Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

ATF leak

zottman17

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Original poster
Joined
Mar 8, 2025
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Location
Virginia
This may have been asked before or posted about but I’m going to start a fresh thread… when my Jeep has been sitting for a couple days after not driving it I come home to just a massive tranny fluid puddle underneath right under the skid plate, I’ve already cleaned it up once but since I haven’t had time to deal with it I have just been refilling my fluid level as needed. Well I plan to dig in to it these coming weeks and was wondering if anyone could maybe point me in a certain direction. Was going to start with taking the skid plate off and probably dropping the pan and changing out the pan gasket. Is there anything else I can look at while I’m down there?
IMG_1296.jpeg
 
Could be lots of things but the only way to really know is to clean it all up really good, stuff paper towels in & around everything transmission related, fill it up with ATF, and wait.

Find the paper towel that’s now red, and you have found your leak.

For that volume of leak, I’d pay special attention to the dipstick and the shift selector seal.
 
Yup, what @hear said. Your profile says a 2001 sport so you should have the 32RH trans. I'm actually in the middle of a motor&trans swap in an 02 with the same trans. I purchased new front an rear seals, dipstick seal, and selector shaft seal, as well as the filter and pan gasket. The trans I pulled out was leaking as bad or worse than yours and I don't know where from either. The lubelocker gasket for the trans pan is supposed to be excellent and something you could consider, but they ain't cheap.

Edited to add: You probably already know this, but do not overtighten the pan bolts when replacing it. I'd recommend using a torque wrench and following the spec.
 
Could be lots of things but the only way to really know is to clean it all up really good, stuff paper towels in & around everything transmission related, fill it up with ATF, and wait.

Find the paper towel that’s now red, and you have found your leak.

For that volume of leak, I’d pay special attention to the dipstick and the shift selector seal.

I remember the PO telling me he had just got work done to the to the 4x4 linkage I believe, could anything got messed up when his mechanic was messing around with that? This leak just came out of no where and got severe fast so just trying to narrow things down
 
That’s kindof the nature of that selector shaft seal, honestly. But I’ve already given you the formula to track it down. Don’t waste time (and fluid) guessing.
 
That’s kindof the nature of that selector shaft seal, honestly. But I’ve already given you the formula to track it down. Don’t waste time (and fluid) guessing.
Could it be leaking from this black cylinder? I checked the gear selector and dipstick and everything looks dry there but earlier today noticed a tiny drip coming off the skid plate right below this part?
IMG_1316.jpeg
 
I guess we’re just gonna do the guessing thing.


I mean nothing is impossible in the naked city, but that black cylinder is just a rubber bushing that your exhaust hangar slides into.
 
Well I have paper towels everywhere you said and they’re dry. The only spot that is wet is coming off that bushing. So yeah this quite literally is a guessing game. Sorry I’m not very familiar with this stuff and just trying to gauge what the drip could be coming from off that. 👍🏻
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts