Thanks, I'll get some SeaFoam Transtune? or the Lucas stuff?

Does anyone know the typical cost to take out the tranny and replace the leaking seals?

Bandit'* thread never discussed fixing the seals.

By the way, a few days after I bought the car I found this on the internet:

"Your car could have a condition called 'converter drain back.' The fluid in the converter drains back into the gearbox when the vehicle sits. When you start it up, the pump has to build up pressure again before gear application can take place. A problem in the electrical system can cause this problem. Also, hardened rubber seals within the transmission cause this problem as well. The seals get hard when they are cold and it takes a few minutes for the transmission oil to heat them up enough to soften and swell up to create a seal. The sealing results in hydraulic pressure buildup in the transmission and allows the application of gears. Have the unit scanned for codes pertaining to loss of hydraulic pressure or the performance system.”

Sounds like bad seals to me....

Today my tranny fluid level was about 3/4 of the dipstick in the add area below the section where it is shown to be the maximum operating area, I added a whole bottle of Seafoam Transtune.

So my level was a bit low.

I'm not having issues with this car it runs like an electric it'* doing everything I need it to do.

My main concern is a further deterioration.

I look forward to some cold starting to see if the Seafoam helped!

(As Bandit mentioned, I think it'* a good idea to not use OVERDRIVE and get those rpm'* up when she'* cold building up heat and pressure faster.)

Other cars do that.

My truck for example... it stays in gear longer to help heat up the motor in the cold weather.

The Seafoam has caused my car to work perfectly.

Now the question is? What to do next?

Some people have a LOT MORE problems flushing the fluid.

"Sea Foam Sales Company" DOES NOT say this crap needs to be left in the tranny for only a short time.

It says on their website:

"When erratic shifting is experienced, add 1/2 pint as directed to restore smooth performance. Do not overfill. Fluid can be changed at regular service basis."

My understanding of it is that the SeaFoam itself will evaporate after a time, but look at it this way. You've already said that you don't know when, if ever, the transmission fluid has been changed. So, the "regular service interval" is likely already past. Plus, the nasties that caused the problem originally don't go away. They get suspended into the transmission fluid, and possibly caught up in the filter.

Dropping the pan and changing the fluid is not the same of flushing the system, where most of the fluid is removed and replaced with new. This only does part of it.

Ok, for best results, you need some new fluid in there.

You've done the whole trans tune thing, that is EXCELLENT. Keep that in there for about...say 100 miles....personally I don't know the long term of keeping it in there longer, but I do know that its not transmission fluid, it isn't meant to be in there long term.

If you have no idea of when it was last changed, what is the color of the fluid? In fact, skipping right past that, if your transmission has gotten to the point of not even operating normal on that fluid, it means its old....real old. So you will get the best results from changing it twice OR taking it to have it flushed and have the filter replaced. Cheaper would be the first, most effective would be the second. 165 is not that bad, if it shifts ok otherwise, its probably got plenty of life in it still

The proper solutions for you:

Not so easy for beginners:
Drop pan
Drain
Replace Pan
Add 6qts transmission fluid
Drive for about 20 mins
Bring home
Wait to cool for at least 20 mins (I didn't before, lets just say that 220* transmission fluid coming down your arm hurts like hell)
Drop Pan
Replace Filter
Replace Pan
Fill with one bottle of Lucas Transmission Fix
Add 5 qts transmission fluid
Go take a drive, get it mixed around, and you're done!
Took me just shy of 2 hours.
Costs:
Transmission Fluid - $2/qt x 12
Lucas Trans Fix - $? Forgot
Filter kit: $20

OR, the super easy and effective way:
THE FLUSH
inquire to a few shops near you about a fluid and filter change and see about pricing.
she'll be as good as new for another 30-50k

Oh, and don't listen to people who say that flushing is going to kill your transmission. If flushing kills the transmission, and not flushing it would save it, then you're only preventing the inevitable, since it still is shifting good otherwise, and you're running that seafoam, which basically liquefies all that nasty buildup anyways, you don't want that continuing to circulate in there, a flush is your BEST BET for prolonging the life of that transmission.

I don't understand what the Seafoam did to fix to the transmission? It must not have had gaskets leaking since Seafoam loosens gunk it would have leaked more and failed more?

Seafoam is not a stop leak like Lucas.

It seems to me there was some sticky part that got freed up.

I won't do a flush but I'll get the tranny fluid changed I'll wait a couple of weeks though.

Hi guys I have a problem with my 1995 that seems to be just the reverse of that you are having
366k on it never touched as far as I know.100K of my own on it..

once warm when you come to a stop while it'* shifting from 2nd to 1st it wants to like thump,, and in turn at times it wants to jump out of engaugement shifting up from 1st or 2nd (it'* hard to tell which)
it may disengage while excelerating and then jump right back in with a bang..
on the road it runs like a charm once out of 2nd gear I'd say, reverse is OK..

2nd problem
all this while I have my trany out of my 1999 with 145K on it..
this one is a different story,, the drive hub went bad, no drive but all else was great, just no drive even the lock up worked great.. bad mileage..

I have a friend that has worked on trans for 19 years,, I took the trany out and took it to him, and verified it was the Hub once a part, he did test the pressures first while i the car and all was OK,, now the problem
everything looked like new in side but the Drive hub so that got replaced along with the sun gear..
he helped put it back in,,, once in we put some fluid back in 4 qts at first started just to pump it up he put it in reverse for just a sect and it started smoking out the dip tube..
we shut it down and put more fluid in another 4 qts the same thing shut it off instantly
we had 11 qt'* in it and then restarted it,, 1 2 3 ok drive 4th, now kicks in and out
reverse acts like the brakes are on hard and more smoke coming from the tub..
I don't get into many trans but I have change my share in the last 30 years but this is the first time one smoked like this,, there is no doubt that he did something wrong in side,, I'm just glad he was there to see it

we took it back out and he took it apart again now the drive clutches were burnt to a crisp.. he replaced them and re checked everything,, we put it back in and the same thing happened again, the problem is he doesn't know what he did for this to have happened.. any ideas other than firing his butt and get a used trany??

if you guy want to know where a few bolts are that you can't see that need to come out droping these you'll need to know about them,, it'* taking me alone about 4 hours to drop one.. at 52 the damn things are gets heaver all the time..