1986 Mustang atf leakage

25

Asked by bobjo612 Jul 17, 2013 at 01:54 PM about the 1986 Ford Mustang LX Convertible RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 1986 Mustang 3.8 L LX that smokes , the smoke is white,I have changed
everything within the engine to correct this to no avail.Some body mentioned to me
that it could be the front transmission seal leaking into the engine.Have you heard of such
a thing?? The transmission does leak atf from the front.Thank You in advance for your help.

23 Answers

yes, the bottom of your radiator has a connection so the transmission fluid can be kept cool too....are you getting coolant in the transmission...that would be a concern if this were the case, as far as the engine....thru this radiator is the only space where transmission fluid would have any hope of getting into the engine....have you checked your transmission fluid lately?

1 people found this helpful.

White/blueish smoke from tailpipe is oil burning, or possibly if you are loosing a lot of coolant that white smoke is water/coolant steam, if you are loosing a lot of coolant, but generally white/blue tint is oil. Listen to JudgeRoy about the transmission but also keep an eye on coolant levels

2 people found this helpful.

Oh yeah, that's right. A transmission seal will not leak transmission fluid in to crankcase

1 people found this helpful.

a breech in the cooling jacket at the radiator transmission side would produce this...thing is would go both ways, no? which is more pressurized one might ask?

1 people found this helpful.
57,955

The front Pump seal generally blows out and disables the car within seconds or does not leak - almost NO in-between. The trans cooler has much higher pressure than the radiator (when running in gear) BUT, neither will cause white smoke from the tailpipe. Look for: Coolant being burned, trans oil being sucked up through the Transmission vacuum modulator, (still had one in '86) fuel pressure regulator failure, good ol' condensation at start-up, valve seals. When does it smoke? cold, warm, accelerating, at idle? Does it smell like oil, gasoline or antifreeze? Are any of your fluids going low - engine oil, antifreeze, ATF? Do your fluids look normal? How does it run?

2 people found this helpful.
25

Thanks Guys I have replaced the heads,valve stem seals,fuel pressure reg,checked all vaccumn lines and spark plugs and wires.I pressure checked the coolant lines,had the compression checked (90lbs) throughout all cylinders. replaced the computer nothing helped.I do appricate your advice.

1 people found this helpful.
25

Tracy, I can find no leakage in the fluid levels,the smoke smells acrid but has no distinct odor

1 people found this helpful.
57,955

Darn. I was hoping it was the fuel pressure regulator. The vacuum line will be full of gasoline.

1 people found this helpful.
57,955

Right....he's trying to pin down smoke.

2 people found this helpful.
25

Guys, Thanks for your help.I might add I checked the cats to see if they may be plugged ,they were empty.Do you think It may be something internal? This is the most puzzling problem I have ever faced,can you think of any test I can do? The big problem is the smoke,it seems to be more under pressure.

the PCV (positive Crankcase Ventilllation valve) $5 item may be full of oily grease blockin' the ventillation of it~

1 people found this helpful.
25

Guys, Do you think this is internal? I have done every shadetree test I know and checked all the fluids for signs of a problem to no avail.Thanks for all your help.

you must look at the coolant lines leaving the transmission body to the radiator with the flexible connection to the radiator...look closely for fluid....use a piece of white kleenex to "swab it down" to find the red leaker~...leaks are the only logical answer...has nothing to do with the combustion...this is a separate issue~

1 people found this helpful.

Your second PCV gets clobbered up, just put a new one in there...they are like $1.91...a small price to pay for not smokin'~

1 people found this helpful.
25

Put in a new pvc no change? Is their a place I can find a vacuum diagram for this car.Thanks again

25

Just a note---The exhaust pipe is dripping a clear liquid and if I reach up in the exhaust I get a dark carbon residue

14,385

Run the engine for 20 minutes then put the palm of your hand over the end of the tailpipe(becareful not too close to burn your hand) Maybe about a half inch to one inch away. Hold it there for about 30 seconds, then pull your hand away and check the palm. If it's wet and slippery then you are burning coolant. If you hand is dry, then it's not burning coolant and you have a different problem. White smoke or white fog? Thick white smoke is an oil burning problem, maybe bad rings. White fog is condensation(water or coolant burning) If it's actually smoke, I would check the valve seals or you may have pinched a gasket or pinched or moved a rear or front intake manifold seal. The 5.0L engines are notorious for the rear seal getting dislodged or blowing out so I would check that. You might have to pull the intake to really check it depending on how much room you got between the back of the intake and the firewall. The transmission can't leak into the the engine but it can leak down on top of the exhaust pipes causing all kinds of white smoke coming from under the car. Those years Stangs are also known for that problem too. My son's '86 had the same problem and it actually caught the car on fiire so be careful. You can also try running a can of Seafoam thru the engine, then do an oil change and see if that makes a difference. You can pour it in the oil or pour it in your vacuum lines normally thru thr hose that feeds the power brake booster. I've never used it myself but have heard some good news from using it. It will clear up a lot of problems. Good Luck, Kenny/MrBlueOval

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Mustang

Looking for a Used Mustang in your area?

CarGurus has 22,411 nationwide Mustang listings starting at $1,100.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1986 Ford Mustang

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    3,140
  • #2
    Bob Beaman
    Reputation
    2,680
  • #3
    rst429
    Reputation
    2,600
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Chevrolet Camaro
612 Great Deals out of 9,124 listings starting at $4,899
Used Dodge Charger
784 Great Deals out of 28,163 listings starting at $2,310
Used Chevrolet Corvette
674 Great Deals out of 12,239 listings starting at $3,200
Used Ford F-150
6,079 Great Deals out of 132,240 listings starting at $900
Used BMW 3 Series
1,115 Great Deals out of 12,739 listings starting at $700
Used BMW M3
50 Great Deals out of 1,091 listings starting at $12,000
Used Honda Civic
1,357 Great Deals out of 28,946 listings starting at $800
Used Jeep Wrangler
3,251 Great Deals out of 59,078 listings starting at $2,999
Used Toyota Camry
2,017 Great Deals out of 34,507 listings starting at $500
Used Toyota Supra
26 Great Deals out of 684 listings starting at $34,999

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Ford Mustang For Sale
48 Great Deals out of 11,358 listings starting at $27,319
2023 Ford Mustang For Sale
28 Great Deals out of 547 listings starting at $24,584
2022 Ford Mustang For Sale
84 Great Deals out of 935 listings starting at $20,889
2021 Ford Mustang For Sale
108 Great Deals out of 1,142 listings starting at $16,226
2020 Ford Mustang For Sale
58 Great Deals out of 992 listings starting at $13,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.