I installed a Mustang T5 short shifter on my '82 Turbo last weekend. Ever since then, I've been getting this strong smell of what seems to be manual transmission fluid when I'm in motion (kind of a dizzying, almost vinegary/alcoholish smell). Strangely enough, I only smell it when I have the window down a couple inches. If I have it all the way up, or all the way down, I don't smell it. So I'm guessing the pressure of air sucks the smell into the car at speed when the window's at a certain height. I even checked around the shifter and it's dry as a bone. I've tried sniffing around the engine bay, the shifter, and under the car, but can't find the source of the smell. I'm guessing maybe the smell only appears at speed because the transmission is actually spinning/doing something.

Any ideas as to how to track down this leak/smell, and/or what suddenly caused it? I just don't know how a short shifter could cause a leak somewhere in the tranny.

By the way, does anyone know where the fluid inspection hole is on the Borg-Warner T5?

 

I put a 5.0 short shifter in my car too and havent noticed anything like this. THen again I havent put very many actual miles on it though, other then sitting in the garage and going through thr gears.

Soryy I coldnt be of more help

 

I don't have a BW tranny, but from looking at it I'd say it might be the seal for that plate ontop that the shifter goes through. I'm sure as the fluid heats up it releases some sort of noxious gas or smell that would escape through that seal if it's not on tight or not there. You are not leaking, but that doesn't mean there isn't still fumes escaping from there.

 

So there is no visual leak when you look @ the tranny? There should be a thin rubber gasket on the underside of the shifter. Was that installed? Did you re-install the stock rubber boot over the top of the shifter to seal it to the tranny hump?

 

yeah i would look for tranny oil spots or drips from it itself....could need a new trans seal, otherwise....i wouldnt describe tranny oil smelling like alcohol/vineger....it has its own unique smell....doesnt that stuff have whale seamen in it? or somethign like it have that.....HAHa....im tryin to think....

 

^^^ you sick freak!

 

yeah thats out there, snow. Nismo, how expensive is your junk yard.

 

There's tons of junk yards here... The Pick n Pull is usually the most expensive... but you can hunt for whatever ya want there.

 

Ok, I've checked the underside the of the car when I changed my manual tranny fluid. The tranny fluid was topped off, so it may not have been the culprit. It does appear that the area near where the tranny and the engine meets is kinda wet/dirty. So someone told me they think I'm actually smelling hot engine oil. I wonder if hot oil fumes are harmful to my health.. ^^ Still, the smell's appearance did seem to coincide about the time I installed the shifter. I wonder if I somehow shifted wrong at some point, causing the leak, or something.

 

no....tranny smell is strong and will linger so if you exposed teh tranny fluid to open air directly into your car....could have left a smell for a day or so