for the gear lube to begin leaking out of the bellhousing that quickly sounds to me like damage to the transmission case, not the seal. Probably the countershaft slammed into the front cover hard enough to crack or hole it. I too would plan on finding a replacement transmission.

The couple of times that I have pulled the transmission I don't take the exhaust off at the header, I just remove all of the clamps at the back end of the car and push the exhaust pipe to one side until it clears.

But then I:

1) Have a 3-2-1 header, not an exhaust manifold

2) Have a relatively new, non-rusty exhaust system that will tolerate being twisted.

Your results may vary.

Transmission fluid leaking past the input shaft seal. The seal may have been improperly seated during the rebuild, but in my experience it is far more likely that the transmission was over-filled. Unlike most domestic transmissions, the Datsun transmissions are not supposed to be filled until the fluid starts dripping from the filler plug hole, but instead should have the proper measured amount of lube added. Don't ask me how I learned this... :stupid:

Another possibility is the input shaft is worn where it is overriden by the seal, as is the case with my car. In an attempt to stop my leak, I installed a new seal into a slightly different position where it is not fully pushed in against the transmission case. This slowed down the trickle, but in the end it looks like I'll need to replace the input shaft to complete stop the leak.

Mark

for the gear lube to begin leaking out of the bellhousing that quickly sounds to me like damage to the transmission case, not the seal. Probably the countershaft slammed into the front cover hard enough to crack or hole it. I too would plan on finding a replacement transmission.

Unfortunately that is what I was thinking. A while back I bought an engine and transmission for $300, that a guy pulled for a V8 swap, in case I needed some parts. He said the tranny was a 5-speed, but I cannot tell by looking at it. The fill hole is on the driver's side, vs. the 5-speed in my car has the fill hole on the passenger's side. I could not find any numbers on it. Any way of identifing the trans as a 5-speed without opening it up?

Walter, thanks for the good tip. Had I figured that out on my own the trans would be in the back of my truck now.

If the current case is cracked, and my extra is not a 5-speed (hopefully one of those will work out) there is a shop on ebay selling rebuilt units for $650 - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-240Z-280ZX-Rebuilt-OEM-5-Speed-Transmission_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem25581765a8QQitemZ160391718312QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories Has anyone used these guys?

Thanks for everyones comments.

datsun-parts? Don't go there! Search him (Al Allen) on this site when you have the time. It's informative reading and you can decide for yourself.

Thanks for the heads-up. It is what makes the forum great.

WingZr0, sorry for hijacking your post. Turns out my problem is different, at least I hope it is different, than what you are experiencing.

I pulled the trans yesterday, and there was a crack in the front cover. You can see it below the fork in this picture:

I did pull the exhaust, since the previous owner had purchased a performance exhaust that came with the car. After two days of being sprayed with Liquid Wrench, the bolts came off fairly easily.

I installed another 5-speed, but it has three sensors on the side, compared to the one on the broken trans, and it also has the fill on the driver's side, vs. passenger side on the broken trans.

Does anyone know the difference between these transmissions? I have not road tested the car yet, as I ran out of time to get the new exhaust installed, but ran it while up on the lift and all seemed fine. I assume I do not need to hook up any of the sensors?

Broken Trans:

Swapped Trans 1:

Swapped Trans 2:

Your sure it isn't oil which could be the rear main seal?

I installed another 5-speed, but it has three sensors on the side, compared to the one on the broken trans, and it also has the fill on the driver's side, vs. passenger side on the broken trans.

Does anyone know the difference between these transmissions? I have not road tested the car yet, as I ran out of time to get the new exhaust installed, but ran it while up on the lift and all seemed fine. I assume I do not need to hook up any of the sensors?

Looks to be a 79 and up 5 speed. It has a higher fifth gear than the 78 trans. You'll want to hook up the farthest forward 'sensor' as that the your reverse light switch. The other two won't matter on a 78 since there is no provision for them in the car. They are part of the 79 and up emission control (vacuum switching valve) system. I had that same trans in my 78 and I liked the higher fifth; a little better freeway/highway mpg. Mine came from an 83 Maxima which is the same as a ZX 5 speed.

It's only Hijacking if it's completly off topic . Your questions helped give me some new insights.

The higher fifth gear sounds good but i always liked the idea of the old drag racer style 4 speed. Just for reference Is there a lower 5th gear than came in the 77, 78 Z?

Short answer, yes. If you scroll down to "1977 through 1983 Factory Four/Five Speed Transmission Ratios" on Mr. Becks site you'll see the differences. Messers Golik, Bell, and Corrigan who are three Datsun gurus in their own right also contributed to this compilation.

http://www2.zhome.com:81/ZCMnL/tech/GearRatios.html