Oil leak question, please

[Ron41]

I noticed some oil dripping down on the front passenger side, looks like its comming from the top rubber hose that goes into the side of the radiator, I am guessing this is auto fliud, is it hard to replace the rubber hose ?
or need a mechanic to fix it ?

thanks for any help

[hako]

G'Day Ron, I've got the later VS 11 which has the bolt on connectors but I'd guess in your case it will be either the rubber hose hase gone hard and needs replacing or the actual trans oil cooler pipe (where it enters the side tank) is cracked. I know they can fail internally.
So I'd degrease the area then watch it with the engine idling and see if it's creeping past the rubber or leaking from the connector. I know the hose go hard over the years so hopefully it's just a new hose needed. Good Luck.

[Ron41]

Thanks hako, I will degrease it as you say and see were it is actually comming from.
If it is not the rubber and the other part cracked, would that mean a new radiator ?

thanks mate
regards
Rony

[calais24/7]

Thanks hako, I will degrease it as you say and see were it is actually comming from.
If it is not the rubber and the other part cracked, would that mean a new radiator ?

thanks mate
regards
Rony

If you have a cracked radiator then i tend to suggest so

[hako]

I'd bet on it being the rubber hose...the cracked cooler bit is a real outside chance.
You could cut the hose and rejoin it but it makes more sense to buy a new length.
Ron, you've got to stop lifting that bonnet and looking for trouble!

[Harvs82]

Yeah definitely the trans cooler hoses. You can easily replace yourself, its 8mm oil coler hose, you can get it from repco. Make sure you have two clips on each end of the hose, I'm pretty sure that there was a recall for this back in the day...

The rubber does clap out after a few years, I had to replace the hoses on the olds VS, as they were leaking quite badly, and the rubber had become quite brittle.

Might pay to check the level on the Auto trans fluid too, just in case it needs a bit of a top up.

[Ron41]

Thanks for your replies, what is the best approach when changing these hoses, do you undo the bottom one first and drain it first ? does the oil piss out pretty fast or have you got time to just replace the hoses as they are still dripping out ? and then just top off the trans oil after.
It may seem like dumb questions but I have never done this before.

thanks

[hako]

Do it with the engine cold and you'll only lose a small amount basically just the oil that is in the lines...maybe half a cupful. It's only grivity that will make the oil run and the lines are mostly above the height of the transmission oil level. Do top one first.

[Harvs82]

Also make sure that you clean or degrease the entire area around the hose connections... the last thing you need is any foreign matter or dirt etc getting in the trans lines... could cause some headaches later on!

[Ron41]

Job done, thanks for all your help, turned out only to be the rubber hose was perished, so I replaced the both of them.

thanks again
Rony