manual tranny fluid leak - BMW Forum

golfgod41 · 07-30-2008, 06:32 AM

'94 325-IS and the tranny plug leaks and I have sealed it with indian gasket seal and also teflon tape, and even tried to JB weld it after the third time...any suggestions? the mercon III seems too thin, but thats what it calls for. is it possibly from the seal to the drive shaft?

darkhorse737 · 07-30-2008, 09:19 AM

only way to know for sure is clean the tranny of all the traces of oil with brake cleaner or suitable solvent then let it sit overnight. you'll be able to see where the oil seeps from the following day

golfgod41 · 07-30-2008, 12:03 PM

yeah i cleaned the entire underside with a pressure washer actualy to a spotless shine..(i'm kinda anal about that) you can eat off the engine bay too...i'm gonna take off the exhaust to change my universal joint and i'll take out the driveshaft then...is there a rear seal in the tranny? I HATE LEAKS!!!

golfgod41 · 07-30-2008, 12:05 PM

so thanks for replying though...i'm sure there has been someone else with this problem

darkhorse737 · 07-30-2008, 02:33 PM

if it is as clean as you say it is.. all you need to do is follow the oil trail :-)

and yes, there is an end seal

CJH · 08-01-2008, 08:27 AM

If the plug is still leaking, it might be a cracked case. Tapered plug, if tightened way too tight, it could have cracked the threaded boss in the trans case.

Other spots: output shaft lip seal, shift rod seals, input shaft seal (this one would leak into bellhousing).

golfgod41 · 08-04-2008, 07:02 AM

yes, I changed the flex disk(universal joint) this weekend...wow the exhaust is very heavy...wish there was something lighter...anyway, i digress. after changing the flex disk, i found the leak coming from the rear output shaft of the tranny...how the heck does this come out??? i saw one big nut in the center but it seemed to be protruding out a little...the flex disk was torn all up and i straightened everything out by putting in this disk...seemed to put that seal in a little tighter...i'll let you know what happens with the leak...thanks for all the sufggestions, as the car is a lot smoother the more things i take off and replace...that exhaust is like 150 pounds! anything lighter out there?