Resealed leaky Transmission pan...After refilling new leak from higher

Hi all,

My 98' Prerunner 3RZ-FE has recently been running a bit rough at highway speeds only in the morning when the truck is cold. Usually around 70MPH things are getting a bit shaky and jumpy, almost like a cylinder misfire. I heard one thing to check would be my transmission level, and sure enough, when I checked the dipstick it was very low.

I solved why it was low by noticing a good bit of ATF around the bolts on the pan and a weep from one of the corners. I drained the ATF, took off the pan and clearly saw some very old and crusty FIPG. Scraped it off, got it clean, and bolted the pan back in.








Now with the pan back in and after filling the ATF back up, I gave it a test drive and everything seemed smooth until I got home & parked. I noticed a lot of ATF was now leaking from up higher, and assumed I must have over-filled. I drained some ATF out, rechecked the level, looked good and called it a day.

That was about two weeks ago and I'm still getting a leak from up high unfortunately. My ATF level is now below where it should be from the leak I'm guessing, and I just don't know where to go from here.

I shot a video of where the leak is coming from here:



The real kicker is...Truck still shakes around 70-75MPH. Any ideas on what to do next and to get this leak to stop?

 

Scan for codes, even if the CEL is off.

As for the transmission leak, are you sure it's transmission fluid?

If so, the dipstick tube is really "two" parts.

The tube "fits" into the small tube extending upwards from the pan itself. There's an o-ring that degrades over time. I had a leak from there after having done my pan.

 

I'm assuming it's ATF because it's bright red just like the fresh stuff I put in. Scanned for codes, nothing came up. I was worried it may be the dipstick tube but it seems to be fine, I also put some silicone around the O-ring when I popped it back on. The leak seems to be coming from above the tube even? Not sure what's up there exactly where the transmission meets the block.

 

clean and dry the outside of the tube up high where the dipstick goes then take her for a ride. then check the outside of the tube again for ATF… she could be pushing fluid out the top of the dipstick tube.

as for the shake at speed you can check for simple things like lower ball joints and steering components in a few minutes if you have a floor jack.

 

What color is you anti freeze ?

 

Did you ever figure out what this was and fix it? I am having the exact same thing happen.

 

"Same exact thing" could mean quite a bit based on what's been discussed.

The easiest thing to do is confirm transmission fluid levels - too much or too little can make these things act up.

If you've got a leak, drain, pull off the pan, and use FIPG to reseal it. Wait until the FIPG cures before refilling.

 

By same thing I mean I had a small weep from the pan gasket. I dropped the pan, replaced the filter and used Toyota FIPG for install. Refill, later when I drive on the freeway for a long period of time and up a large hill I have ATF puking under the car all over the transmission. I figured I did a bad job so I dropped the pan again and redid my work. I didn’t drive the car very far for a few months, but the around town driving I did resulted in no leaks. this weekend after I returned home from camping (and a long drive on a hilly freeway) the car had a puddle of atf under it and it appeared that parts of the transmission above the pan were wet, including the crossmember to the rear of the transmission. after reading this thread and some others it seems that the transmission may have overheated and puked fluid out of the breather. I’m trying to figure out why it may have overheated or any other info about dealing with this type of issue.

 

internet guesses:
(i have dealt/fixed all the below)

1)overfill......coming out of breather
this symptom makes tranny and undercarriage wet but doesnt puddle on ground
also big time smell after long trips
2)tranny rubber oil cooler lines that enter the radiator old clamps or old hoses
this would make undercarriage wet and this would puddle
3)tranny rubber oil cooler line(s) rubbing on pulleys or pulley belts
this would DUMP fluid and for me could see smoke from behind the vehicle