My new manual transmission has a crack in the casing - I don't know what to do.

[DanDombrowski]

I paid $250 to have someone install my transmission (remanufactured from Vines) today only to find a hairline crack in the rear of the housing, near where the exhaust hanger attaches.

After all the money I paid in labor, I really, really don't want to pay to pull the transmission again. I figure I can either -

1 - pay to have/pull the transmission myself, ship back to vines, wait, get new one, do all over again

2 - find someone whom can weld aluminum and have them try to seal up the crack.

3 - use some transmission stopleak product. These are usually not recommended for automatic transmissions, but I can't see how it would hurt a manual gearbox.

I really need some advice on this, I'm so upset with this damn transmission I don't know what to think anymore. Needless to say, I'm pretty pissed at the build quality of Vines rebuilt transmissions.

[DanDombrowski]

the crack is causing the fluid to leak, about 1 drop per 4-5 seconds

[NovceGuru]

JB Weld!!!

[etcetera]

Pull it.

[winfred]

tranny stop leak is for leaking seals, it makes them swell up and temporarily stop leaking, your choices for not pulling it out is live with it or drain it clean it clean it some more and after you clean it up clean it again and jb weld it

[DanDombrowski]

Winfred,

Thanks for the tips. I cant live with the leak, its leaking a consistant amount pretty quickly. If you think JB weld will hold the leak, wouldn't an aluminum weld hold better? Ill try the JB weld tomorrow.

[etcetera]

I'd contact Vines to make sure they'll take it back if need be with JB weld on it.

[winfred]

a real weld would be best if done properly (no pitting or other nastyness from a underskilled welder), people sneer at jb weld but the oil pan in my e30 has been jb'd for almost 84k miles without a drop and the oil pan gets a **** load hotter then a tranny, as long as the crack is stable as in not growing/moving/flexing jb will seal it with proper surface prep


Winfred,

Thanks for the tips. I cant live with the leak, its leaking a consistant amount pretty quickly. If you think JB weld will hold the leak, wouldn't an aluminum weld hold better? Ill try the JB weld tomorrow.

[Jon K]

JB weld is amazing. Drain the trans and JB weld it. If that fails, the only thing left is to have it TIG'd. But welding cast aluminum is a bitch and can warp it.

[colo525i]

I'll throw in another good word for JB weld. Patched a magnesium motorcycle case that took a rock and drained the trans fluid. The hole was so large I had to use a soda can. JB weld has held that aluminum can to the magnesium case for 6 years now, not a drop has leaked.

[ryan roopnarine]

so sorry to hear that.

if i were you, i'd call vines and see if they would pay to have the thing welded at wherever is convenient to you, as opposed to shipping it back to them.

[DanDombrowski]

Well that was my intention, I'm certainly not going to pay $50-100 to have the thing welded out of my pocket, the thing is supposed to be near new condition.

I took it by my shop today to see what they thought. They seconded the JB weld idea. With all of the other good JB weld stories, I'm starting to feel slightly better about the situation, I have good expectations of it.

I smeared some RTV on there last night to try to slow the leak enough that I could drive it to work this morning, and while it hasn't stopped the leak, it has slowed it. Will drain and apply JB weld tonight.

Thanks for everyone's input. I'll call Vines today on my way home and make sure they're cool with me attempting this. I can't see how they wouldn't be - its not like they'll be able to use the casing again if they want to fix it.

[indierthanthou]

i had an 86 dodge diplomat i got from my grandma...that sucker was about 50% jb weld, 10% duct tape, 5% chicken wire, and the rest was rust

[acidfire52]

Man, sorry to hear that. At least the new tranny is shifting ok.

Mine is working good. Hope you get her fixed up soon.

[Ross]

i had an 86 dodge diplomat i got from my grandma...that sucker was about 50% jb weld, 10% duct tape, 5% chicken wire, and the rest was rust
From the factory.

I've used JB weld with good results also. The case cracked for a reason though, the JB wont keep the crack from growing.

[632 Regal]

agreed, the only way to properly weld it is to gut it and heat it up so the weld sticks good. Mig or tig, without heat it will warp and crack the hell outta it.


From the factory.

I've used JB weld with good results also. The case cracked for a reason though, the JB wont keep the crack from growing.

[Incantation]

+1