I just replaced a 6.8L V10 engine in an Excursion. While I had it out I checked the torque converter seal. Looked fine, but I thought it was weird that it was grey in color. Thinking nothing more of it, I put the new engine in and after about 10 min of warm up, the front trans. seal starting spewing everywhere. That's what brought me to this video lol! So pissed I didn't see this video before hand. Oh well at least it's not a 4x4 I guess. Baahhhh! Thanks for the knowledge!
That stinks, at least it's a 2WD LOL, Thanks for watching. Get the seal from the dealer, i have heard reports that some seals from ford did have the grey rubber, i have not seen this yet but just FYI.
I was able to prove you right, Gary. The 96 windstar with the AXODE torque converter seal only leaked when hot. I'm in the process of removal now. Can't wait to touch base later with more details. Since trans has to be pulled, I'll be doing some modifications to prevent other common issues.. not to mention I'm a bit fed up of working on the same vehicle for 2 months. lol. THANKS so much Gary. Great info & visuals.
After doing some digging around on the internet, this is the black Transtec seal you guys are looking for. Transtec - 36070G E40D, 4R100 Metal Clad Seal
It's not just the seal to worry about you have to check torque converter for grooves if it is grooved good luck getting any seal to work you should be looking to buy another torque converter . Also the front pump bolts are known to backout and cause leaks out of pump making you think ts a seal take 1 bolt out at a time and put some black rtv silicone around head of bolt a little bit on threads as well then torque to spec . You dont want to go through this again so anytime you replace the leaky seal always check torque converter for grooves and always check pump bolts . trust me I found out the hard way ! 1 last thing is when you install the new seal like any seal make sure it goes in evenly because you can accidentally knock the metal retainer ring off of seal and cause seal to prematurely leak leaving yourself scratching your head and pissed off you have to pull it out again . I speak from experience lol !
I dont think that is all, there is also the bushing when worn might allow more pressure and oil to the seal then it can handle but im not an expert yet.
Me too. I'm actually about to install my 5.0 engine that I rebuilt myself. I want to replace this seal on my 89 Mustang AOD transmission, so that's why I'm here. I was thinking of getting a FELPRO. I would get it from the dealership but that may postpone installing my engine a few days, maybe a week. Maybe I should postpone it & go buy one at the dealership. It's the seal that actually goes to the transmission front pump...you know, the one you see in front of the bell housing and the spline shaft that sticks out & goes through it (spline shaft that inserts into the torque converter). A FELPRO seal worked fine for the rear, the tail shaft housing of the tranny. But if a FELPRO seal that goes to the tranny front pump leaks, I have to seperate the tranny & engine to replace with a Ford seal. I hate these situations.
@@johnnyjohn8073 I know this is 3 years ago but did you get the black good seal from Ford ? I got mine early 2024 from dealer and it is gray and less rubber on sealing part.
The seal Ford sold me was exactly like the seal you said not to use, which looks exactly like the one I removed from the transmission with the very same stamped markings except the new seal stampings are barely legible, very shallow. Plus the metal on the new seal appears dotted everywhere with what appears to be rust, almost like it's freckled. And of course the made in Mexico (06MAY2021) package states no return if opened, but Ford only charged $5 (+ tax). I hope this new seal is good for another 140K. The rear seal (made in USA, packed 25JUN2021) is a different color, green instead of red, and a little longer rubber piece but they said it would work, and it was only $11.67 (+ tax)
@@annettesurfer Hey man, thanks for the reply, theres alot of other issues which can cause front pump to leak, bolts,bushing, seal, adding a adheisive, etc. Can i ask how long its been in so far ?
@@brianblithe2271 Installed the seal (F6UZ*7052*A) in my E40D trans shortly after I picked up the parts on May 31, 2022 so it looks like almost 2 years ago and the Valvoline MaxLife High Mileage ATF hasn't leaked a drop since.
Great information I should have Seen this video before I put my Gray colored seo then my at 1:50 transmission yesterday and now I'm seeing eye little leaking after driving it 100 miles great information wish I didn't have to change it but I know now I must thanks
Hey brotha, i know this is 4 years ago but can you remember if the ford gray OEM seal worked in your transmission front oil pump or did you use another one ?
@@braapnation9086 I just got mine from dealer early 2024 and it was gray/ same, i asked if seal had ever been upgraded and they said no, it still has same date on it from 98 i believe. You got a black seal ?
Is it the same with the 4R70W? The one I pulled out was gray. The one I put in was gray (Federal Mogul). It's been four (4) days and I'm about to pull the transmission AGAIN. It's still leaking!! Although it didn't leak a drop when I was doing the fill procedure, being careful not to blow the seal out. Anyway, 1997 F150 4X4 4.6L VIN 6 w/ a 4R70W trans. Just curious if it's the same issue. Thank You Sir for post this!!
@@GaryFerraro Thank You Sir for responding!! I greatly appreciate it!! I'm not sure if it's blown out or not. The seal is has only been in for 5 days. It started leaking a couple weeks ago. I figured it was the front seal. So I pulled the transmission and transfer case. I replaced the front seal, the paper pump gasket, the oil pan gasket and the rear main (because I was there and those were the factory gaskets.) I also replaced the flex plate, drained and closely inspected the torque converter. Everything looked fine. No odd wear marks on the torque converter, so it didn't look like it had made contact with the front bushing or anything odd like that. I found a small tear in the old front seal. The seal was definitely showing it's age. Not dry rotted. but it would show white line if you flexed it to far (if that makes sense). You could definitely tell that the seal had well over 100K on it. I put everything back together and start the refill process (I filled the torque converter before I put it back into the transmission.) I put about 3 quarts in. Started it up and ran it for about 20 seconds and repeated that until it was full. 13 quarts, the truck has a separate factory trans cooler. During all this I was closly watching for any oil or trans leaks. Nothing!! Took it out for a very short test drive, about a mile-ish. Pulled back into the the driveway and.................. AGHHH it was leaking. Drove it to town a couple times in the hopes that maybe it needed a few heat cycles (pipe dream, I know). And surprise surprise, it just started getting worse. So today I put my inspection camera in there to see what I could see, which wasn't much. So tomorrow I'll be pulling everything back out again. (I love my job so much I'll do it twice!! 🤦♂) So I'm at a loss!!! Could I have messed up the seal reinstalling the converter, sure. I'm only human, last time I checked 😒. I didn't see any cracks on the pump housing or the converter. I'm just pulling my hair out trying to figure out what went wrong. It's bad enough I have to do this all over again. Obviously, I don't want to do all this a 3rd time. I'm just not into pulling out the parts cannon. I'm just really at a loss!!! Any help or advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Again, I just can't thank you enough for responding to my comment. As well as making it this far reading this short publication. I'm sorry it's so long. I just wanted to give you as much information as possible. It's hard enough trying to help folks out over the phone. Probably damn near impossible to over typed messages. I do apologize for any typing errors.
The problem may be your converter, you can't really see if thats leaking would have to be checked, When you pulled the converter out was the whole inside of the bellhousing wet?@@abitoffcenter383
@@GaryFerraro No, it was not. I was unable to get to pulling things apart yesterday. Just some other stuff I had to get done. But I decided to do something sorta stupid, maybe. I cleaned the inside of the bellhousing as best I could with brake cleaner. I had the idea of blowing talcum powder into the bellhousing. In the hopes it would stick to the inside, like it sticks to everything else it touches. I then started it up and let it run till it started leaking, Which oddly enough it did not start leaking until I put it in gear and put it under load, about 1500 RPM. Even then it took it a minute. Once it started I pulled it up on ramps and shut it off. Put the camera up inside the bellhousing to see if I could track it down. Given the space I was not. But the inside of the bellhousing is coated still with powder. There is a fluid trail to follow, I just couldn't fit the 5.5mm camera to the source. If I had to guess. It looks like it's either from the seal or from the gasket. Possibly the bolts. I did not put RTV on them, just thread lock blue. One thing I for got to mention. Like an Idiot I forgot to check the pump bushing. Again, apologies for the length of this!! Just trying to give you as much information as possible. Gary, I can not thank you enough for taking the time to help me!! If I owe you anything for your time and knowledge. I will figure out a way to get it to you!! Again, THANK YOU SIR!!!!
He posted a video on why the front seal leaked!?! Who cares??? The seal leaked so, if you are going to take the time to replace it, don't buy the cheap shit!
I had both these seals for my ford e40d. The black one didn't even fit correctly the inner seal didn't even touch the torque converter shaft. The gray one did. But both of them leak. So I'm not sure what my trans issue is.
@GaryFerraro oriellys. The first one was a ebay rebuild kit. That one kind of made sense it could've been crappy. But the gray one fit nicely and sealed. But still leaked for whatever reason. Could it be that seal or maybe the new bushing too?
Hey very useful video!! One quick question! I have a f250 with this trans, few weeks ago this happened to me morning start and when i went to set it in gear to go noticed no pull and i found all flui came out trough the front pump Cut it off and tow it to the shop... You think anything else needs to be done than just the seal problem?? Was a very smooth runner before this problem and was no ran without fluid!! A response would be much appreciated!! USEFUL CHANNEL!!
If the fluid ran out when the car was hot i would say yes. Do you know if it leaked hot or did it run out that morning? You also may want to check the pump bushing, make sure that is still in place
Gary Ferraro It ran out right when it got to operating temperature so i will say that it was hot... Bushing would be visible when i replace the seal? Just trying to go the less expensive way! Thanks for your reply though!!!! Have a blessed day.
We have a 6R80 at our shop that blew a cooler line and pumped itself dry, we patched the line, filled with fluid and fired it up, as soon as tech put in gear it started leaking from what we assume to be the torque converter seal. We drove it and it seems to shift OK, wondering what your thoughts were and if we can get away with just changing a torque seal. I pulled the tranny and noticed a bushing sleeve behind the seal that is floating around, and some light scoring marks on the TC, but nothing unusual on the TC seal surface. Vehicle is a 2014 F-150 Thanks for any help you can give me.
If the bushing is floating around then it spun, at least the pump body and gears will have to be replaced, if this ran low on fluid i would go through this unit
I'm about to do the one in my 2000 F350 and just purchased and picked up the torque converter seal from the Ford dealership and it's all gray. Now I'm concerned with putting it in.
Hey Gary, I have a 1993 ford 7.3 IDI that seems to puke fluid out of the bell housing vent tube as fast as the pump can flow. I have that grey seal I noticed once I took it apart. I’m not the most mechanically inclined this was my first tranny drop. All by myself. A little lost and overwhelmed. Anything else I should replace while doing this exact seal seen in the video?
@@GaryFerraro the vent tube! It started when I was driving home, flat out puking, then I noticed in my driveway it just have been leaking for some time before that, As there were multiple spots. But it pukes while cold and hot.
Had my 05 Explorer transmission rebuilt because it did not have reverse, just good car runs great, after driving a few miles it's leaking at the bellhousing. Why
I have a 92 f150 with e4od. It doesnt spew transmission fluid out when hot like i have seen on youtube, but it does leave a puddle of fluid when i park somewhere for like 20 minutes. Would this possibly be the same seal going bad? It's ATF and its coming from the bell housing.
If coming from the bell housing, i would say yes. If your going to pull the transmission out make sure the inside of the bell housing is not wet all around( like the oil is slinging around) If the whole bell housing is wet may have a leaky stud in the converter
My 1994 Ford (towncar) suddenly started massive leak out the front (while at highway speed) could it have blown the whole seal out the front? I can add more fluid and it will work to drive it but only for a short distance as it continue leaking massively out the front. QUESTION is replacing the seal the fix? or is there something else that could be wrong that pushed the seal out?I have not even looked inside - I suppose it could be that the torque converter developed a sudden crack (bad weld)?
If it's leaking that bad the bushing may have spun out, the front seals popping out is not very common on this year trans. Are you going to pull the trans out?
@@GaryFerraro Is the bushing inside the converter? Based on your response (and not having looked inside yet) I'm guessing it's a cracked converter or spun bushing. I do plan to pull the trans but have been too busy to do it the last . . . few years! :-0) Thanks!
@@2Truth4Liberty That would be the pump bushing, the converter hub rides on the pump bushing, if the seal is out check the pump bushing, from it not riding true it may blow the seal out
Why does my 2001 f150 4.6l keep spinning out front seal replaced 2 times and replaced front pump did good around town. 20 miles on highway spon seal again
I'm having this exact issue on my 95 mustang GT if anyone needs it for reference. The front and rear seals are leaking fluid when the temp gets really hot (thanks Florida) and the fluid leaks into the hot metals and smokes ferociously.
Would you happen to know what differentiates those two different seals as far as construction or material that makes the black one a better part to use? I bought a $10 front seal for my e4od on eBay and it is made of Viton which is usually a decent sealing material, But let me know if $10 is too cheap for something like this
Not sure of the material used, but the lite grey peels back causing the fluid to pour out, these came from the factory like that, then after seeing this issue ford redesigned the seal. 10 is about correct for this seal. If you like send me a picture gsferraro@yahoo.com
Another problem is bellhousing gets hot forcing the seal to just pop off spinning on the torque converter stem! The whole complete design is pure ridiculous
Does anyone have any tips to remove one of these ford front seals? Installing a new engine and I’m trying to replace the front transmission seal at the same time. Bought a seal puller and it won’t budge it. Was thinking of a slide hammer with a small L shaped hook? Thanks.
Thanks for your reply. I bought the 2 pound slide hammer set from harbor freight. It comes with a hook attachment that fits perfectly between the shaft and the inner seal. First slide on the hammer and the seal came flying off. This could be a good option if others have a seal that is stuck.
Not really sure, the problem is the seal peels back and the trans fluid runs out. I never tried using that product, usually this type of product swells the seals, it will also swell the piston seals thats one of the reasons why i dont use the these products, when it swells the piston seals, they have a chance of blowing out when the piston gets applied.
Thank you. My wife and I are traveling in our RV (1995 Ford E350 chassis). Our first trip. Stop and go traffic on a hot day. When I pulled into a parking spot it started leaking then it stopped. Was hoping for easy fix. 😓
One quart. I'm going to start it and check it in the morning. I'm hoping it didn't leak too much. If so, I'm going to bike ride into town and get more fluid but I'm optimistic.
@@GaryFerraro could this happen on a 97 mustang gt auto 4r70w i just pulled doen the trans because i was told the front pump seal was leaking i replaced with grey aftermarket seal AND still seeing a small amount of drips of fluid
@@angelgallo8949 where did you get the seal from? these seals are normally black rubber and metal. If the seal is new and correct, you could have a cracked converter hub or possible the bushing spun or moved out of place
@@GaryFerraro the seal is metal it seems of good quality i replaced the torque converter also. The seal i got is a grey one not black. Just wondering if i messed up my number is 626 500 3209. So i can show u pics
rusty red IS the rubber part. Can I replace the seal without removing the front pump? got this seal for just under 8 dollars on amazon. sold by phoenix transmission parts.
Yes he is very correct 5 transmission same vehicle seal leaking after long ride, then it gets worst to the point when it downshift hard damage to from drum clutch assembly! Ford should of addressed this issue and take the full responsibility of replacement since it is a huge process! Yet ford continues to commit felony against the public! They know all the issues yet they continue to manfacture the exact same way, they should pay for all my time and material stress to be forced to repair the crap they make , time out of my life for ford's mistakes
If you look at garys replies , he says the seal he had trouble with says national on it and not the real ford oem seal. comment 1 up from your says it.
I watched the video....went to Ford and purchased the seal... It's still the gray one! I went through all the comments is this the part number? SAP 662 33041N where do I get one of those?
@@GaryFerraro so I looked at the seal and the is stamping around the outer lip I believe it has NS , the Ford oval,A8DD-19 (The DD might be CD Also?) And the Ford part number stamped on it also
Look at the seal, does it say ford on it? The aftermarket company was making them like ford, the company is National. Or see if there is a ford number on it
@@GaryFerraro I will have to when I get home. I know the bag said Ford on it. The guy in the parts department said that the 1994 part number remained the same. And there were 3 upgrades over the years, but there is only one style and they still use them
Too many shiny parts in the video. Thanks for the info, but it wasn't too hard to figure out that the torque converter seal/front seal was bad. You just wasted three minutes and nine seconds of my life if hopes that you would show us how you performed that task. Most of us who know about front seals already know that it's a $10 part and 8 hours to fix it. I hate to be an ass about it, but I came here to learn the equation, not the answer.
Ford Transmission front seal {TIP}. He never said install tip smart ass and if you knew about front seals you would not be watching and wasting your "precious" time away from your video game in your mothers basement and you are being an ass. Thank you Gary from a fellow Gear head.
Thanks Gary just picked one of these seals up at Napa few days ago and happen to run across this video....will def be going to Dealer first thing In The morning to get the better seal....you probably just saved me more headache and money in long run thank you again it’s greatly appreciated.
