ffcbairn

I was removing the battery tray. Had to get underneath to remove the last bolt when I noticed there is some fluid pooling on the bottom of the transmission.




What I need to know now is if this is the cause of my clutch problems (apply gas engine speeds up but does not accelerate accordingly)

Should I proceed with the clutch or do I need to change something else instead? I need to figure this out soon because I can only use the garage for tonight and tomorrow and if I need to get other parts I will have to put the job off.

the_3d_man

iTrader: (1)

Check and see if the axles are leaking. If not then it may fluid leaking into the bell housing and making your clutch slippery. Or you may just need a new clutch. Also make sure it's not engine oil. It's pretty easy to tell. Tranny fluid has a totally different smell. There is a small hole on the bottom of the bellhousing (it's in your pic). It's there to let any leaking oil and clutch dust come out. Wipe around it and see if more fluid comes out of that hole.

ffcbairn

Hmm I wiped around it and nothing more came out. I tried to smell it but couldn't notice any smell at all.

If it was fluid leaking into the bell housing what would cause that. If that were the problem would the clutch still need to be replaced or would the problem fix itself if the leak stopped?

jasonv

iTrader: (2)

see if its dripping from anywhere above it. it cant be axle seals its just on teh very top.

do you have a pic of the engine bay alil further back?

ffcbairn

i just finished up for tonight. i can take one further back in the morning.

by further back i think you mean back in the direction of the trunk/moving towards the top of the picture?

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

That could be either engine oil from the rear main seal, or gear oil from the input shaft seal of the transmission. You won't know until you get the trans out of the car.

ffcbairn

OK well I read up a little on the rear main seal. It seems that since I will already have the tranny off I should just do it anyway since that will be 2/3rd of the work involved in that job. I guess in the morning I will swing by Nissan and grab a new RMS.

If it is the input shaft seal what does that involve to fix?

Mxrider52

iTrader: (8)

It is more then likely your rear main seal. About 45 buck part if you can do the installion yourself.

ffcbairn

well from what i've read once the tranny is off, then the clutch is off the only extra steps are removing the flywheel and upper oil pan? or possibly not the upper oil pan? i haven't actually found a walkthrough for doing the RMS, just various threads about it. Tomorrow I will have the tranny off. In the morning before I do that though I am going to go buy a RMS from the local Nissan. I want this clutch to last for the life of the car so if a $45 part is the problem and I've already spent $200 on the new clutch I might as well buy the RMS to make sure my investment lasts.

Boothhead

That to me does not sound like manual tranny fluid, if u can't notice a smell it's not fluid from u'r tranny. I almost threw up last time I drained my tranny because I hadda stay under the car to replace the reverse switch. Tranny fluid smells really sulphury kinda like someone craped their pants

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

not possibly the upper oil pan, DEFINITLY the upper oil pan, take my word for it, I had to remove my tranny again just to do it the right way. Don't forget to buy the two upper oil pan "c" shaped seals along with the o-rings for the oil pick-up.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I did a rear main seal without removing the upper oil pan, but it is very difficult. I've done A LOT of work on cars and the rear main seal was one of the most annoying and difficult things I've done. To get it in there is easy, to get it in there CORRECTLY so that it doesn't leak is incredibly difficult.

I would suggest NOT doing the rear main seal unless it is indeed leaking.

ffcbairn

Well I just talked to the Nissan dealership and they don't stock the rear main seal.

So, at this point I am now looking at taking the tranny off just to see if the rear main seal is leaking. If it is then I have to put everything back on, order the part, wait until it gets here and then take apart the tranny again.

hmm i couldn't believe it when he told me they don't stock that part. well actually i can.

i mean at this point the only other thing i could do is just put the stuff back on that i have done to this point and order the RMS and then when it gets here do the whole job and if the RMS needs to be done do it then.

99se5speed

iTrader: (8)

That's weird, when i replaced mine it was a piece of cake. The only hard part was removing the old one with all the RTV sealent. Why would anyone remove the upper oil pan to get the rear main seal? Once you remove the tranny it's like literally right there. I also replaced my passenger side axle seal, that was a BISH to remove. You can also check you striking rod oil seal aswell.

ffcbairn

well after looking at the old tranny fluid, i would say it was oil that was on the bottom of the tranny. the tranny fluid had a sort of bluish tint to it. i know what you mean about the smell, it was pretty vile.

anyway she's all put back together now. now I just have to order the RMS and other assorted bits to do that job. unfortunately i had already drained the tranny under the assumption I could get the RMS at the Nissan dealership so now I've had to refill it with the Redline I ordered. Now I will have to spend another $40 on that as well. Fun fun fun

I am glad I am unemployed at the moment so I don't need the car now lol.

Mxrider52

iTrader: (8)

The rear main seal takes like 30 min to install. Make sure you buy the rms retainer plus the c type gasket that goes on the bottom around the retainer.

As far as trans oil. You can reuse what you just put in. Just drain it all into a clean bucket and then pour it back in when your done.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

I wish mine had gone in that easy. Hardest part for me is getting the seal flush all the way around the crank, making sure the seal spring didn't come out, and making sure the black rubber gasket was in there flush as well.

ffcbairn

Ah yeah I had not even thought of just reusing the new fluid. Thanks for saying that you saved me ordering that stuff again.

As for changing the seal, I looked in my Hayne's and I really don't see anything about the upper oil pan. From what it looks like to me you just pop the flywheel off and the seal retainer is right there? They don't say anything about taking the upper oil pan off either.

Anyway though, I am trying to figure out the parts I need to order now. Would anyone be able to provide me with part numbers for the pieces I need to do this?