Update on JoesVan busted down in Tekonsha, Michigan:

Got home after Thanksgiving and crawled around with a light under the '87
Autotrans.  Looks like the oil might be leaking from near the torque
converter area, kind of coming out the sides and then was getting slung
back onto the hot exhaust pipes causing the heart wrenching smoke I saw on
the highway last Wednesday night.  Talked to the transmission place, and
they said "bring it back, we will fix it." So, I'm planning on flatbedding
the bus back to them using AAA this week to get it under the wrench again.

So, I guess I will find out that if the seals failed, it may have been an
inferior seal. If not, hoping they can diagnose some problem with the trans
itself.

Are there any recommended brands of trans seals?  They used a kit from
California if I remember correctly.  The bill says "GSK Kit VWOIO 78- UP

Thanks again for the thoughts and information last week!

Pete
'79 Westy "Aardvark"
'87 Westy "JoesVan"
WWW.Busesbythebeach.org <http://WWW.Busesbythebeach.com>

On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 08:57, Pete O <pnoceanwesty@gmail.com> wrote:

> The plan was to take JoesVan to In Laws in Saginaw for Thanksgiving, then
> head down to our friends house in Albion for a weekend gathering and sleep
> in the bus.  Stayed on two lanes for 1st 90 miles, then pulled onto 69 near
> Tekonsha and much to my horror, saw crazy blue/white smoke billowing out
> behind in the headlights of the truck behind.
>
> (Don't you love those "pucker" moments?) Pulled over immediately and after
> much crawling around under with 80 mph traffic whizzing by, determined the
> Transmission was leaking onto the hot exhaust again.  First thought was,
> "thank God it's not the motor loosing coolant!"  This trans oil leaking
> happened two winters ago in the cold and I had a professional trans garage
> reseal all gaskets and rings,  They used a full kit. We have been on the 4
> and 5 hour drives with not a drop leaking both summers since then.  So, we
> called AAA and went home on a hook with a very nice flatbed driver. The
> good part was we had gone just 95 miles and thus saved the $3.75 per mile
> overage fee.  AAA is good, but that one hefty fine for going over 100!
>
> Question for those in the know:  What would cause these new seals to fail?
> I assumed when it happened before, it was age related.  Do you think the
> transmission or transaxle is generating heat somehow and causing the seals
> to compromise? It was shifting and driving normally up to the point I saw
> the smoke.   I have not had a good look yet in the barn, so don't know
> exactly where it is leaking from - it seemed like there was more on the
> driver side that the other.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts/info and Happy Thanksgiving to all our bus
> brothers and sisters!  We are off to Grandma's house in the Ford Taurus.
>
> Pete
> '79 Westy "Aardvark"
> '87 Westy "JoesVan"
> WWW.Busesbythebeach.org <http://WWW.Busesbythebeach.com>
>