OK So I spent some time and finally got the oil leak taken care of via the dipstick flange. In the meantime, I noticed that there were 4 bolts on the tranny pan and the drain bolt that seemed to be leaking.
So I cleaned it all up, and went through with my little ratchet and snugged every bolt up just a touch. The 4 that were oozing took about a half turn before feeling snug. The others.. just a nudge. The drain plug...maybe 1/16 turn.

Well 2 days later and short jaunts to the store, and it is leaking again.
Only this time it seems to be only 1 pan bolt and the drain plug. WTH!
Not bad tho. 1 spot about 1inch diameter after sitting overnight. Then another about 4inches in diameter. Not flowing anywhere...just drip and sit. But enough to **** me off as I just cleaned the floor from the oil.

Can I pull that one bolt and add some sealant to the threads or a new rubber gasket to it without having to drain the whole pan?
I am planning on doing the tranny fluid & filter soon but not ready for it yet.

This tranny has about 130K on it from a HD rebuild. Still pulls strong with no slipping or fading but it is due to maint.
So since I am posting on it...
Recommendations?
Fluid type
Filter
pan gasket
drain plug gasket
pan bolt gaskets?

Thanks all!

 

There are no pan bolt gaskets....and the pan gasket is reusable. There are steel spacers (in the gasket) that the pans bolts pass through to prevent crushing the gasket. Well I believe there to be....been a LONG time since I was in mine.

 

I'll take a couple of pics when I get home. I could swear you can see a black thin rubber gasket under the head of each bolt. This tranny was rebuilt with custom touches. Wonder of maybe the shop did something there.

 

I wonder if the shop used black RTV and that's what you're seeing. The bolts don't normally have individual gaskets.

 

Figures...I forgot to take a pic last night. Will try again but if they used RTV, they went through a lot of pains to clean up the edges.
I would tend to agree as I have never seen any rubber type of gasket or washer on the pan bolts but... I am always surprised.

But what I did do tho is get a look at the drip spot and something I did notice this morning is that the liquid on the floor was slight reddish/brownish.
What you may expect for a tranny overdue for fluid change...but what I wasn't prepared to see is that a part of the spot on the floor looked like it was drying away and not staying oily like I would expect from tranny fluid.
I am wondering if maybe it isn't something else drooling its way back to look like a tranny leak?

 

Some of the coolants other than the green stuff can look like tranny fluid. Maybe you should put a bowl under it and let it drip so you can scratch and sniff and make a determination.

 

Good idea. Will start that when I get home today.
Oh the joys of a 7.3. But considering what I have put it through and where it has gotten in and out of.... wouldn't give her up.

 

Just last night one of my buddies was chastising me for driving my old plug. I explained it like this...it's not the most powerful, it's not the most efficient but it will outlast your new Chevy and I'd bet on it. Conversation went on and he explained how he just limped home from a camping trip and truck was in the garage, seems his DEF was acting up. "No problem", he says, "they'll just take it out...for $2000". Ha, diesel, crew cab, full size bed, what $55, 000? Before that extra $2000 for DEF removal. And I can fix mine better than and without the garage.

 

EXACTLY!!!!

 

My guess that it an oil leak, engine oil. Not the rear seal either.

EBPV acutator or a HPOP line or a valve cover gasket....or even the dip stick adapter.

 

EBPV actuator - Will check it out
HPOP line - Nope. Checked out. All lines and fittings are clean and dry engine valley
dip stick adapter - Nope... Just fixed that Oil pan is bone dry on the outside. This is the tranny pan I am looking at.

 

Or it's fuel from up top.

 

Check the left side Pressure Port Plug. I've seen them seem and run a single line of fluid to the pan seal and drain plug. Just snug it up if that's it.