Ed,
Thanks for the reply, I was also pulling the hill in (D) drive and thought afterwards that maybe if I was in 2nd this May not have happened.
Have you experienced any ATF leaks since? And/or did you need to do any repairs as a result of the overheating torque converter?
Thanks,
Bob

 Date:    Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:26:33 -0400
From:    Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Torque converter seal leaking?

I had a very similar experience.  I was going up a long hill in "D" third
gear and theorize the torque converter was working extra hard and got extra
hot.  Now I'm pretty careful to shift it into 2 when the speed drops to
45-50.

Edward

On Mon, Sep 23, 2013 at 8:47 AM, Bob Anderson <ROBERTANDERSON294@comcast.net
> wrote:

> Hello,
> It appears that my '86 GL is leaking ATF from the torque converter seal
> even though I recently replaced this seal when I had the engine out this
> past winter.
> Saturday I was driving in some hilly areas here, in central Massachusetts,
> when we came up one long steep climb I noticed lots of smoke coming out the
> back as well as the side vents. I pulled right over and shutoff the engine
> and in the engine bay found what appeared to be oil all over the place and
> the smoke coming from the oil on the exhaust pipes. I checked the oil dip
> stick and all appeared well. It appears the oil was coming out through the
> openings at the torque converter. We let the engine cool down and wiped off
> all the oil spots and then drove to the nearest gas station and topped up
> the ATF fluid. Checked the oil and water levels and all appeared well, so I
> drove the 100+ miles back home without incident, gratefully!
> When we got home, I checked the engine bay and fluid levels and all looked
> good.
> Next morning I noticed a small puddle of ATF, on the cardboard I placed,
> on the ground under the engine, so I'm guessing it's the seal or could it
> be the torque converter itself?
> Also, will I need to pull the engine again to replace the seal or can the
> transmission be pulled alone?
> Thanks,
> Bob Anderson
> '86 GL
> Wilmington, MA

You need to assemble one of these to help you diagnose and/or isolate the