A/T - A4LD Front Seal Blow Out

TRANSMISSION: A4LD

BULLETIN: # 012

SUBJECT: Front Seal Blowout

DATE: June 1990

FRONT SEAL BLOWOUT

Repeated Front Seal Blowouts




If you have repeated front seal blowouts on A4LD's, it may not be a problem with the seal or the quality of your work. You could have a bad bell housing. The bushing used in the A4LD is finished in place. Because of this the bore that the bushing fits into doesn't need to be in the center of the bell housing, and in many cases it isn't. When you're working on an A4LD you need to check the bell housing bushing to see if it's the original factory bushing. If it is, and it's not worn (no more than .003" converter hub to bushing clearance) DON'T REPLACE IT! If the bushing needs to be replaced you need to make sure the replacement bushing will fit in the center of the bellhousing. To do this bolt the torque converter to the flex plate. Turn the engine over and check the runout of the converter hub. Now bolt the bell housing to the engine. If the Torque converter is contacting one side of the bushing (see figure below), the bushing is off center and the bell housing MUST be replaced. By checking the bell housing first you can avoid repeated front seal blowout.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Refer To: TSB: 87-43 (July)
ATRA 1990 Seminar hand-out page A4LD-12

BULLETIN RECAP

^ 1. If the original bell housing bushing is not worn, reuse it.

^ 2. Converter hub to bell housing bushing clearance should be .003" or less.

^ 3. If the bell housing bushing needs to be replaced, check it on the engine to make sure it's centered.