Hey guys, ive been having transmission fluid leak from my truck for a while now. Very slow leak. At first I thought it was a hard line and replaced it but it was still leaking. Then I think I found where it was coming from. It looks to be fluid dripping on the bottom of both sides of my intercooler? On both identical spots. Im guessing perhaps I had a crack on my transmission oil cooler and driving blew it into the fins of my intercooler. I took my old one off and couldnt visibly see one. I have a brand new trans cooler installed now. Havent drove yet as im waiting on brake parts, but what do you guys think? I couldnt think of anything else on why it would leak off the intercooler?

 

Transmission fluid passes through the radiator or the transmission cooler, not the intercooler maybe your transmission cooler is leaking and while driving , blowing into the intercooler?

Clean it up with purple power, rinse and then see if you can find the actual leak.

 

Yes as I had mentioned above, my suggestion was that the only reason I could think of transmission fluid dripping from my intercooler would be a faulty trans cooler. I have replaced it with a brand new one, I just havent had the time to go test it yet as I am waiting to finish up my brakes. I just wanted to check with the members on here to see if there could be any other possible reason for it to be dripping from the intercooler itself as the pictures show. Just wanted to make sure so I could double check before putting her back on the road.

 

Do what WatsonR said and clean it all up and then when your back on the road after the other work check to see if that got it.
Also use low pressure to rinse it off. Don't want to push any water in.

Did you happen to also look at the power steering cooler to make sure that is not the leak?



Sean

6.0L Tech Folder

 

You could try pressure on the old one. Plug one end with a wood plug or even bend the tube over and them put some air into the other side and see if you can blow it out or maybe some water or some colored water, like green coolaid. The leak would show easily I would think.

 

Well... I cannot believe I never took notice of this but it seems the previous owner "deleted" the power steering cooler. What should be two lines going to the power steering cooler is just ran from one end to the other. I feel very... lol.. brain fart.. Ahh.. what are the effects of running no cooler? Should I get a new one asap? No fluid coming from the "reroute".

Great idea Watson. Ill give that a shot tomorrow.

 

Well if you had to do a lot of braking or heavy turning it would quickly
heat the fluid up in the system. Not good to over heat things.



Sean

6.0L Tech Folder