brake fluid in a tranny

[wvcab]

one of my drivers.... ok ex driver, ( he quit)

put brake fluid in the tranny, and drove the car... the transmission slips.

I did not realize he had put brake fluid in it,   till i  had already pulled it out, and replaced the tranny. I noticed the strong odor of the fluid, (not a burnt smell, more of a solvent odor), but never put the puzzle together, untill i noticed the 2 empty brake fluid containers in the trunk.

THERE IS A REASON THAT MY DRIVERS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO CHANGE FLAT TIRES.

with all that said, is the tranny toast?

OBTW this is in a 95 crown vic  aode, the tranny had 22k on it since the rebuild.

[58 Yeoman]

I've heard of people putting brake fluid in an auto trans to try and swell the seals, but don't know if it works or not; I've never had the opportunity to try it.  I'm sure Tony will chime in any minute....

[tommy b]

Yeah, I've done it. And it works, too.  The  way I was told (back in the 60's) is that you put 4 ounces, and 4 ounces only, of brake fluid into the tranny. If this doesn't stop the leak, the seals are too far gone to seal by this method and will need replaced, or you can live with the leak.

tommy b

[Dirk35]

I was always told by the old-timers that if you put brake fluid in a tranny, that itll eat away the gaskets and seals like it does paint, and will clean the clutches so well that they wont have any lubrication.

I personally know a friend that poured it down the tranny of his ex-wife's car (it was really his till court) before she came and took it. And I do know for a fact that that car needed a new tranny not too much longer after the divorce, and the engine didnt run too well either after a few months.......something about mothballs in the gas tank crystalize on the valves when burnt. Her new boyfriend also got mad at her and beat the crap out of her and kicked her out with-in the year.......but thats another story not needed on here.

[wvcab]

flushed the tranny   , New filter, drained the convertor, ran 24 quarts thru the tranny, it still slips. when the pan was off, there was a lot of naterail on the magnet, and the pan had a black "slit " apperance to it.
I ended up replacing the tranny.

Robert