Anyways the car is an 87 iroc 350 with 101k. One day i noticed some black spots on my floor mat, i thought it was just oil from on my shoe or something. So yesterday i went and bought a new set of mats, put them in, parked the car. Came back in the car later on and noticed a drip on my new mat, damnit, so then i realized it was something leaking so i put my hand up behind the dash and there was a little bit laying on like the lip behind the dash. Its dark brown, definately not water its oily, cant determine a smell. I noticed my brake fluid a bit low, could it be filthy brake fluid? Power steering fluid?

 

Shouldn't be brake fluid or P/S fluid. For brake fluid to leak into the car it needs to fill the booster. It can then seep out the back to the inside of the car. But the booster would be bad and the leak would be up on the firewall.

No path for P/S fluid into the car.

This may sound goofy, but it may be tranmsssion fluid. With a cable speedometer (which I believe a '87 Camaro has, although I may be wrong, can't recall what years the changeover occured to an electronic speedometer, it is also different years between the Camaro's & Firebird's).

What happens is that the fuild travels up the cable and drips out from behind the speedometer. Place a clean piece of paper under the drip to get a better idea of the color. If it is ATF the speedometer piece in the tranny is worn out.

RBob.

 

Good advice, never thought of that. I did put clean paper down today, I'm going to see what it is later when I leave work. Now that you mention ATF I did see a few drops even outside under the car on the pavement under the front of the tranny, very small amount over the course of a few months, so I guess it probably is that cable. If thats what it is, can it be fixed? Or will I have to disconnect it and go without a speedo? Lol my last thirdgen didn't have a working speedometer and I don't really need it, I find it more of a distraction really, I got pretty good at using the guy in front of me as a gauge.

 

It can be fixed. The piece that fits into the tranny that the speedometer cable attaches to wears out. This allows ATF into the cable area where it is picked up and feed into the back of the speedometer.

The tranny speedo-gear wears the opening and causes the seal to leak. Should be able to fix it by replacing that piece. It is held in with a single bolt, pulls straight out. Don't let the gear fall into the tranny.

RBob.

 

Ok, it was pinkish-brown on clean white paper, so theres my answer. Been meaning to change the tranny fluid for ages so now I have even more reason to get under the car. Would auto-zone carry or order this part?
Thanks

 

Just for future reference, any wire thats plugged into a sensor that is plugged into any type of fluid, can turn into a little pipe that allows fluid to move inside the wire. Sounds far fetched eh? I seen it three times.
One was on a s10 blazer that was shifting funny, when i pulled the ecm connector out of the ecm to check some trans wiring. Gasoline poured out of the pcm. The cause was a messed up upper intake.
The other two where mecedes 722.6 trans was pumping atf up the pass through connector and into the tcm.

 

Yes they should carry it, and an 87 TPI has an electronic speed sensor, not a cable(cables were gone around 84ish, I think).

 

If its electronic, tranny fluid can still come through?

 

No. FYI: Camaros 82-89 had mechanical speedos, 90-92 electric.

JamesC

 

Yes its possible, I've seen it with coolant temp sensors on chevy pickups. The coolant travels up the wire into the ECM.

The wiring diagrams at work, both Mitchell Repair and Alldata show the speedo for an 87 350 TPI having an electronic speedo, as did my 87 350 TPI T/A.

 

Ok sorry for asking so many questions, hopefully this will be the last. What is the part called that I need? Would it be a 'speedometer pinion seal' like from this link? http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductL...er+Pinion+Seal

 

TAs, Firebirds, and so on had electronic speedos from 86-92 (I don't believe the motor's ci was relevant), the same with 90-92 Camaros.

I'd be surprised if the o-ring can't be located at the following site:

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/sp...n_______va.htm

JamesC

 

I also have this issue. I figured I'd post any info I know to help others like this fourm has helped me. I have an 86 lg4 carbed motor and cable driven speedo. The gauges needle has been floating around instead of being constant like normal and I aquired that leak. In the next day or so I will look into getting that seal and will post results. Thanks