Cracked trans case - Honda Odyssey

blazerbrad · 11-20-2013, 09:47 AM

Wife was out last night with her friends and called me saying there was a puddle of red fluid under her '07 Honday Odyssey. Had her drive it the 15 minutes home and when she got home casually mentioned running over something on the freeway but didn't seem like a big deal. After looking at it she hit something pretty substantial to the point it put a hairline crack in the trans case and dented the box tubing of the crossmember, including destroying the plastic bottom cover.

There is a hairline crack about 1/2" long that is leaking fluid on the cast aluminum case. My first thought was to try to seal up this crack. What is everybody's recommendations for this?

Planning on draining the fluid to stop the leak, clean up the area and probably run a die grinder or dremel over the crack and rough up the surrounding area, then some sort of epoxy or sealant. JB Weld, silicone based sealer, epoxy, or ?????

humpy · 11-20-2013, 10:00 AM

How bout puttin a new case in ? Is that an option ? If this thing starts leakin because a repair like that failed and it's Rollin down the highway.. Bearing could get hot and seize cause lack of fluid and cause your wife to have a wreck at high speed... I wouldn't do it I would put a new case in it... But that's just me

blazerbrad · 11-20-2013, 10:39 AM

If you going to put a new case in it might as well just get a complete used trans and bolt it in. Probably be cheaper in the long run versus paying $300-$400 for the case and the cost to basically have a shop do a complete rebuild on the trans.

Last night I put a piece of cardboard under it and this morning I would estimate there were a couple of ounces of fluid dripped on it. A little trans fluid makes a good size puddle...recently spilled about a 1/2 quart on the garage floor and it made a puddle about 4' around.

Flxratd · 11-20-2013, 10:48 AM

I have seen a lot of attempted repairs for what you are describing with very little success.. atf is so thin it will find its way out.. I have to agree with fixing it right as to not leave the wife at best on the side of the road..

humpy · 11-20-2013, 10:57 AM

If it was my daily driver I might would try a repair but the family truckster is a different story .... Fix it right in my opinion

94Dodge Truggy · 11-20-2013, 11:43 AM

weld it up!

blazerbrad · 11-20-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flxratd

I have seen a lot of attempted repairs for what you are describing with very little success.. atf is so thin it will find its way out.. I have to agree with fixing it right as to not leave the wife at best on the side of the road..

What is you recommendation as the right way to fix it?

Is the biggest concern about the repair just that it will start leaking again?

We just received the last statement on the thing that said we had a total of $129 remaining before it was paid off...was excited to be 100% car payment free for the first time in 15 years.

Flxratd · 11-20-2013, 02:38 PM

Isn't it always when you pay something off is when it hits the fan... Having come from a 19 year background with Honda/Acura I have seen everything from casting flaws to cracks and the "incar" repair was almost always a failure. You can never seem to get the spot clean enough to get a repair (even drained) since the fluid never seems to quit weeping where you are trying to seal. Used Honda transmissions are a bit of a challenge to get ahold of also since they unfortunately had a large failure rate(not so much by 07). If all is well with the internals of the trans I would seriously entertain replacing the case half. It will cost more than j/b weld or such but you will know its done and done right.

Im not saying in the same situation I wouldn't at least want to try a quick fix myself but I think it will come back to haunt...

My 02cents with a bit of past experience to go with it..

11-20-2013, 09:47 AM	#1
blazerbrad - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 831 Images: 6	Cracked trans case - Honda Odyssey Wife was out last night with her friends and called me saying there was a puddle of red fluid under her '07 Honday Odyssey. Had her drive it the 15 minutes home and when she got home casually mentioned running over something on the freeway but didn't seem like a big deal. After looking at it she hit something pretty substantial to the point it put a hairline crack in the trans case and dented the box tubing of the crossmember, including destroying the plastic bottom cover. There is a hairline crack about 1/2" long that is leaking fluid on the cast aluminum case. My first thought was to try to seal up this crack. What is everybody's recommendations for this? Planning on draining the fluid to stop the leak, clean up the area and probably run a die grinder or dremel over the crack and rough up the surrounding area, then some sort of epoxy or sealant. JB Weld, silicone based sealer, epoxy, or ?????

11-20-2013, 10:00 AM	#2
humpy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 573	How bout puttin a new case in ? Is that an option ? If this thing starts leakin because a repair like that failed and it's Rollin down the highway.. Bearing could get hot and seize cause lack of fluid and cause your wife to have a wreck at high speed... I wouldn't do it I would put a new case in it... But that's just me __________________ S10 with a few air shocks..

11-20-2013, 10:48 AM	#4
Flxratd Retired Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hamilton/Ross Posts: 645	I have seen a lot of attempted repairs for what you are describing with very little success.. atf is so thin it will find its way out.. I have to agree with fixing it right as to not leave the wife at best on the side of the road.. __________________ One of these days Zuk 2.0

11-20-2013, 10:57 AM	#5
humpy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 573	If it was my daily driver I might would try a repair but the family truckster is a different story .... Fix it right in my opinion __________________ S10 with a few air shocks..

11-20-2013, 11:43 AM	#6
94Dodge Truggy EX-Vice President Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fairfield, Ohio Posts: 3,048	weld it up! __________________

11-20-2013, 10:39 AM	#3
blazerbrad - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 831 Images: 6	If you going to put a new case in it might as well just get a complete used trans and bolt it in. Probably be cheaper in the long run versus paying $300-$400 for the case and the cost to basically have a shop do a complete rebuild on the trans. Last night I put a piece of cardboard under it and this morning I would estimate there were a couple of ounces of fluid dripped on it. A little trans fluid makes a good size puddle...recently spilled about a 1/2 quart on the garage floor and it made a puddle about 4' around.

11-20-2013, 02:38 PM	#8
Flxratd Retired Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hamilton/Ross Posts: 645	Isn't it always when you pay something off is when it hits the fan... Having come from a 19 year background with Honda/Acura I have seen everything from casting flaws to cracks and the "incar" repair was almost always a failure. You can never seem to get the spot clean enough to get a repair (even drained) since the fluid never seems to quit weeping where you are trying to seal. Used Honda transmissions are a bit of a challenge to get ahold of also since they unfortunately had a large failure rate(not so much by 07). If all is well with the internals of the trans I would seriously entertain replacing the case half. It will cost more than j/b weld or such but you will know its done and done right. Im not saying in the same situation I wouldn't at least want to try a quick fix myself but I think it will come back to haunt... My 02cents with a bit of past experience to go with it.. __________________ One of these days Zuk 2.0