Solve the leaking ATF mystery on the $400 850

[erikv11]

I have only replaced the front pump seal when pulling the engine and transmission out for an engine swap. Agreed, the seal itself is trivial to do but it is a lot of work to get to it.

Can you do the job by taking the transmission out the side? Or maybe you are better off just pulling the engine, doing the RMS at the same time.

[claymore850]

Your inner torque converter / gear box seal is leaking..just a US20 bucks part... Is not big deal to change the seal, but has a lot of work involved, im sure is easy to change it if you remove the complete engine +gear box.. if you decide to remove just the gear box (well explained on Haynes Manual) the time consumed is almost the same, but the headache is bigger.

If you have tools and time (and a lot of patience) can save a lot of Money changing it by yourself.

[erikv11]

OK he said the same thing I did and added that taking the trans out the side is a total pain. I sort of thought that too.

If I was you I wouldn't totally give up on this car yet. Read the tutorial on this site about engine swaps, seriously. You need jackstands and an engine hoist (rent, borrow or buy). Pull the engine with trans attached, change the two seals that have been mentioned (Rear Main Seal is the second one), but new intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, you are done for about $150. If you pay a shop to do this they will charge you $700 minimum usually more like $900+.

Of course, that advice assume you are CERTAIN about where the leak comes from.