Tranny Fluid Blow Out

[duke777]

I had a little situation this weekend that was kind of weird. Woke up late for a motorcycle track day and had to hussle from NY to Pocono Raceway. I had my bike on the back (tongue weight 300lbs) and traveling some pretty hilly (for the east coast at least) roads. I had cruise set at 80mph and going up hill it dropped down a couple gears and be at around 4500rpm going up the hill - no more than a minute.

 

It was overcast and I could not tell if my truck was smoking or if it were just morning fog - well it was smoke, but it did not last just two instances when i saw smoke then no more.

 

I get to the track and there is oil all over my bike, truck rear wheel well and the under side of the truck - right side of the bike was covered and the right wheel well and mostly the right side underneath truck from Transmission oil pan back. And the fluid was red. The level of the fluid was fine. I drove home and had not problems. I changed the fluid, filter and gasket the other day and it drives fine, but looks to be still leaking oil - barely - or could just be residual oil that i did not clean up from the initial blowout.

 

Thanks in advance for the help, yet again.

[BowTied]

Is it possible it was over full at the start of the trip?

 

That is a weird one. Keep an eye on your cooling lines and rad for a while.

 

Do you have an external cooler? check that and it's lines too.

[SnowSurfLax]

Hey, I had something like that happen to me in a very similar situation. Drove for 400 miles with it leaking (checking every 50!) and things were fine. Turned out I blew the seal on my transmission pan. After getting that replaced and then a ccoulpe of tranny flushes, everything has been hunky dory for a couple years now.

 

My theory is that the ATF got too hot and when it blew the seal, it put some chunks of "crap" in the pan. So I would definitely do a flush in the next 10-20K miles. I had an issue pop up afterwards and thought I'd need a rebuild, but a little additive and then a flush cured that.

[duke777]

I am hoping it is just the pan gasket and will continue to keep an eye on things. I have had the truck for about 5-6months, it was babied (i hope) by the PO. The tran fluid i just changed out was in really good shape. The transmission itself has not been german car smooth, it has its quirks like a little uncertainty about which gear it should be in at around 50 mph - OD or 3rd - cruise at a constant speed and it'll stay in OD apply a little gas and it shifts down to 3rd with a jerk - this shifting goes back and forth at around 50 mph. All other times shifting is perfect. From what i have read online this is NORMAL. I typically dont use the OD until i hit the freeway or travel over 55mph. I am now using synthetic trans fluid and Lucas transfluid aid. We'll see how it holds up.