Sudden major leak of ATF

This problem is on my 90 with a 3.5V8 and ZF4HP22 autobox transplant.

Tried to find the source of a sudden major leak of ATF; autogear changes were getting sticky by the time I got the 1/2 mile home from where I noticed the leak.
Checked the gearbox dipstick and it's empty, red oil everywhere, flowing and dripping along the oil cooler pipes, down front n/s wheel and all over the underside.
Checked the box and connections and look and feel ok so thinking its from the oil cooler as oil is being blown backwards....if the leak was at the gearbox end I doubt the front end would be so wet what with the fan and forward motion pushing away from the front.
Could not access the pipework to the oil cooler today; they are rubber hoses rather than metal oil cooler pipes.
I'll fill her up with ATF and run the engine and see if I can spot the leak....

A power wash to remove the worst before refill may help find the source.

Refilling the auto box from underneath whilst parked on the road won't be fun, so can I fill it via the dipstick hole?
Thank you.

cappers said:

Refilling the auto box from underneath whilst parked on the road won't be fun, so can I fill it via the dipstick hole?
Thank you.

Click to expand...

Yep. That’s the luxury of having a dipstick .

J

Yes, clean up as best you can so you can see where it's coming from. As well as a blast with a pressure washer underneath I find a can of cheap brake cleaner of Ebay and a roll of the cheapest kitchen paper towel I can find is helpful, so I can see what the problem is when the oil starts coming out again.

Brown said:

Yes, clean up as best you can so you can see where it's coming from. As well as a blast with a pressure washer underneath I find a can of cheap brake cleaner of Ebay and a roll of the cheapest kitchen paper towel I can find is helpful, so I can see what the problem is when the oil starts coming out again.

Click to expand...

halfords has brake cleaner for like £5 also btw

Sorted, at least temporarily. Jubilee clip securing hose to oil cooler spigot had rusted out and the inner metal sleeve had come away from the coupling so oil was coming out from the hose. Removed the old clip and cleaned up, reinserted spigot into sleeve with a bit of epoxy glue and a new jubilee and ran through the gears after refilling with ATF......so far no leak.


Need a new coupling as not sure how long this repair will last. But at least no longer leaking.

Good bit of rust control for the chassis anyway.