First off I want to say thanks for having me I am a brand new member here.

Now let's get down to the meat and potatoes. I need some good solid advice before I end up taking a rifle and an axe to his truck.

2002 F250 7.3 L with a 4r100 automatic. 4x4 CCSB

Picked up a nice rebuilt transmission. Guy builds them from other people's cores. I get the stupid thing in the truck and it won't go forward full TCC lock. That's fine he sends me a new TCC solenoid in an hour of work later the truck is rolling in both directions properly.

Puking fluid out of the transmission however. It turns out the core he used was damaged in a way that wasn't able to be told until the transmission was installed. The pedestal that the trans cooler bypass line fitting routes into is cracked on both sides. Probably on the brink of busting off completely.

I used JB Kwick Weld and it held long enough to get everything together and even be able to drive the truck across town for new tires and alignment. By the time I got it back home it still wasn't leaking as bad but there was a steady stream of fluid coming from the damaged area.

Doing all this work to it and saving up for our family trip next week has left me with about $20 to my name. I don't have the money or the time to take this to a shop and have it welded at the moment. This truck was supposed to take us to Kansas City 800 miles each way next week.

Everything I've been able to find on the internet says I can use a propane torch to remove the JB Weld, clean the area very well with carb cleaner and degreaser, and repatch it with regular JB Weld instead of kwik weld and it would hold.

I am open to any and all help and suggestions. I need to get a good solid patch on this ASAP. My mom and dad haven't been able to come out and see our daughter since she was born in November. I'd really hate to have to cancel this trip because of this stupid issue. I don't want to let the truck sit until I can afford to take it to a shop and have it weld it unless I absolutely have to. Please and thank you

 

Make the tranny rebuilder guy pay for a proper weld - or swap with another transmission. You paid for a proper working transmission. He gave you a broken one.

 

Thank you for the quick reply and if I can't find a patch that will hold you better believe I will. The problem is I just simply don't have the time right now. I won't be getting off work until tomorrow evening at the earliest as I am on my way to New York. We were intending to leave Saturday.

Right now my thought is I can clean it to death, maybe run some super glue or other adhesive through where it's cracked so that can hold it in place and then coated with original JB Weld and give it the full 24 hours. I just need to know if this will hold or if there is a better option out there

 

I wouldn't try to do any kind of fast/cheap fix. Between the fluid splashing against it, and the expansion and contraction due to heat, I think it will fail and you could possibly lose your transmission. You don't want that to happen on a 1,600 mile trip.

 

A thought has occurred to me. I have some very basic although limited welding experience. Not much room in there but should be enough to work with. How about brazing or soldering the piece, that seems like it should be enough to hold it and then I can back it with the JB Weld just for added insurance. To my knowledge this should be very similar to sweating pipes together.

 

+1 to Hoss. Fix it right or don't fix it at all. If your JB pops off due to heat, pressure, whatever and you drain you tranny on the highway, you'll absolutely trash your transmission and you're in way worse shape than before. It "might" work, but there's no way I'd try it on my truck. You can swap a tranny in an afternoon. If he's got one, or can get one right quick, you/he can just pop it right in. Otherwise maybe get a loner?

 

Are you hauling something with the truck? I'd rent before risking the new tranny to jB weld.

 

Okay guys I've already stated I'm past using just JB to fix it I'm looking into brazing it. Plug the hole so nothing gets inside the tranny, clean it, wire brush it, and braze it. If I used JB Weld at all it would be to back it's because I like to go overboard to make sure things are right.

 

Then you shouldn't be using JB Weld and should trade out that transmission for one that doesn't leak.

 

Again, I don't think you will be able to get all of the contaminants out of the crack to let the brazing material bond. Plus aluminum transfers heat fast, I'm not sure you could adequately heat the area.