i am going out of my damn mind, i will now be replacing my transmission gasket a 4th time. i use felpro gaskets, quaker state trans oil, and i have a summit 8qt. alum. pan. i need new bolts because i have crappy 12pts.(by the way anyone know the pan bolt size and thread)
i tighten the pan in a cross sequence and have lightly tightened heavily tightened and everything in between. it still leaks, why, i have put it on dry and with rtv. i need an idea OF WHAT TO do next i want it to be my final time doing this crap. should i just put a nic e line of 3m weatherstrip adhesive on the pan and gasket let it dry a little then tighten it up or what i dieng here please someone help.

 

Does it leak since u changed pans ?
maybe it doesnt line up perfectly...

did u drop it?
maybe there's a tinyspace somewhere and cant be seals ?

I assume u changed gaskets every time ..

It never leaked with the original pan, right?

 

Are the Felpro gskts cork or the composite fiber type? The composite fiber type is black and fairly thin. That is the best type to use. Cork is terrible for sealing machined aluminium surfaces.

Never, ever use RTV on any gasket. It will allow the gasket to move about and eventually split.

Is the Summit pan straight? Check it with a straight edge. Could be warped.

 

One thing people forget to do is reverse-punch the bolt holes. Or at least de-burr the holes.
If you dont - when you tighten up the pan bolts the pan itself will cut into the gasket. You will notice it happening when the gasket bulges out from the bolt hole(s).

Edit:
Also, I use spray on contact cement to one side of the gasket and to the pan - If I have to - you dont need anything at all - this is only to hold the gasket while you set the pan up.

 

ARE YOU SURE THE PAN GASKET IS LEAKING>>>>> case in point...On my vette 700R4 I replaced the pan gasket 3 times....Because it looked like it was leaking...Then UPON close investigation it was my front PUMP o ring that leaked....The big o ring that seals the pump to the case....ANYWAY it would run down that MINUTE edge of the tranny and along the gasket...Making it appear that the pan gasket was leaking..

Just something to look at....

 

Good Point!!

 

AND for the record...on that tranny the third gasket I had a transmission shop look at it and redo the gasket....Thy claimed it was a cheap pan gasket...they redid the pan gasket...stillleaked....I ended up pulling the tranny out and finding the leak myself... New O-ring and back pump gasket...plus a pump seal for good measure and Problem solved...

The reason I adding this info is to say that even PROFESSIONALS that look at trannies everyday were fooled into thinking it was a bad pan gasket... Trust me I was ready to pull my hair out over it...I was glad to finally fix it for sure.. if for no other reason to prove to myself that I was not crazy...

 

well thanks for answering everyone im 99 % sure its the gasket so i used a duraprene gasket and got new bolts instead of the ****ty 12 pt. summit ones which by the way i had to use half new and half old bolts because the standard bolts are too short to fit in the thick lip of the aluminum tranny pan. well to make a long story short it leaked againg all around the pan, thats after 5 hours on my back. i said **** it put a thick felpro gasket on caked it with 3m weatherstrip adhesive and it seems to be holding now we just have to wait over night and see. one more thing though theres like a weep hole on the pan rail on the passenger side is there supposed to be a pin in there or something why is this hole right on the gasket?

 

That is an air bleed hole for the transmission. It must not be covered!!

 

What kind of torque value are you putting on your bolts. It's only supposed to be about 97 inch pounds. If you over tighten the bolts, it will cause the gasket to spread out from the pan and not seal properly.

The Trickster!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i tighten it by hand i do it tight, loose , and everything inbetween is it that delicate that it definately needs to be done with a torque wrench. im not manhulking it or anything . i just covered it with 3m weatherstrip adhesive and it still leaks from that damn corner. should i definetly use a torque wrench.?

 

Yes, it is. If you don't use a torque wrench and try to use the calibrated wrist method you will not have all the bolts tightened evenly, some will be tighter than others. Pinching the seal in some areas and not contacting the seal enough in others.

The Trickster!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

alright ill go by a torque and see if that works ive needed one anyway its just wierd that it always leaks in the same spot no matter how tight or loose i do it (bye the way today i saw the whole front lip leaking great huh!

 

Check the pan with a straight edge...sounds like it's warped.

 

it happened with my original pan too same corner but its definately the gasket

 

I agree you may have a warped pan...same thing happened to me.

Also you said it leaks out of one corner...is it the one by the dipstick? If so, it could be leaking from the dipstick tube where it goes into the case....maybe the rubber gasket is bad or something. Just a thought...

 

no its clean on top of the pan so its not the tube or anything, and its a new summit aluminum pan.