Salt Lake City - Need a Hand on fixing the transmission leak

[Zerkalo]

So as I just got this rig:
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?99891-96-XJ-New-Born

Apart from dirty trany fluid - brownish,
A few days ago, I noticed some minor leak from near the oil pan, gasket, and rear main seal.
I went to a reputable local shop for suggestion.
They told me I can flush the trany fluid, but if I want to fix the leak, I may as well flush it when dropping the oil pan, and replace the gasket.
For the latter, they quote me a $100 something for parts, but a sky high price for labor.

I'm a total newbie to cars, besides a grad student, who can't afford to fix it in shops.
So I'm posting it here, to see if there are folks, with experience, who are kind enough to give me a hand.
I have almost all the sockets, tools, but only a bottle jack. I can pay some labor, but not much...
This is the only, but a big problem that prevents me from wheeling next weekend.

Somebody Help me out.. I will appreciate it tremendously.

PS: Will it cause damage if I just "fix" it by regular refill, and let it leak?

 

[UNSTUCK]

I say let it leak. With burned up tranny fluid, you are asking for tranny failure soon after you dump that fluid and swap with clean fluid.

 

[Zerkalo]

I say let it leak. With burned up tranny fluid, you are asking for tranny failure soon after you dump that fluid and swap with clean fluid.

What do you mean, tranny failure? how would that happen? Is brown burnt already?
So can I flush it then?

 

[UNSTUCK]

It's not a rule, but in a lot of cases, after the fluid turns dark, it is best not to touch it. The friction material has burned off the clutches. Once it's drained, there is nothing left and the tranny starts to slip, maybe a thousand miles down the road. Brown is burnt already. Tranny fluid is either red, or burnt. You can flush it if you want. If it was mine I wouldn't touch it. My commuter is in the same situation, I wont touch it.

 

[Zerkalo]

It's not a rule, but in a lot of cases, after the fluid turns dark, it is best not to touch it. The friction material has burned off the clutches. Once it's drained, there is nothing left and the tranny starts to slip, maybe a thousand miles down the road. Brown is burnt already. Tranny fluid is either red, or burnt. You can flush it if you want. If it was mine I wouldn't touch it. My commuter is in the same situation, I wont touch it.

hmm... I appreciate the advice.. but won't it become worse if I do nothing at all..
I heard when the fluid turn from brown to black, it's the end of the trany.

how's your commuter right now, the brown color is unchanged?

 

[UNSTUCK]

It will slowly become worse if you do nothing. But I bet it would still last longer that way then if you were to flush the system. In order to make your auto tranny last a long time you need to keep it cool and change the fluid at about 30k intervals, while it's still red. If it gets burnt, I wouldn't mess with it.

I would have sworn my commuter would have failed a few years ago. Thats when I noticed it was dark colored. It's still going. Knock on wood.

 

[Zerkalo]

It will slowly become worse if you do nothing. But I bet it would still last longer that way then if you were to flush the system. In order to make your auto tranny last a long time you need to keep it cool and change the fluid at about 30k intervals, while it's still red. If it gets burnt, I wouldn't mess with it.

I would have sworn my commuter would have failed a few years ago. Thats when I noticed it was dark colored. It's still going. Knock on wood.

But dropping the oil pan and clean the magnet, do a compete job, will that cause problems?

 

[Seven]

It's not a rule, but in a lot of cases, after the fluid turns dark, it is best not to touch it. The friction material has burned off the clutches. Once it's drained, there is nothing left and the tranny starts to slip, maybe a thousand miles down the road. Brown is burnt already. Tranny fluid is either red, or burnt. You can flush it if you want. If it was mine I wouldn't touch it. My commuter is in the same situation, I wont touch it.

This has been my experience also. I have watched several of my vehicle and others fail pretty quick when they were in similar states and had new fluid and filter installed. If you wanted to fix the leak I would reuse the fluid. I don't know if the 96 xj have transmission drain plugs(My 99 did) but if it does then your job just got a lot easier. 1. drain fluid 2. undo the bolts holding pan 3. drop pan 4. clean surfaces 5. reinstall with new gasket. If you go this route I don't think I would change filter and I would reuse burnt fluid. You probably could get away with cleaning magnet. If it doesn't have drain plug I don't think I would do it.

I would consider changing the fluid in a transmission that doesn't have a drain plug one of those things that is a life changin experience. Kind of like changing your first overflowing diaper on a baby. It almost becomes a braggin right. you will most likely remember the experience.

 

[Zerkalo]

Yes it does have a plug
And thanks a lot for the advice.

 

[Ram-on-Rocks!]

Since this is an obvious issue, concerning the "if I change my trans fluid my trans will go out", why not call a Performance Transmission shop and ask the people who do it on a daily basis. Like I said, I've been a tech for a long time and have no idea where people came up with that idea. I really don't get how that makes sense. Think of your trans as a big hydraulic cylinder. The fluid inside has properties that withstand heat and pressure. Overtime, these properties breakdown. Along with a little clutch material, normal, the color will change. If you keep driving it the fluid will burn in the trans. If this happens do you think that it just burns and doesn't leave anything behind? Of course not. It leaves a thick film that ends up ruining your valve body and clogging a lot of the components. i.e. sticking in second gear, shifting late, no overdrive etc. Do the pan drop, do not re-use the fluid, change the filter. If you have no clutch material left on your clutch packs the trans will slip regardless of the fluids condition. Dirty fluid does not make up for missing clutch material. The fluid only pressurizes the clutch drums and cools the clutches. As well as some other things not concerning the clutches themselves. Just call a trans shop.