turbotime

my car is leaking some fluid- either tranny fluid or oil i cant tell. I got under the car but couldnt find the exact leak, whatever it is is all over the shift linkages and on the bottom of the tranny too. It looks like very clean oil or something- no idea where its coming from.

Here are some pics, sorry for the weird angles. Any Idea What this fluid is and WHERE its leaking from??

thanks!

boostedcivicsir

looks like a shiftshaft seal or an axle seal


Modified by boostedcivicsir at 9:24 PM 10/31/2005

turbotime

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostedcivicsir &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks like a shiftshaft seal of an axle seal</TD></TR></TABLE>

you mean or an axle seal? how do you replace the seal for the shift linkage or the axle?

Average Al

could be either hard to tell from your pictures

could be an axle seal

or the shifter linkage seal

axles u pop off the axle and just replace the seal

i think the shift linkage u got to take apart the tranny

snatch

It is hard to tell. Try cleaning it all off and letting the car sit for awhile and see if you can see where it's leaking. Or try running the car in your driveway and seeing if you can see where it's leaking.

It looks to be one of the 2 ideas mentioned here. It's definitely transmission fluid though.

siblueg

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Average Al &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">could be either hard to tell from your pictures

could be an axle seal

or the shifter linkage seal

axles u pop off the axle and just replace the seal

i think the shift linkage u got to take apart the tranny</TD></TR></TABLE>

turbotime

ok i just went out there and cleaned all areas around the shift linkages and the halfshaft where it meets the tranny. Ill go out in 2 hrs and see if its leaked anymore, if not ill let it idle and run through the gears and then check again...


Anyone know how hard this fix will be if its the shift linkage seal?

sohc steve

it's not necessarily tranny fluid because the transmission is lubricated w/ 5w30 motor oil. don't jump to conclusions when it could be anything. Some things to check for: vtec solenoid, head gasket, oil filter, and it's likely the crank seal leaking through the transmission housing and dripping down onto everything. Your gonna have to clean er up w/ carb cleaner and let the engine run. Make sure there's no big gaps in your axle seals. Check fluid levels.

turbotime

fluid levels are all good, this tranny was installed on the engine &lt; 500miles ago so im sure no main seals in the tranny are leaking, all bearings in the tranny were replaced as well when it was put on...

All my fluid levels are good, i have a suspected HG leak but i think its seperate from this. There is no oil in the engine bay, or on the block, just down near the shift linkages and halfshaft where it meets the tranny.

Whatever fluid this is covered like half the shiftlinkage and there was even some on my mid-car exhaust hangers, and on the metal underneath my steering rack...

snatch

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sohc steve &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it's not necessarily tranny fluid because the transmission is lubricated w/ 5w30 motor oil. </TD></TR></TABLE>

It's not if he used Honda MTF right?

sohc steve

sounds like a pretty big leak if it's back on the underbody. jack up the front of the car (both wheels on jackstands) and put the e-brake on. Let the car run in drive so the wheels are spinning to see if it's leaking from the half-shaft seals. Rev it up a little and let em spin and watch for oil drippage. Be careful though. It's pretty rare for it to leak from the shift mechanism, but not impossible. Also, park it on level ground and try to fill up your transmission fluid and see how much it takes. You fill it up in the side bolt in front of the right halfshaft and it's full wen it starts dripping out. Update us.

sohc steve

how can you tell by looking at the fluid, ****** it could be anything. don't let this guy do something expensive by speculating. and no, i'm not trying to prove you wrong, just stay open to possibilities.

turbotime

ok ill go try that and then give you an update, thanks for the help!

boostedcivicsir

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbotime &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

you mean or an axle seal? how do you replace the seal for the shift linkage or the axle?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes i did mean or.

turbotime

Ok so i just went out and checked it, no signs of a leak after sitting for around 2hrsish or so.

So I'm alone, so im limited in my ability to troubleshoot this.

So I fire up the car and shift through all the gears twice. Then I back out of my garage (about 30 feet), and pull back in, then i do it again.
I shut it off and check for leaks again. The shift linkage is really clean, but it seems like fluid is leaking from the shift linkage countershaft or whatever, not the one that goes into the tranny, the one that just attaches to the tranny.

As far as i know- that part cant actually leak, so i think it may be the axle seal since the axle is located directly above the shift linkage that doesnt go IN the tranny im talking about- can someone tell me the real name of this lol?

Anyway what do you think? Also if it is the axle seal how hard is that to replace?

sohc steve

you just have to take the axle out and pop in a new one. make sure you buy the right seal because right and left are different seals, but make sure that's what it is. and no, the other shift bar (i don't know what it's called either) has nothing to do w/ it. my motor leaks from the crank seal and the oil leaks through the casing and gets all over that area. Try jacking it up like i said earlier. that's the only surefire way i know to confirm bad axle seals. crank seals can go bad if you let the oil get low and burn out (and leak). You'll figure it out, just keep an open mind.

turbotime

nah all my oil levels are perfect, never gotten low.

Im pretty sure its teh axle seal, i can see a drop of liquid where the IM goes intot he tranny, im assuming there shouldnt be any drops right.

Ok so my setup is weird, i have a 92 integra driver side halfshaft and axle and a 98 integra pass axle. I have a 98 integra hydro tranny.

So do i need to buy a 98 integra driver side axle seal or a 93 integra driver side axle seal (since the driver side axle is 93- but the tranny is 98).

?

turbotime

bump, and bump for the part number if anyone knows it since ill need to get it from the dealership...

sohc steve

I don't know about the axle seal compatibility, but i just saw you are missing the little rubber boot that covers up the gear selector shaft going into the tranny. It goes over the lip on the transmission and to the shift linkage covering up the little pin you have to punch out to take the linkage off. There is a boot that looks like a mini axle boot, but I don't know if missing that would cause a severe oil leak or not, but i guess it's there for a reason.

turbotime

yeah i know im missing that im not sure if that would cause an oil leak or not, im pretty sure its the axle seal, im gonna let it sit for a while and see if leaks anymore....

BOOOO

XkjeldorX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbotime &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah i know im missing that im not sure if that would cause an oil leak or not, im pretty sure its the axle seal, im gonna let it sit for a while and see if leaks anymore....

BOOOO</TD></TR></TABLE>
that doesnt have anything to do with it. i have it on my tranny and my tranny or whatever seal leaks the same way as urs. i know its not my passenger side seal because i replaced that when i put my tranny in, and my drivers side seal doesnt look like its leaking so i dont think its that. it might be the shiftshaft seal or even a crank seal. since am going to be taking my front brakes off this week am going to go buy a passenger side seal and see what happens. how do u check the crank seal? let me know if u figure this out. and if u have a 94+ integra hydro tranny, just buy the seal for the engine model ex: a 94 gsr driver side seal.

turbotime

yeah i went out and jacked the car up from both sides and spun the wheels trying to get a drip or something and nothing.

There is a droplet forming on the driver side axle where it meets teh tranny so it really seems like the driver side axle seal may be the culprit....

Is it ok to drive it with this leaking? I mean im not going to ruin the tranny am i? I just need it to get me to school and back tues. and wed. and then i can pull it apart and replace the seal.

Anyway- cleaned it all up real good, hopefully tomorrow there will be some type of puddle so i can nail it down for sure....

keep the ideas coming

HondaEJ7

i had the same problem...seemed to be an axle seal, but one day i wiped it off and it hasnt leaked since...weird i guess

turbotime

i wiped it off before i left school earlier today, it was back when i got home (20min drive)

HondaEJ7

well is the liquid all over the transmission? or is it over the oil pan? mine was all over the transmission and it dripped onto my garage floor, so i put a napkin under it to see if it leaked and it did. i wiped it off and the problem seems to be fine now, although my axles have been replaced so it might be that ill have to look