My 92 Taurus wagon, 3.8, I think AXOD- M, 146,000 miles, runs great, except for the last 6 months or so, it has begun badly leaking transmission fluid out the bell housing area. It only does this when it has run for 20-30 miles and gotten good and hot. I replaced the filter, thinking it might be cavitating and foaming, and have checked the fluid level properly several times. It does not leak at all until it gets up to temp ! I can do short errands of 6-20 miles, and I am fine. When it gets hot, it leaks ( drips fast ) like a sieve out the bell housing, and drops the level of fluid below the dipstick in about 30 minutes of driving ! I observe this when I park the car after a long drive, and leave it running in park, BTW, but of course it is leaking the whole time I am driving. It stops the profuse leaking when I shut it off, except for the drip-out of the remaining leaked fluid. I would think it was a front pump seal or torque converter, but don't they leak all the time if the seals are bad, not just when hot ?? It's driving me nuts ! I love the car, but don't want to pay $1K for a trans overhaul if it's some quirky little thing ! Thanks for any help or suggestions for me to follow up.

 

Your most likely right as far as it being the converter/pump seal, especially at that mileage if original.. You might try one of the trans stop leak additives as a last resort as they soften/swell the seals and 'might' help or reduce the leak... If that is the original mileage on the unit, you did well...

 

Thanks, hayapower. Looking at the shop manual for a trans. swap, I see it ain't pretty without a lift. If it should be the trans. front pump seal, does anyone know if that is replaceable in-car ( after pulling engine, of course )?? I guess I'm too attached to a car that is too old and uneconomic to hire fixed.
It looks like maybe the whole engine and trans could be lifted out after pulling the halfshafts, which is against the manual, but more doable with a high engine hoist. Possibly by pulling engine first, then trans ? Is that ludicrous ?