Hey Folks,

Before I am flamed for not searching the topic, I have searched and read many posts on this topic, but I was seeking your opinions.

Last June, I purchased an ‘98 I30t 5spd for a decent price. The car only had 47k on it, and has been so fun to drive. Shortly after buying the car, I noticed the dreaded gear oil leak. I took it back to the dealer 10 times, yes 10 times. They replaced the seal 3 times, the bearing differential, another time using some special sealant, but to no avail. I took it to another dealer and they changed the seal, but no luck there as well. I couldn’t get myself to give up the car. September came around and the car stopped leaking. It didn’t leak for another 5 months as I constantly monitored the situation, putting 13k miles on it. Now that the temperature has risen, the leak has begun and I’m wondering what the best solution would be for this problem.

Some things I’ve been thinking about:

Option 1: Live with the leak and fill as needed. However, the leak is worse than before. No longer is it one or two drops. It’s more like 10 drops after I’ve turned the car off.

Option 2: Is there another seal that anyone has used with better luck? It’s been changed 4 times. The axle does not have any play on it, so I don’t think it is the bearings.

Option 3: Transmission replacement. Checked out a few places online and saw a few places selling for under 2k. One of my associates owns shop and said he could install it for $300-400. My only worry is an uncertainty as to whether this would fix the problem.

Option 4: Trade in for a 5 speed G35, TL or Max. I really don’t like this idea as I’m still paying off the loan on the car, and I’ve put some work into the car that would be a hassle to undo, ie cefiro headlights, HIDs, HU replacement and speaker replacement. In addition to the remote start that I had recently installed.

Sorry for the long post, but I am hoping for some advise. Thanks in advance.

 

coincidence, my vlsd is leaking out the drivers side shaft input. havnt really had time to look at it though...

 

I'll swap you my headlights for your cefiro HIDs if you need replacments

seriously tho, I'd get under there with some degreaser and start by cleaning everything so you can pin point where the leak is coming from.

If its for sure your axle seals, and you've changed them before, then maybe the differential needs to be replaced.

As much as we all hate dealerships, they can give you 411 on specifics about whats wrong. I went and found out that our gen maxima's have 4-5 different axle seals depending on the VIN number (date of manufacture). maybe the shop put the wrong seals on?

just don't get

good luck man

 

im tryin to think why the diff would need to be replaced if its leaking from the shaft area, sorry im a diff-noob, cant really visualize what would make it do that. i really hope mine just needs a new seal, lol.

 

Hey Zazon,

4th generation trannies apparently had issues regarding the pre-load and caused bearings to prematurely fail. I'm no expert but if you run a search, you'll get more specifics on this. I thought though that '98/'99 models did not have this problem, but I could be mistaken.

The leak is coming from the seal. Car does not leak when its on. As soon as I turn the car off, I can visibly see the seal area release gear oil sweating along that area and dripping down.

I see folks posting threads of VLSD trannies for cheap. Where should I begin to look? The price I quoted was for a remanufactured or new (not sure) tranny with zero usage, online.

 

I still think your bearings are in bad shape. It's very easy to tell - grab the axle where it meets the tranny and try to move it back and forth. If there is any play (usually accompanied by more leaking) it's the bearings. No play, no bearing problem. It's hard to say why this problem would re-occur, but it's possible the dealer replaced the bearings without re-shimming.

If you're interested in a budget rebuilt tranny PM me or call Rob Tilley at Elevated Performance. He keeps a couple of my rebuilts in stock.

Dave

 

Did this problem exist in 98/99 models? With regards to a rebuilt tranny, how does that work? I was looking for a rebuilt tranny last year and the dealer just said that it may not help, saying something to the extent that my "castings are worn". I have no idea what that means.

I talked to Infiniti and they were no help. They just told me it would cost me 5, 6 thousand and that I should just trade the car.

Worst case senario, what would I need to replace? Tranny, bearings, and seals? Assuming that all three can be done at once, overall labor should be lower. I guess I would want to replace my clutch at this point. What other things might I need to change to completely avoid the possibility of a leak? Driver side axle?

I guess I'm going to the other extreme after going to the dealer so many times only to constantly go back, changing the seals and bearings, but to no avail.

 

I feel the frustration man, if you can't do the work yourself and save another max, hopefully you'll be able to find a replacement 4th gen. I noticed that the ones in good condition are getting more and more rare.

 

The bearings are held by a tight fit to the cast transmission housings. It's possible that these surfaces are damaged and not holding the bearings properly. If they knew this when they rebuilt it, it was absolutely done wrong.

I haven't seen any evidence that the 98s/99s or Infinitis or VLSDs are any less likely to have problems. The VLSD has a bigger bearing on the driver's side, but the passenger side bearing is the same. If one goes the problems still happen.

That said, I have yet to see damaged bearing bores in the 4th gen trannys I've rebuilt, and I've seen some with very bad bearings. But it's entirely possible.

If they are quoting you a brand new transmission, the number might be real. But doing that is absolutely ridiculous - the kind of overkill crap only dealers would do. Even if your housings are trashed (a worst case situation) you can get a junkyard tranny fully rebuilt for $1200, max. You can get them used on this forum for much less. With a little time and effort to find a cheap core tranny it's still a sub-$1000 job. (My prices don't include the labor to remove/reinstall, but the dealer price probably did)

Like I said, if you paid for a 'rebuild' and they knew about the damaged housings, they f**ked it up bad. If that's the case, I'd threaten them with a lawsuit or some kind of big fuss because that's really stupid.

Replacing the axle should not make a difference unless the seal surface on the axle is scratched. It should be inspected. The good news is that a rebuilt set of axles is $300 from Raxles.com.

Dave

 

I'm wondering if that dealership was just playing the game. When i bought the car, it came with a 2 month, 2k mile warranty. So I kept going there and they kept changing the seal a few times. Then they said they found out it might be the bearings and supposedly swallowed 1600 for bearings/labor according to the invoice I saw them hand accounting. I saw them invoicing for 3-4k with all the times I went back and forth, not to mention the loaner car that I used for quite a few weeks. I basically tried out every loaner car they had. lol.

They never rebuilt the tranny, but in my side convo with the mechanic, he said he took it to his friends shop to take the tranny apart. The tranny was taken apart and that's when he said that the castings appeared to be worn.

So I fought and fought with the dealer, and they said they would split the cost of a tranny swap $1k each, but after a week, I called them to find out that they couldn't find one and would give me "trade in value" for the car. After some fighting and numerous times there, I was just like whatever.

I love the ride. The exterior/interior is in amazing condition. The power is really nice. With my sound mods, the sound is superb. I just couldn't get myself to give it back. Then it stopped leaking for a few months and I was like wooo hooo. That's why I think the environment, more specifically temperature, had something to do with it.

If i get a rebuilt, what's to say that that tranny will not have the same problem? How would I know whether the tranny I pic up isn't going to be messed up.

The only reason why I think the dealer did change the bearings is because my shifter/syncros were all out of wac after they worked on it. The shifter would just fall out of gear. It would have to finagle the shifter into the gears as it felt very awkward. I would have to feel along the wall for gate for 5th. It was ridiculous. I had to have them readjust it. It still wasn't like the way I bought it, but I got used to it.

I was considering a trade, but I would hate to add more monthly payments, and I don't really like my choices. This is my first 5spd, and I really feel it's a great car in comparison to some other 5SPDs I've driven for the value/experience.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lijoel...80.jpg&.src=ph

 

Given all that, I believe a proper rebuild will get you squared away.

If you contact Rob Tilley at Elevated Performance in Annville, PA he could probably hook you up. He's got enough trannys with busted internals that we can match up your good gearset with some good housings and get them re-shimmed properly.

Dave

 

Well, I wanted to give it a few days before I posted the outcome. To make a long story short, last month, after dropping a whole quart of tranny fluid into the car, I figured it was time to do something about it. I drove out to Elevated Performance. Rob Tilley and Dave (dgeesaman) rebuilt my tranny for me with the following findings:

1) Badly worn bearings on the passenger side of the tranny
2) Incorrectly shimmed differential carrier,
3) The shifter check ***** were out of place which allowed it to fall out of gear.
4) One tranny housing bolt was also missing.

After the rebuild, I picked up the car this past Tuesday. Rob also changed out my clutch on my request, so I'm still in the break-in period I guess, but the rebuild has been amazing so far. I guess I'm a pessimist and so I'm always looking to see when it will start leaking. I've put 400 miles on the car since, but I went under and it is bone dry. I actually brought it there mostly because of the leak, but all these related issues were fixed. No longer does my shifter pop out of gear. No longer does my shifter make hissing noise when my clutch pedal is not depressed. No longer does my car make wherring noises when I take my foot off the gas on gears 3 and above. No longer does my shifter feel like a spoon in a bowl full of jello.

Rather, the car shifts great, is SUPER quiet, and dry. In the back of my mind, I'll wonder if it will leak again, but I must say, I've been totally impressed. The 5th gen clutch feels great also.

The one negative: Due to the fact that this was my first 5spd, I never really learned on anything else. For the first time, I can feel the shifter going into the gear and coming out. Before, I had no feeling so I would just drop down from first to second with little to no feedback. Now, I feel it exiting first to neutral and then enter second. I need to make the shifts smoother, as I've never felt this resistance before. It's almost as if I'm teaching myself all over, but this time, it will be the right way. The more I drive, the better it feels, as I get more used to it and it finishes breaking-in.

Overall experience: My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. Instead of dealing with incompetent dealers with months of aggravation, I should have just taken it to Rob and Dave, who knew what they were doing. I'm not sure whether I'll go to the dealer and show the inner bearing that they provided me with to show how chewed up it was, even though the dealer says it was changed. I'm just tired of dealing with these stealerships. I'm just happy everything is working great right now for the first time since owning the car. Rob and Dave have been absolutely amazing in explaining everything and doing a great job.

On a side note, what can I do to minimize stress to my bearings in order for me to avoid the issue creeping up at a later time, or is this something I do not need to worry about? Time will tell how everything goes, but I'll keep everyone posted.

Hats off to Dave and Rob!!!!!!!!

 

Good to hear it's running well. (Knock on wood)

It sounds like the feeling in the shifter is normal. All synchromeshed trannys have some resistance to shifting, but at normal shifting speeds the only thing you'll really feel is the check *****. The check ***** cause you to feel a soft pop whenever you go into or out of a gear.

Wear on bearings boils down to three things: proper installation, clean lubricant, and drivetrain torque. You only have control of the latter two. Change the tranny oil every 30 or 60k (depends how paranoid you feel). I suggest Redline MT-90 or Amsoil's GL-4 75w-90 (I think it's their "AGT" product). Drivetrain torque can't be avoided, as it's inherent to driving. But it is simple - the harder you drive, the shorter it will last. But really unless you turbocharge the car and add drag tires, being a sane driver is all it takes for a daily driven car to last a good long time.

I don't think you'll find it leaking if it hasn't started by now.

Dave

 

As always, thanks Dave. I guess that goes back to your comments about the rods needing some time to get slippery against the bores. I'm actually quite used to it except for first to second. I put another 200 miles on today. Some of my friends were driving in the car and were saying how it's quieter and smoother.

 

you have any contact info for them?

 

Super6, sorry for not writing sooner. I just wanted to wait a bit before giving my updates.

I've put about 5k miles on it. Immediately after my last post, we noticed the o'ring leaking. Dave's support was amazing and had the problem fixed immediately. It was a minor notch in the rubber surrounding the o'ring. Since then, I've been driving it all over, and I truly love this car. I almost never drive my automatic.

As time progressed, the bores have become more slippery and I've just gotten used to the feeling of the shifter going in and out of the shift gate. All-in-all, I'm very happy with everything. What two dealers tried to fix in multiple tries, Rob and Dave were able to truly address. I'm still a little paranoid, not knowing how long a rebuild will last, but Rob and Dave have been great. Rob's contact is below. If you need any help, PM'ing Dave has been very helpful.

ELEVATED BODYWORKS
1330 North St Rt 934
Annville PA 17003
717-867-0381

 

So after nearly 50,000 miles and 3 years, my bearings have begun to leak again. I've been monitoring the bearings ever since the rebuild, but in the last week, I noticed a few droplets. I went under to check it out on Saturday and clearly the bearing on the driver side has movement and is clearly leaking. The car now has 112k on it, but I would like to run it for another 3 or 4 years. I'm wondering how long other rebuilds with a focus on shim fitment have gone.

Dave, let me know if you still provide your services.

 

Joe,

I got you message and was going to call today after work. I still do rebuilds. My trans has been over 60k without issue. I haven't heard from the other owners.

Dave

 

Hi,
Since I can't post a new thread, this one is the closest I can find. The whole area (a foot long) where shifter connects to the transmission is wet but no drops. Should I try to fix it or just change the gear oil and keep filling it. Is it wise to use MT-90 or Amsoil GL-4? Don't know if those synthetic oil could make the leak worse.

Thanks,

 

If you plan to keep the car for any length of time I'd fix it. If you wait until the bearing wear is so bad that the leaking is severe, you've probably done a lot more damage to the gearing. If you get the rebuild now you will save a lot of damage to the gears.

The lack of drips may be explained if the leak is only happening while you're driving. Then the air moving over it prevents drips from hanging around.

David

 

Thanks David. I will check to see if the leak is from the striking rod oil seal first since the leak is around the rubber boot.

 

I cleaned striking rod boot area with brake cleaner and loosen the boot and found the oil seal lip is about 3/16" from the tranny. I can understand a little gap is needed for the boot to latch on, but 3/16" may be a bit too loose?

Meanwhile, I will see how long does it take for the oil to show up in the cleaned area. It is still dry after one hour of driving.

Thanks,

 

used trannys run 700-1000 bucks depending on miles.

Nissan has new tranny for 2500 bucks, remanufacturered or rebuilt for 2000 bucks.

Jus to put things in perspective.

When mine blew, i went with used.

 

3/16" sounds like the right amount of gap. I have one on my workbench at home, If you are really interested, I could measure it.

As for how long it could take, that all depends on how bad the leak is.

 

Thanks. If it is not too much trouble, I'd like to be sure. Especially after a badly seated UIM gasket, which caused a world of trouble and difficult to find, shook my confidence of the workmanship of my car.

 

I measure about 160 thousandths. 3/16" = 187.5 thousandths

If it's going to leak somewhere, it would be where the striking rod enters the transmission.

 

Thanks a lot. Yeah, it is likely between the seal and the tranny. If it is between the striking rod and the seal, I should have seen a pocket of oil inside the boot, which I did not.

 

Just check again and still no new noticeable leak.

However, when I cleaned the filler plug area which was surrounded by black oil cake, I notice a ring of excessive grey sealant around the plug thread which I did not expect. Is that normal? I am the original owner of the car and I have never changed or filled the MT oil before.
Thanks,

 

Found a 2004 thread on the sealant on filler plug. Time for the breaker bar.

Do you guys put new sealant when you put back the filler plug? If yes, what type that does not seize easily?

Thanks.

 

I just noticed gear oil leak coming from the transmission seals. I guess it's time to get a quote on replacement.

 

I am not totally convinced unless the leak is serious. I have found 3 small leaks from striking rod oil seal, passenger side drive shaft seal, and behind a sheet metal plate near the bottom of the clutch housing. But when I drained the fluid yesterday for the first time ever, I bottled well over 4 quarts even after all that splash, spill. I am thinking I will monitor the leaks and get them fixed when it get noticeably worse.

 

My 1999 Maxima 5-speed is losing some gear oil (a bit of wetness on the driver's side inner CV boot and a few drops on the ground wherever I park), and the tranny makes a fairly quiet howl all the time, the car is new to me and at first I thought it was tire noise. If I keep changing the gear oil and take it easy on the transmission, how many miles might I be able to get out of it? What are the symptoms that it is about to fail? So far it seems to shift fine. I hope I have time to find a beater to drive and a garage to rent so I can rebuild the transmission.

 

May just need to pull the axle and replace the seal.

 

Clean it down so you can figure out where the leak is coming from. Use something with some leverage to see if you apply a lift to the inner axle stub, if it will move relative to the transmission housing.

If it won't move then try changing the axle seal. If it moves visibly and clunks you need a transmission rebuild.

You cannot predict this stuff. But I can assure you that if you wait long enough and you're "lucky" enough that the transmission doesn't suddenly crunch apart, the gears inside will be shot from running with excess misalignment. So rebuilding will then be out of the question.

David

 

Thanks for the replies Bob and David. I jacked up the car today to fill up the tranny with gear oil and see how much I've already lost. It took about 2 quarts and I was shocked to see the stuff run out the bottom almost as fast as I was pouring it in! There was none coming out of the driver's side, it seemed to all be coming from the passenger side of the transaxle. I've decided to park the car for the time being and replace both seals at my earliest convenience, probably the May long weekend (I'm in Canada). I'll let you know how that turns out. Damn do I love driving this car, though!

Jason

 

Do you guys think that the oil running out so quickly is a sure sign that the bearings are shot? I'm about to start taking it apart to replace the passenger side seal, but should I be prepared to replace the tranny? I found a used 5-speed VLSD for $900.

 

No it's not a sure sign. But while you're changing the seal, you can slide a clean sturdy bar through the diff and if you can cause the diff to move inside the transmission (even the slightest wiggle) then the bearings are wearing out. The bearings should hold the diff tightly. Worn bearing let the diff slop around and just a little bit of that can cause oil to leak past the oil seal.

You can also check for looseness by pushing/pulling the axle but the axle has a tiny bit of play between it and the diff. So inspecting it with the axle out is better.

If the diff is not tight within the transmission, yes be prepared to replace or rebuild the tranny.

Used VLSD transmissions have the same diff bearing on the passenger side and are just as likely to be worn out. Perform the same test or better yet just have it opened up to inspect the bearings directly before you spend all of that money.

 

OK, I jacked up the car again and wiggled the axle with a crowbar and there was a lot of play, so it looks like a new transmission is in order. I will definitely look for play in the diff before I purchase a used one, thanks for that tip Dave. I'm glad to have this forum as a resource, lots of good info about re and re of the transmission.