Thread: Water in Transmission?

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Hi Guys,
can I drain it and replace the fluid as a stop gap measure?

Of course!!I'd do it straight away,and see if it happens again.Could have been a one off,you'd think you'd be losing a lot of oil too if it was a major prob .I'm sure someone else 'll give you the good oil

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Hi Guys,
Ive just checked the transmission fluid in the 92 RR and found it to be light brown, almost milky and has a watery feel.
I've got a feeling this is not good news and is going to cost me.

Is it possible for water to enter the transmission? How and what should I do?
I'm just about to take it on a bit of a run (500km) in about 12 hrs time, can I drain it and replace the fluid as a stop gap measure?

Thankyou in advance.

Change the oil and wait and see. Have you been in anywater recently. Will get in though the breather if you have

Is the Rangie automatic? If it is, then you would be advised to check the oil cooling tubes in the radiator for cracks/corrosion. I had a bad experience many years ago where I lost all drive as the radiator water came back through the trans. oil-lines and filled the transmission to a point where there was an oily/water mix flowing out of the trans oil filler tube pouring on to the exhaust manifold sending white smoke everywhere. This was on a hill in bumper to bumper peak hour traffic.

Regards
Maggsie

Thanks Maggsie,
I think this is indeed the problem. I had the radiator re-cored a couple of months ago. The radiator guy is saying it wasnt his fault but it is a strange coincident don't you think. I dont know if the cooling tubes can get damaged when the radiator is re-cored, If anyone has had experience of this let me know.
I now have the choice of 1. staying home and removing and repairing the radiator and fully draining and flushing the transmission or 2 Draining the sump, topping up with new fluid and continuing on with my planned camping trip to Jarvis Bay.

Jarvis Bay here I come!!!!

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Thanks Maggsie,
I think this is indeed the problem. I had the radiator re-cored a couple of months ago. The radiator guy is saying it wasnt his fault but it is a strange coincident don't you think. I dont know if the cooling tubes can get damaged when the radiator is re-cored, If anyone has had experience of this let me know.
I now have the choice of 1. staying home and removing and repairing the radiator and fully draining and flushing the transmission or 2 Draining the sump, topping up with new fluid and continuing on with my planned camping trip to Jarvis Bay.

Jarvis Bay here I come!!!!

I had EXACTLY the same thing happen to me in a RR 87. ....I have learnt from this EXPENSIVE [I'll tell you why it's expensive in a minute ] lesson is to ALWAYS REPLACE the Auto Transmission Cooler AND engine oil cooler when your core needs replacing.....ALL the radiator components age and rot and fatigue at the same time.....so that even with religous coolant changes etc the whole lot is just scrap copper and brass by about 10-12 years

NOW......why it was an expensive lesson:

Apparently the clutch plates and some other components in an auto transmissin are glued together with afantastic oil proof high temperature glue which lasts forever.....except in contact with water.......water dissolves it!.....and hot water is the worst thing you can bring it in contact with.

Once water gets into your automatic [lets not even think about the truly awful things that ethylene glycol does with oil and bearings !!!] ALL the glued components gradually but inevitebly come apart and the auto transmission stops transmitting, automatically, or otherwise!

A really good complete re-build of my ZF auto by a top auto trans repairer ended up costing me about $3000 over ten ago years! .....I hope , for your sake, that the price has gone down!