metaruss

Well, I wanted to get started pulling the trans last night.  This is the first time I got near it since I discovered the left side of the trans, axle, and engine bay covered in trans fluid on Saturday.  I jacked up the car and grabbed the axle.  It was not sloppy at all, compared to how it was before I installed the stabilizer bearing.  Then from the topside, I noticed trans fluid all over the TOP of the trans as well.  It appeared to be coming from the top of the shifter plane (slider) selector lever.  There is a plastic cap on the shaft, which I assume is the gear case vent (it’s not on the bearing retainer plate like on the A525/A520/A555).  I am in the habit of overfilling my trannies by about 1/2 quart.  It works fine on the A520s.  On the A568, it seems to puke the extra oil out.  The oil would run into a webbed area of the top of the trans, fill it up with oil, then it would run down the side, right over the left-side axle.  It appears that this is where the oil is coming from.  I cleaned the whole thing up with acetone so that it is dry and drained the excess fluid from the case (it was still very high).  I then proceeded to address a coolant leak from that stupid head (helicoils).  I may just have lucked out.

I fixed the coolant leaks at the thermostat housing by using the solvent-safe PFTE thread tape with Master #2 Gasketmaker (not RTV, this stuff stays soft).  It appears to be holding up just fine.

I have no doubt that this tranny needs to at least have the diff re-shimmed.  Perhaps even new spiders.  But, it looks like it may be salvageable otherwise.  The stabilizer bearing appears to be doing its job.