Selector Shaft Seal: Transmission Leak
I just thought I would throw together a quick post about the Selector Shaft Seal. As our VXes get older, I'm sure more of us are going to see this. I've only found one specific thread about this so I figured I would add another for future reference.
So, there is a thick little rubber o-ring/seal on the driver's side (US) that is behind the transmission mode switch and the gear selector lever. I noticed a pretty bad leak in this area, and I assumed it was the pan gasket. It was time for tranny service anyhow, so I changed the fluid, filter and pan gasket. The leak persisted. I could see the leak forming on the dust shield that covers the mode switch. There was an obvious drip there, but it was still difficult to discern where the leak was coming from because fluid gets everywhere. So I checked the manual and it indicated that the "selector shaft seal" is a common leak point. I then called Merlin and got a new seal. That was like 8 months ago. Procrastinators unite!
Anyway, I got to checking this out this weekend. Having never take apart this area of my VX, and with the manual being EXTREMELY vague as per usual, it was just a matter of figuring it out. As it turned out, it is quite easy to get at from under the VX, even though an exhaust pipe is annoyingly in the way. Basically, all you need to do it pull the cotter pin holding the lever arm and disconnect and pull it off from the selector shaft. Then you can get at the two little bolts (one barely visible on top) that hold the mode switch to the trans. It takes a little wiggling, a socket extension, a flashlight, and getting your ape hand stuck between the torsion bar and frame rail for about 5 minutes (no kidding, started to get worried for a minute) but then it comes off.
So now I have my mode switch hanging and I can see the rubber seal around the selector shaft. And because I was still worried that I might have a leak around the pan, I decided to let it sit like this overnight so I could be SURE the selector shaft was leaking and not the pan. I figured with all this stuff removed and the seal right there in front of me, I would see the fluid seep out right there and know for sure. But instead, nothing leaks. It's been 18 hours now and no more drips on the floor!! So the pan isn't leaking, which is great, and neither is the selector shaft seal, at the moment.
Its my guess that the seal only leaks when I am in a certain gear, most likely PARK. I would get a pretty big puddle of ATF right away before, and it would just keep dripping. Now that i have it all apart however, there is no leak. So, there must be some sort of pressure on this seal when in a certain gear that causes this leak. Anyway, I just found that interesting enough to post about. I'm going to change out the seal regardless, but all in all, a fairly easy job.
Bart
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Originally Posted by rowhard
