Re: Strange tranny leak

[Kneale Brownson <knotnook@traverse.com>]

At 07:15 PM 11/19/99 -0500, Craig D. Niederst wrote:
>My '92 100S is currently at the dealer (Day Audi in Pittsburgh) for PA state
>inspection / emissions. When I dropped the car off, I also mentioned to the
>service manager that I noticed that what appeared to be auto tranny fluid on
>the side of the tranny housing that I would like to have checked out. Well,
>the car passed all the state stuff (even though the tech said my 3 month old
>wiper inserts needed to be replaced to pass, total B.S. IMHO), but the cause
>of the tranny leak was a surprise. The service manager said the fluid was
>leaking through the actual tranny case, not from a bad seal, sensor, etc.
>The case is not cracked, but is coming out through the metal casting. Anyone
>else dealt with this? I seem to remember a posting awhile back about porous
>castings and leaks, but could not find anything in the archives. The service
>manager said the only remedy would be to replace the tranny, which is not an
>option. Any BTDT's? BTW, the car is a late build '92 with the then newly
>designed 01K auto tranny (one used from 3/92 up to 95). TIA.
>
>Craig
>'92 100S (86k)
>
I had a '67 Porsche 911 that burned  holes in the tops of pistons on one
bank of cylinders twice inside of  20K miles. This stumped the wrench and
his area Porsche technical rep, but the  national technical rep they
referred the issue to put the intake casting on a metal table with fuel
sealed inside by metal plates and proceeded to heat it up with a torch.
Pretty soon, the fuel started oozing out.  As the casting warmed up, it
apparently lost enough fuel to alter the mixture enough to cause the burned
pistons.  I think the casting was a magnesium alloy.

Kneale Brownson