today.

I looked everywhere for this leak, but could not find it. I fear a cracked transmission case, somewhere. I checked my clutch/brake fluid level because I couldn't tell which fluid it was right away, but I believe it is transmission fluid (changed out the fluid with some synchromesh for an entirely different transmission problem). Both were still full. I also thought it may have been my B&M shifter, which has leaked/been out of adjustment before, but, there was nothing in there that was anywhere close to being a big enough leak to drip off my crossmember and onto the ground to form a puddle.

I am at a loss. Any clue as to what might be leaking? I have not touched this thing at all. I don't even know for sure it's the transmission fluid dripping, there is only fluid on the transmission mount, and maybe an inch above that at any given spot, which is getting on the driveshaft...etc.

thanks.

edit:

this is in my 2002 ss camaro, already missing 3rd/4th gear because of whatever...it needs to be fixed, just really, really hoping this does not mean buying a complete new transmission.

 

bump...anybody..?

 

Could a loose bolt somewhere around the torque arm mount cause a leak? Those were the only ones besides the crossmember bolts that I touched when I put in my new BMR torque arm.

 

Dawn / water and hose it off until it's clean, then powder it up and look for the leak. (sometimes running it on jackstands helps. Until someone on a forum tells you it's dangerous )

Test for cracks like he did:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tr...ss-cracks.html

 

Thanks, will check that out. If it helps any, the torque arm is pretty solid on there. I tried moving it myself with my hands, and it doesn't budge.

I've been reading, about tailshaft bushings going bad. Is there a way to check if it's that? I didn't see any leaks out of the tailshaft seal, because there was no oil on the part where the yoke goes inside the transmission. There was, however, oil all over the driveshaft, which is very, very confusing. I mean, it was all the way down the shaft, and even managed to get on my bumper while driving.

I did, just recently change out the torque arm, and when Iw as under the car last night, I did note that the driveshaft seemed to be out a little farther (about half - 3/4 inch farther) than it was before (noticed because there was a wear mark on it). I set up pinion angle, and my guess was that proper pinion angle pulled the shaft out a bit more, and quite possibly, the shaft being out more cause the tailshaft bushing to wear? I will check pinion angle again tonight to make sure it's still right, but that's my running theory right now.

 

Check the orange rear seal were the driveshaft goes into the tranny, guess its called rear input seal but mine was leakin there doin the same thing. Poped it out and put in a Timken helped but im still loosen a lil fluid somewere I catch a wiff evry now and then.

 

If my bushing was out, would it still leak out of the seal? What I don't see is how if it was leaking out of the seal, how it would be dripping at the crossmember. It would hit rotational movement of the driveshaft and sling everywhere before it got to any of that, right?

 

When the car is on, and not moving, it will pool up underneath the crossmember from drips coming from it. When the car is off, it will not drip any.

 

Went and took a further look, it looks like the leak is somewhere around the speedo sensor area. Took the speedo sensor out, thinking maybe that was it, cleaned it all up, wrapped the o-ring in some silicone, put it back in, and test drove it....still leaking.

I am at a loss. Do these speedo sensors go out like this? Is this common? It is leaking pretty bad wherever it is leaking.

Also noticed that the drips are coming from where the tailshaft/midcase bolt together, at the bottom, pooling up and then dripping.

 

bump..

 

the help here has been overwhelming, don't all of you answer at once.

here was the problem.




have a good day.

 

ouch!. Well, that can likely be fixed via TIG for less than a new one.

 

jb weld did the trick, =)

also, how the f*k does this happen?

 

I know this is probably a long shot since this is a super old post but what was the problem? I'm guessing a crack somewhere? (Can't view the pictures you posted) my transmission leak is just like what you were saying in your post and I've already replace the tail shaft bushing and output shaft seal, and when I had the tailshaft housing off the Trans I didn't see any damage. When I put the Tailshaft housing back on the Trans still had the same leaking problem 😔 Hope you see and read this, I'd really appreciate the help I'm totally stumped and out of ideas