Itinerant Air-Cooled

Crap! Just got done doing the break in - YAY! for that though!!! - and the transmission began dripping fluid. It is NOT engine oil. We checked the back up light switch thinking that could be it but it is clean and dry there. I appears to be leaking from the first seam on the nose cone coming from the top. It's not the end of the world, right? Just keep checking and adding fluid as needed? yikes!

misszora wrote:Crap! Just got done doing the break in - YAY! for that though!!! - and the transmission began dripping fluid. It is NOT engine oil. We checked the back up light switch thinking that could be it but it is clean and dry there. I appears to be leaking from the first seam on the nose cone coming from the top. It's not the end of the world, right? Just keep checking and adding fluid as needed? yikes!

Was the transaxle at any time, out and laying about? Sometimes a hefted and heaved transaxle will spill fluid into its breather and it drools out for a brief period.

Did the transaxle take a bad lean while installing the engine, could be a shift rod seal annoyed with too much pressure ...

And congratulations! That is incredible, your perseverence, Poster Child For The Forum.
Colin

The transaxle was nicely tucked up inside MZ during the entire engine rebuild and she was jacked up pretty high. Our theory is that the leak has been there, just hasn't been forced to show itself until we started the engine today.
I'm going to check the transmission fluid level tomorrow after I adjust the valves.

Mine has a very slight drip from the axle seal. Replaced it with Colin's help, and now it has a very slight drip from the axle seal. Bah. Very minor though.
The input shaft seal can leak too, then the fluid comes from in the bellhousing.

hambone wrote:Mine has a very slight drip from the axle seal. Replaced it with Colin's help, and now it has a very slight drip from the axle seal. Bah. Very minor though.
The input shaft seal can leak too, then the fluid comes from in the bellhousing.

I used sand rail side seals last time through Yuma with the TBRRD. They are twice as thick as the originals. Did our job have any questionable moments? I can't even remember when it was ....

The leak slowed to just the occasional drip. Everything sounds and feels good. Since I did not get the plug out on my own, I may seek some help just to get the fluid level checked. It'll make me feel better anyway.

misszora wrote:The leak slowed to just the occasional drip. Everything sounds and feels good. Since I did not get the plug out on my own, I may seek some help just to get the fluid level checked. It'll make me feel better anyway.

Either it is the first scenario in my post above which you said was not the case, or it has lost so much fluid that it can't even leak out any more ... or it is doing the self-healing of a happy VW.
Colin

is the shift rod seal near the nose cone? And can this be fixed without dropping the engine?

is/was the tranny covered with a tarry accumulation of goo in the area of the nosecone? did any one have their hands up there or wipe/scrape goo off?
thinking the tiny vent hole got plugged and the extra hot running new engine running at 2-3k rpm heated tranny up. hot tranny standing still, gear oil heats up, expands, pushes air and oil out shift shaft seal. find vent hole, make sure it's clear. clean up the area and observe. see what develops.

that sounds about right! we were wiping it off and looking/sniffing to make sure it wasn't oil.

Miss Zora's transmission was at quite a tilt with the back end jacked up quite high. And the breather hole is near the nose of the transmission case on Bertha's.


neal

Miss Zora's transmission was at quite a tilt with the back end jacked up quite high. And the breather hole is near the nose of the transmission case on Bertha's.

What is it with that batch of crusty crud on a type 1 transmission at the front end? Is it a coating or factory application of some kind I shouldn't scrape off and clean up?


neal

Yep! The transmission was initially over-filled...by me probably when I dropped the engine the first time. It is now full, not over full. No leak. yay!!!!