lbridges

Here's hoping someone can help a newbie on the site....

Trying to get some info for my daughters 95 ES300. It looks to me like there's a leak between the differential and the transmission. I believe the leak is there because ATF is coming out of a small hole near where the opening is to tighten up the torque converter to flex-plate bolts. Also, when I pulled the diff fill plug, lots of ATF came out.

Anyway, Anybody know if the diff can come off without pulling the whole transaxle out of the car - and if YES, can I replace whatever kind of seal there is between the two parts?

tia, Lee

ArmyofOne

if you jack the front of the car up, yes... differential fluid will spill out (if it was filled with the car level)


it can be removed in situ on some cars, but on an ES300, especially that year, the trans has to be removed. those V6's are CRAMMED in there.

lexusk8

Moving this to Maintenance.

lbridges

thanks ArmyofOne, I was afraid of that (pulling the whole unit). BTW, do you know if the seal can be repaired without tearing down the transmission, i.e., once the diff is off, does the seal install from the diff side?

and sorry lexusk8, apologies from a newbie on where to ask this sort of question (at least I did some searching before asking) & thanks for showing me the right place to post.

VVT-i

You will have to remove the transmission and completely disassembly the transmission to seal it. It's a complete overhaul job.
Make sure the trans fluid level is at the correct level, because when you fill up the trans it will fill up the diff at the same time. If you trans fluid is over filled, it will over filled the differential too. Hopefully its over filled and the ATF coming out from the vent hole on top of the differential.

lbridges

VVT-i,

I don't understand. If the tranny also fills the diff, then why is there a diff drain and fill plug? I was under the impression the units both used ATF, but were sealed from each other.

If you're right, then I have a totally different set of problems to look at. But then perhaps I've not fully explained my problem either, I'll try again.

There's no ATF coming out the top vent on the diff. If one was to crawl under and look at the opening for the flex-plate to torque converter, there's a small oval shaped hole about 1-1/2 to 2 inches along the bellhousing part (toward the diff, and right near the diff/tranny mating surface). That's where the ATF is coming out. It comes out at the rate of about two drops per second when the engine is running, in gear or not. I (perhaps incorrectly) assumed this was because the tranny fluid was going into the diff and the overflow from the diff was coming out in this spot. But you make me think that if that were true, it should be coming out a vent. I have taken off the plate and looked in the flex-plate opening and there is no ATF coming out the front seal for the torque converter input shaft - at least none that's dripping down and out the opening.

ArmyofOne

THAT sounds liek a rear main seal. are you sure its where your diff mates up and not where your engine mates up? and are you sure its ATF? it should be motor oil in that case, but i have seen intstances where a bad seal inside the tranny in addition to a bad rear main caused AFT to leak.

lbridges

I'm sure it's not oil. The oil (quantity) is stable, and it loses a quart of ATF about every 20-30 miles. Also, I ran it up on ramps (to see if I could tell where the leak was at) and it's clearly reddish in color. If the forum allows I'll post a pic of the place it's leaking from (circled). Sorry for the out of focus - old camera. To oreintate, at the extreme right edge of the pic you can see the edge of the plate that covers the flex-plate/torque converter access. the circled hole is toward the rear of the car.

VVT-i

From the picture, the plate is covered the flexplate and located between the engine and the trans. If the fluid is coming out from the hole. The only thing I can think of your transmission front seal is leaking or the front pump seal.
You'll have to remove the trans and tourqe convertor to replace the front seal.The trans front seal is where the TQ go into the transmission. If you're gonna do that make sure to replace the rear main seal at the same time.
I hope you don't have a hair line cracked on the bell housing.

lbridges

Thanks VVT-i (I think ).

I'm medium sure it's not the front seal as I removed the plate covering the TC-flex-plate bolts and there was no ATF in there...it seems if the front seal was leaking the TC would have a coating of ATF but it was dry.

Barring some other suggestion, I'm becoming afraid it might well turn out to be a crack in the housing. Restating, when the engine is running, the only place ATF comes out is at the little oval shaped hole. Not to confuse, but the differential continues to be overfull - so fluid is migrating there too. The drops in the photo are from it running down the seam between the bell housing and the engine, or from wind-blown ATF. I was really hoping to avoid a pull...it hasn't been that long since the engine came out & was replaced (she had a main bearing failure in the original engine a couple of K miles miles ago) and the transaxle was rebuilt in 2001. Add in that we replaced her interior with leather from leatherseats.com @ Xmas. Might turn out to be my fault if I didn't torque up the transaxle to the engine properly, although I thought I did at the time....

ArmyofOne

in this case, a crack in the housing shoudl be a fairly easy fix, if you can find it...JB weld baby!


no seriously, the only way to fproperly fix a crack is to remove the trans and have it welded.

lbridges

thanks to one and all.

As a newbie here, I'd like to say the forum members were helpful & friendly - and I appreciate that very much.