Hi guy , i'm new to the forum and of course i have an issue that brought me here . I was doing the transmission fluid change on my new Integra '99 , (bought it one week ago) , and i was in a rush so i overtightened the drain plug which caused the block to crack a little just around the drain , so i'm loosing a lot of fluid now .I can not wait until tomorrow to hear from my mechanic what is the damage and if they'll be able to weld it and stop the leak .
Did any of you guys ever had a block welded or it is not possible ?
Please let me know if you ever heard of something like that being done or what other solutions other people found for something like this . Any comment are welcome , even critics , i already know i should have been more careful but ...................

 

Erm... to be precise, you haven't cracked the block. h:

The block specifically refers to the engine, not the transmission.
The appropriate term would be the transmission case.

That said, I used JB Weld to mend a small crack in the case of a 91 Golf transmission. It worked for 60,000 miles without a hitch.

Is your crack on the underside of the trans or at the fill hole on the side nearest the passenger-side driveshaft?

 

, Thank you very much for your reply DAVE ,yes you're right , the transmission case cracked right at the drain nut that is located at the bottom of it on the passenger's side , and i'm loosing fluid fast . I don't know if JB Weld would work great on a oily surface .
Do you know if they can weld it or something , i think in this case i would pay a bit more just to feel better. What are your thoughts?

 

Ultimately, it all comes down to case thickness and the ability to manage heat so that the welding repair doesn't produce any warping.

I have no qualms about JB Weld as a product, but I put my trans through hell after patching a dime-sized crack. But it sounds like our situations differ a bit.

When I patche the Golf trans, it was a very slow leak... slow enough that I could wipe the area down with an acetone-soaked rag and start laying up the epoxy. Also, my crack was caused by a rather large rock while I was off in the hinterlands driving like an idiot. h: It was in the middle of the leading edge of the case, nowhere near the drain bung.

Worst case scenario... if the crack has gone through the threads of the drain bung, you may have no option but to invest in another transmission.

I assume we're talking manual transmissions, BTW.
Also, which model? LS? GS? GSR?

 

It is an automatic transmission , GS model . I would hate it if i had to replace the transmission case after only one week since i bought the damn car . I guess i can try and drain the fluid again and let the spot dry , clean it very well after that with alcohol and try the JB Weld , i'm just afraid the weld would come off when i drive and i wouldn't even know.

 

a good welder should no problem doing it, its just a matter of finding one who has some skill.

 

ok man , thanks a lot, that will help me get some sleep tonight

 

the problem I see with any kind of epoxy/JB weld is that since it is from the drain plug there will stress there anytime you torque it down. Dave, in your case it was a random event that cracked it and so after you patched it there wasn't any stress at that point so there was no reason for it not to work.

 

Couldn't he have used some teflon tape on the threads of the drain plug? I know this can help to avoid overtightening as the plug will start to snug sooner and you don't have to worry as much about leaking fluid. Same idea as some blue loctite to keep things snug without power torquing.

There's always that fine line between overtightening and having the bolt fall out...

 

If a fragment of teflon tape tore off and floated away inside the automatic transmisson, God only knows what solenoid it would clog up.:eek4:

The far better solution is to use a torque wrench and torque the drain plug to spec.


You do make a good point. h: It was an impact crack rather than a torque issue, so yes... welding the case would be the best long term solution.

Far be it from me to suggest a half-assed approach. h: