Tranny gets waaay to hot going up hills and lets off that burnt fluid smell. Sometimes you can even see smoke. I've checked fluid and it's still relatively pink. The car has 300k lol but it's been meticulously maintained (thanks to this board). Should I just change the fluid out anyway?

 

And you're sure it's the tranny and not your rack/pinion or valve covers?

 

Yup. It sounds like the extra heat from load is burning off oil.

As if you would see smoke from the tranny...and if it was overheating the fluid would be burnt (in color, too).

 

I have to agree with the others. This sounds like an oil leak.

Are you checking the temp of the tranny or just seeing smoke?

 

I agree if it was the tranny then the fluid would def be burnt and a dark brown color, or black. Had my 3rd gen tranny go out and the fluid was def burnt. Maybe you are seeing oil or power steering fluid.

 

Replaced Valve Cover seal but there is a rear main leak that I'll probably never fix

 

anyone go for the Remanufactured tranny from Rock Auto?

 

It's a lot of work.

 

Is that different from a valve cover gasket leak? Asking for a... friend

 

yes

 

It is a seal at the opposite end of the crankshaft pulley, so you need the transmission and flywheel or flexplate removed to access it.

 

And then you realize it's the half-moon and you need to take off the oil pan

 

Yes, that too lol

 

So you guys think the smell is from the rear main leak? The oil on the exterior on tranny getting superheating and smoking?

 

Yeah.
Pull tranny, Pull flywheel, Pull lower and upper oil Pan (which requires removal of Y-pipe.

 

Hard to say without looking at it. Usually the rear main drips down from the bottom and covers the underside of everything downwind.

Have you seen the tranny smoking? It shouldn't get hot enough to burn off oil like that. If the top of it is covered in oil it's coming from somewhere above it.

My guess would be leaky valve covers dripping down onto the exhaust.