... i did the notch thing on the base plate but it stills leaks, should i remove the hurst seal to allow for better venting ?

 

I would return all of the factory and Hurst shifter sealing measures to their original condition, drill/tap the trans cover for a hose barb, clamp on a long 3/8" or 10mm vent hose and run it up to a high and dry area of the engine compartment.

 

Would you not want to remove the tranny and top cover to prevent shavings from entering the trans? Or can you do it with the tranny in the truck?

 

.... i just wanted to kno if the others who've had success with the notch left the seal (see pic) in there, running a vent form the transmission case up under the hood olny sees the oil pushed up the vent line spilling onto the firewall...

 

I would pull the top cover and do the drill/tap on the workbench.

I have transfer case, front axle and transmission vents in that location with no problems. The difference in height takes care of keeping the liquid where it belongs.

 

... tks for the info bob, i read other fokes did the same thing you did but the fluid burped up the tube, in my case i already have a notch cut in the base plate & im trying to find a way to make that work, i might end up gettin a new plate & tryin to tap a vent, sure is a pain in the ***, one would think hurst would have looked after this problem....

 

Hi John. I don't know if you've solved this issue yet or not. But I fought it for a long while and it became very clear after higher freeway speed runs because ATF was covered on my bedsides and tailgate.

The leaking issue was somewhat solved with the old rubber gasket trick, but it still leaked. Then I blew up a trans and had to swap it again, so while it was out, I drilled and tapped the shift rail cover for a brass hose barb fitting. Since I didn't have and hose and was worried about fluid going up the hose because I read that's what happens, I just capped it off til I got around to finishing it. But I've always had a idea on my mind....

My idea was to use a grinder with a cut-off wheel and make a notch or two in the very bottom Hurst plate. This would be very similar to the stock breather in the pivot ball. In between all the layers, I've got a thin film of grey silocone. I don't think I've got any paper gaskets whatsoever and that Hurst rubber gasket gets turned to hell very very fast...mines been trashed and not being used for 2 years. lol. I've had it like this for a year with no vent tube(just capped off), just the notch and even driving 5 hours at over 75mph, the notch doesn't even have a hint of pink ATF sweating out of it.



I do plan on one day actually finishing up all my extended breathers and ending them where Bob has his near the firewall/brake booster. Probably run the stock "floaty breather caps" on the lines on all of 'em for the hell of it as well. Currently, I've just got lengthened axle breathers.



Some pics...

 

i bought my hurst used, and it had a notch just like fx4 has. as far as i can tell, i haven't had any leaking. but the shifter arm will get hot after a while of driving. is that normal?

 

It's all metal and hot fluid is splashin' around the shift rails....

yeah the arm'll get warm towards the base. Stock ones do too but they're covered with that gross rubber cover.

 

How do you know when you are leaking fluid? A day or two after installation, (it is a used shifter) i could smell tranny fluid. I took my console out and looked for fluid, but couldnt find any. If i smell it, could i be leaking it?

 

You'll smell it.

You'll see it seeping pink on the clean aluminum of the transhousing. Stick a hand up there in the shifter area from under your truck and if it comes out pink, you'll see.

If you drive up to 80mph and see oil all over your tailgate and bedsides, you may have a tranny leak. lol.

You'll also notice your floor inspection cover foam is wet.

 

...i take it you had a leak lol

Well i cant see it anywhere, and i didnt get any on my hands. hmmmm...

 

You may not have an actual leak, but it may be just a "weep". Trans gets hot, fluid gets thinner, it gets close to leaking out but doesn't....the smell still travels. You may have some junk gaskets that aren't fully doing their job.

 

Ill just tell my wife that i had to take my transmission out to fix a gasket...and the engine wouldnt come loose from the transmission, so i had to take that out too. Then ill have to get another daily driver, and then put another v8 in my truck......

 

thanks for the info & pics Shane... i got most of the leak stopped, i have the notch in the base plate but it still leaked so i ran a small rubber hose from the notch up under the dash. i still have a small amount of seepage where the hose goes into the base plate. i tryed to order new parts from hurst to start over but they don't sell just parts & im not going to pay for another shifter..

 

With the notch idea doesn't the fluid just leak out of it, since there is not a reservoir to catch it?

 

My idea was very similair to "the old guy's", but I have yet to try it. I have already had my hurst in and out once for leaking and I want to make sure it won't leak before I put it back in. I am planning on doing the notch, but having it large enough to run a hose out of it sealed with silicone either through a slit in the boot or a drilled hole in the cup holder up under my dash, into a reservoir. Also if it is possible to get clear hosing you could see how much pressure you have building up, and it would drain back down after cooling. I would also make a gasket using homesepot supplies since mine is Trashed from prior use.