No drive gears, leaking fluid

Little Ice-Cable

3rd Gear Poster
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Oct 18, 2024
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Indiana
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1996 Thunderbird 4.6L v8 SOHC
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Slid under the car and got this picture. I believe it is the transmission cooler line, does anyone know where I can get one of these at.
 
The ATF heat exchanger is on that side of the radiator; check to be sure there's no leakage from the fittings. Also check to see if your PS reservoir contains PS fluid or ATF. I would also clean everything up real well and check it out again after taking it for a drive to see if it's easier to pinpoint the source of the leak.
 
The ATF heat exchanger is on that side of the radiator; check to be sure there's no leakage from the fittings. Also check to see if your PS reservoir contains PS fluid or ATF. I would also clean everything up real well and check it out again after taking it for a drive to see if it's easier to pinpoint the source of the leak.
That's the new bird that does not drive because of the transmission. I was hopeful that would be the problem. When we got back home the trailer was covered in tranny fluid.
 
Does it not drive because it's low on fluid or is there another issue? If it's leaking from the cooler lines to the heat exchanger that's one thing; if the heat exchanger has failed and ATF was mixing with coolant and leaking out that way, that's another. The former is "fix the leak, refill the trans and drive away". The other is "water wastes clutches, rebuild time".
 
Does it not drive because it's low on fluid or is there another issue? If it's leaking from the cooler lines to the heat exchanger that's one thing; if the heat exchanger has failed and ATF was mixing with coolant and leaking out that way, that's another. The former is "fix the leak, refill the trans and drive away". The other is "water wastes clutches, rebuild time".
I do not know if I put it in reverse and feather it it will move. I was hoping it was the cooler line so I could start now but it does not sound like that is going to be the case.
 
Where's it leaking from, I assume the pan gasket? Unless someone was in there previously and damaged the gasket, overtorqued the bolts and deformed the pan, or didn't tighten them all...

In short, sort out the leak first to be sure of its condition... but it would not surprise me if it ultimately comes down to a rebuild.
 
Also, if you put fluid in it and drive up the trailer or even just ran it done then that fluid was pushed through the system and probably did not make its way back to the pan. Therefore so fluid on dipstick.
I added fluid once to a wrecked car, it moved fine. The next day low on fluid and no movement, needed more fluid.
 

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