<VV> Re: PG pouring out fluid (UPDATE)

[Bill Elliott]

UPDATE:

Well, I finally have everything apart and now I'm even more confused. I wish I had more PG experience 
to draw on, but 99% of all transaxle issues I've dealt with have been manuals.

The stator shaft shows light rotation marks on it, but nothing that would grab the point of a thin, sharp 
knife blade, so I'd tend to think it was okay. Same sort of extremely light wear pattern on the torque 
convertor bushing as well.

However, the seal that I assumed had failed actually looks pretty good...no tears or obvious leak points. 
I don't see evidence of anything that should cause the kind of HUGE leak I was seeing.  (As a reminder, 
the old transaxle had been in there undisturbed and unleaking for more than a decade. Without any sort 
of incident/action to prompt it, the ATF fluid just began pouring out of the bellhousing.)

Do I just go ahead and replace the seal, put everything back together, and pray?  Or should I just put in 
a rebuilt diff while I'm here?

Steve O sold me (at a very reasonable price, I might add) one of those new Clarks torque convertors 
that he had in excess to his needs, so I'm planning on using that along with a fresh trans from Claypool. 
The bushing in this new convertor has a couple of perpendicular grooves in it while the old one is 
smooth. Is this some sort of improvement?

Thanks for any guidance!

Also, the rubber mounts at either end of the Transvair brace are shot...does anyone (or does Clarks) 
have just the mounts?

Bill 

--Original Message Text---
From: Bill Elliott
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 18:56:51 -0400

I hate Powerglides and this latest issue is only reinforcing that.

Subject is my VW Westy with the Transvair kit, including a PG. Reverse has been getting harder and 
harder to select, so I had already planned on replacing the transmission. The van is started and moved 
around at least once a week, but had not been out on the highway in a month.

I last moved it last Saturday. No issues. So yesterday I go to move it and reverse won't select. At all. And 
now, no forward gears either!

I check the fluid and it's dry.

So today I get some ATF fluid (and a little bottle of trans seal), put two quarts along with the sealer... 
and the level read a bit above "low". So I take it for a drive on the highway to warm everything up and 
hopefully let the sealer do some work. I haven't gone 1/4 mile when I realize I have a smoke screen 
behind me... so I turn around and head back home.

The fluid is POURING out of the trans... but at the bellhousing! What's up with that? I've only had a few 
PG's...and they all leaked...but none there! The smoke was from the oil burning off the exhaust.

So I know I need to replace the trans...but with new problem, what else as well?

Thanks!
Bill Elliott