I just bought a rough old 89 F-250 with the 351 W and I guess it has the 3 speed C6 auto. The engine has been replaced recently, and it runs pretty good, but when I bought it the guy told me that there was a small transmission fluid leak at one of the hoses on a second tranny cooler that he put on. When I got it home, I replaced the hose clamp and made sure that the hose was on the cooler good. That seems to have MAYBE stopped the leak there (still crossing my fingers). I topped off the fluid and while I was in there I checked the other fluids and found the oil was pretty low and the coolant was real low, so I topped them off too.

Well, when I went out today, (it has been sitting for a few days) there were no new puddles under the truck, so I felt pretty good about fixing the leak, but I drove it for about 15 miles and checked the tranny fluid and it was low again, but the hoses looked dry and I didn't see anything else that looked like it was leaking. So, I'm starting to wonder where the heck the fluid went? I've never heard of a tranny burning fluid, so I'm not sure where its going. You think its possible that it is going somewhere or that maybe after driving it a little that maybe the fluid "settled" a little or something?

This is my first Ford, so I just don't really know what to think. Other than the mystery of the missing tranny fluid and the steering having about a 1/3 of a turn of play in the wheel, it seems to be a pretty decent old truck - runs good, shifts good, and even the gauges and e-brake work.

 

i would give it a few days and check it again. the extra cooler could have leaked itself dry, most of them hold atleast half a quart.