Transmission leaking help PLEASE!!!

So the other day I smelled what seemed like burning transmission fluid and when I looked under the car right where CAT is located there was fluid all over it. Im not quite sure where it came from but the only logical place would be from where the driveshaft meets the transmission. My car is standard and I can kind of hear some weird noise coming from right under my shifter. I took some pictures that might make some more sense if anyone has had this issue please help. BTW I have a 99 Subaru Legacy GT

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j480/Robg203/a139da7b.jpg

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j480/Robg203/da546784.jpg

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j480/Robg203/534b26df.jpg

is it red?

tranny fluid and power steering fluid are if so

Manual transmission fluid is not red. Looks like the seal, which is pretty easy to replace. Unbolt the prop shaft from the diff and carrier, slide it out, pull out the seal, put in new one with a big socket and hammer.

What do you mean by wierd sound coming from under the shifter?

Manual transmission fluid is not red. Looks like the seal, which is pretty easy to replace. Unbolt the prop shaft from the diff and carrier, slide it out, pull out the seal, put in new one with a big socket and hammer.

 

What do you mean by wierd sound coming from under the shifter?

Thanks I was told it was probably a bad seal, I just wanted to double check. The sound I believe I was hearing was the prop shaft turn and rubbing, it started happening right when the oil started leaking so Im just connecting two and two.

Thanks for the instructions as well, I wasn't sure how to do it… Will probably do it tomorrow and hopefully get this fixed

Manual transmission fluid is not red. Looks like the seal, which is pretty easy to replace. Unbolt the prop shaft from the diff and carrier, slide it out, pull out the seal, put in new one with a big socket and hammer.

I've got a small oil leak in and around here on my 98 LGT.

I put a piece of cardboard to see what kind of oil is leaking.

It's literally just drops. Not like what the OP has.

It's not the drain plug that's the bolt in the upper right.

But the oil is not red. It looks like oil.

I check my oil levels regularly. I have not checked my transmission oil.

I have manual transmission so I'd have to remove the plug. Is there a dipstick on the manual transmission?

Is this that seal where the transmission bolts to the engine?

I also get the car rustproofed yearly since I am in Toronto Canada and they use salt, that's why there a lot of caked on dirt and oil, but I don't do the oil spray until October.

but that little plate has new oil that's from a leak somewhere.

Thanks in advance.

You don't have to remove any plugs. There is a dipstick on the passanger side of the car. Its tucked down towards the bottom...its a tiny short little dip stick so you won't see it unless you look for it. It yellow (unless so much dirt has gathered on it that its black now lol).

 

To top off your transmission oil, You just pour it through the dipstick hole using a small funnel. It takes 75w90 gear oil.

 

Your oil leak looks like it can be one of a few things.

 

1 - oil pan gasket

2 - valve cover gasket

3 - oil separator plate

4 - transmission input shaft seal / bearing.

 

Does the fluid have a strong odor to it? If its the input shaft seal on the transmission, you will be able to tell just by the smell of it that its gear oil. Gear oil has a very distinct and VERY strong bad smell to it.

Thanks!

There's no odor. Looks like regular oil. I've only ever used synthetic in this car. I've owned it since it was new.

I'll check the transmission level.

I did put some stop leak into the crankcase a few days ago. but I still have the tiny leak.

So I pulled out the drive shaft and replaced the seal, now Im currently changing the transmission oil. Since its standard it takes gear oil right? I was told to get 75w90 so I brought mobile 1 synethic 75w90 but Im not sure if I should put that in. Also how many quarters does my transmission take... Its a 99 legacy gt 5 speed?

Does anyone have any suggestions on which gear oil to use? Before I put this in mobile 1 in

And how do I fill the transmission up, through the dipstick hole?

Thanks in advance

So I pulled out the drive shaft and replaced the seal, now Im currently changing the transmission oil. Since its standard it takes gear oil right? I was told to get 75w90 so I brought mobile 1 synethic 75w90 but Im not sure if I should put that in. Also how many quarters does my transmission take... Its a 99 legacy gt 5 speed?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on which gear oil to use? Before I put this in mobile 1 in

And how do I fill the transmission up, through the dipstick hole?

 

Thanks in advance

Hey there, I think I may have to do the same job on my 98 Sub LGT

what's the steps to pull out the tranny to replace the seal?

Also I think your leak is farther down the car than mine is.

I can't tell exactly. Mine is just behind the oil pan. see photo above.

Hey there, I think I may have to do the same job on my 98 Sub LGT

what's the steps to pull out the tranny to replace the seal?

 

Also I think your leak is farther down the car than mine is.

I can't tell exactly. Mine is just behind the oil pan. see photo above.

From the picture it doesnt really look like its the tranny seal, mines had alot less oil and it was further back right above the CAT.

You don't have to take out the tranny to replace the seal its actually alot easier than that. Just bring down the exhaust by unbolting the exhaust from where your headers meet the exhaust, I put some PB blast on the bolts and let it sit for 30 mins since they were really rusty and thought they would break. Also bring down the shield above the exaust so can you have easy access to the driveshaft and tranny. Unbolt the driveshaft right in the middle where the driveshaft splits. Just unbolt the four 12mm bolts ( make sure to mark the driveshaft so you can put it back in the same orientation, I used some whiteout and marked 2 separate lines). Loosen the bolts on the nut side since the head has a cast to stop it from spinning. To get to all four bolts either jack all four tires off the ground so you can rotate the driveshaft freely or roll the car forward. Once you have gotten the bolts out just unbolt the two 14mm bolts on the bushing that is holding the driveshaft up. Now just use you muscles to pull apart the driveshaft from the tranny, it will take some force. Once the driveshaft is out you should see the black rubber seal in the tranny, I used a flat head screw driver to pull out the seal. Put the new seal in making sure its in all the way I used a socket and hammered it in to place.

It might seem like alot but it's actually pretty easy, took my about 45 minutes with a hamburger break in between. This was the first time I had ever changed a tranny seal.

From the picture it doesnt really look like its the tranny seal, mines had alot less oil and it was further back right above the CAT.

 

You don't have to take out the tranny to replace the seal its actually alot easier than that. Just bring down the exhaust by unbolting the exhaust from where your headers meet the exhaust, I put some PB blast on the bolts and let it sit for 30 mins since they were really rusty and thought they would break. Also bring down the shield above the exaust so can you have easy access to the driveshaft and tranny. Unbolt the driveshaft right in the middle where the driveshaft splits. Just unbolt the four 12mm bolts ( make sure to mark the driveshaft so you can put it back in the same orientation, I used some whiteout and marked 2 separate lines). Loosen the bolts on the nut side since the head has a cast to stop it from spinning. To get to all four bolts either jack all four tires off the ground so you can rotate the driveshaft freely or roll the car forward. Once you have gotten the bolts out just unbolt the two 14mm bolts on the bushing that is holding the driveshaft up. Now just use you muscles to pull apart the driveshaft from the tranny, it will take some force. Once the driveshaft is out you should see the black rubber seal in the tranny, I used a flat head screw driver to pull out the seal. Put the new seal in making sure its in all the way I used a socket and hammered it in to place.

 

 

It might seem like alot but it's actually pretty easy, took my about 45 minutes with a hamburger break in between. This was the first time I had ever changed a tranny seal.

I'm going to clean and degrease the engine before I do this, so I can pinpoint the leak. It's really just a tiny leak. Just don't know exactly where it is. I did put the crankcase Stop Leak stuff, but it's still leaking. And I topped up the manual transmission gear oil. It was low.

Did you have to have to drain anything before you changed the seal?

I'm going to clean and degrease the engine before I do this, so I can pinpoint the leak. It's really just a tiny leak. Just don't know exactly where it is. I did put the crankcase Stop Leak stuff, but it's still leaking. And I topped up the manual transmission gear oil. It was low.

 

Did you have to have to drain anything before you changed the seal?

So I had the valve cover gasket changed and that seemed to be the culprit. I have not seen any more oil on the ground. So it wasn't the transmission seal.