Help- Transmission fluid leak

[poptotwoboys]

I purchased a 1985 2 door Jetta that the previous owner had removed and torn down the engine and lost interest in the project. It was passed on to two grandchildren, the last from who I bought the car for $300.00.

After a hot tank and cylinder hone, I assembled the engine with new bearings, seals and gaskets, put it back in the car and took it out for a testflight. After parking back in my garage, a quick check, everything looked great with the exception of the puddle of new oil on the floor.

It smells like tranny fluid and it is comming out right where the engine and tranny mate up. I cleaned and inspected all the parts prior to assembly and the transmission showed no signs of leaking. The only place I can imagine it leaking is out of the end of the input shaft. If so, is there a push rod seal? Do I need to pull the tranny out to get to it, or is it under the green cap back by the through-out bearing?

Any help would be welcome as the Bently is light on the tranny info.

[Vincent Waldon]

Not sure about a pushrod tube seal (I'm guessing not, but someone with more tranny experience can chime in).

However, what is all too common is to "bump" the input shaft while aligning the engine and tranny or have the engine hang on the input shaft briefly while reinstalling. If the tranny has old seals and/or bushings (an 85 you say ?) this deforms the seal and it starts to leak on the first test drive. Lots of people replace this seal as a matter of course when the engine is out.

Hopefully someone will say "yes there's a pushrod seal and you get if from the green side", otherwise your hands are about to get greasy again !!

[Fatmobile]

The push rod seal is a common problem.
When it leaks it dump trany fluid right onto the clutch disc.
I always change that while the engine is out and trany off because it is the main reason for the death of most every clutch I've seen start slipping.
You do have to drop the trany to get to it. Good time to change the brass bushing too,... it installs from the engine end but I pull the green cap to punch the old one out... some people just thread into it and pull it out the engine end.

[poptotwoboys]

Thanks for the confirmation, I'll get started right away, I shouldn't get too greasy, everything was pressure washed and assembled nice and clean. I'll let you know what I find. On my next tear down and rebuild I'll replace the seals in question prior to my first run.

[CoolAirVw]

when in doubt, pull it out.

[poptotwoboys]

Well I pulled out the motor tranny, I found the path of the oil leak. When I assembled the motor on the engine stand there was not enough room to torque the bolts on the rear crank seal carrier, I assembled everything I could while on the stand. After picking the engine off the stand with an engine hoist I torqued the rear crank seal carrier, I believe breaking the seal between the oil pan gasket and the seal carrier. I put on new oil pan and seal carrier gasket. I torqued the seal carrier to the engine and then the oil pan to the engine and the seal carrier. No more leaks.
While I had the engine and tranny out I replaced the clutch push rod bushing and the push rod oil seal. I tipped the tranny, with the bell housing up and the cup over the throw out bearing down and let it get some excess oil get in the throw out side laid it down and gear oil came out of the end of the input shaft, keeping it tipped I tapped the brass push rod bushing with a 3/8 tap. gear oil carried out the excess brass. I also used some cotton swabs to clean inside the input shaft after the bushing was extrackted with a 3/8 bolt a flat washer and a nut.
This is my first engine rebuild and it has been a learning experience, but a fun learning experience. This forum has been a great resource as well.