I was driving down from Boulder to Denver last month and during the drive I noticed smoke pouring out of my passenger's side front wheel well, so I pulled over and looked and the transmission was literally pouring fluid and there was a line of fluid to the place I had parked. I was 7 miles from home so I just said screw it, let it cool down and drove it the rest of the way home, and when I got home I pulled it beside the house and haven't moved it since. While the car was still cold the transmission wasn't leaking but the moment it started to warm up it started pouring again, so I figure it's a blown gasket or something along those lines. Any ideas or things to check for?

I was thinking about repairing it myself but I'm partial to paying someone to do it for me, should I leave the transmission to someone else as I have a very limited knowledge of transmissions? If so, what are some good places to get transmissions serviced?

The Firebird in the picture is mine by the way.

 

That far forward sounds like it could just be a cooling line its not uncommon for them to rub on something and wear a hole in them and then spray/leak on the exhaust and smoke bad. Really just need to clean it up a little with a rag and the see where it is leaking and post a pic of it here for more help.

 

ill definitely look at that, im positive transmission fluid was leaking and my dipstick is really low, ill post a picture if i can tomorrow but its dark now and im in class. That would be awesome if it is that simple, ill probably service the tranny one way or another though

 

Yeah your transmission has two metal cooling lines coming from the trans mission and that go the the pass. side of the radiator.

 

Sounds like a cooler line broke or cracked.

As already mentioned you have two metal lines that goes to transmission right behind the flared out part of "bell housing", those lines runs bhe starter and down the frame rail to the rad. and screws into your rad.

Over time those lines can loose and come loose or off the transmission, can rub agaist some part under car and break, crack just due to age and pressure, or even a rock can get kicked up, hit and break a line.

If it's a line, you have a few options. You can replace the hole line. You can cut the break out, slip the right fittings on, flare the ends, and use a union to join them back together, or you can even buy a length of rubber transmission cooler line at the parts store, cut the break out of the metal lines, slip a couple clamps on the line, put the rubber line on and tighten the clamps.

I like to use the fuel injection band type hose clamp rather than the worm gear type clamps. The band clamps holds better and won't cut the line like the gear ones will

 

Figured I'd follow up now that I've gotten around to working on it, I ended up pulling the transmission and found that the torque converter was catching, the front seal was leaking and the flex plate was cracked through. Here's a picture of the flex plate, it was cracked through and I was bored while filling the new torque converter so I pried the middle out.

 

Woops, forgot the picture of the flex plate

 

ouch! it happens though.
glad you got it figured out.

 

+2 on the fuel injection clamps.

Glad you got it figured out, just make sure the input shaft isnt chewed up.

 

I'll check that today, I actually haven't put it completely back together yet, planning on finishing it today