I have a 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 4X4 with a 727 auto trans.  It has a fluid leak that appears to be coming from above the pan.  Possibly from the shift linkage shaft or above.  Does anyone know if there is a replacable seal or o-ring in the shift linkage shaft.  If so, what is involved in replacing it? Does the trans need to be dropped or are any special tools required?  Is there any other place that could leak from above that area?  Any transmission experts out there....

if it's coming out of the gear selector i believe that there are 2 rubber o-rings one on the inside towards the case and one on the outside. i did this once before, but it was on an od-trans and it was out a a bench completely dis-assemble...im sure it could be done, but i might be wrong.  

Thanks,  Did you need any tools to reinstall the o-rings or selector?  It looks like it would be a fairly easy task.  I'm having a trans guy look at it tommorrow and will more than likely have one of TCI's transmission master rebuild kits put into it.  There are no problems other than the leak, but it does have around 160K miles on it.  The engine is a reman 318 with 30K on it now.  I'm building a 360 4barrel to replace it with now and have most of the parts on hand, just need the machine work and to put it together.  Now if I can find someone reputable in the phoenix area to swap the gears in the diffs for me.....  

If you're doing the master rebuild kit, im assuming it comes with new clutches, you'll have to take apart the trans anyway. So I believe there's a snap ring that holds it on. I think you just remove the snap ring and pull it out. Just make sure to get some tranny fluid on the o-rings before you put them back on.

If you're doing it yourself and have never done it before, rebuilding auto tranny isn't as hard as people make it out to be. Just keep track of what you remove, where it goes, and torque everything to speck.

Be careful when removing the shift solenoids, they've got big springs in them. Make sure you've got a good selection of big and small heavy duty snap ring pliers. Tranny's are loaded with snap rings.

Get yourself some good white grease or tranny assembly lube too.

No I don't think I'm quite ready to try a transmisson yet.  I have been thinking about buying one from the junkyard and trying to learn from that or maybe take a class at a local community college and use it as a project in the future.  A friend of the family used to be a transmisson guy for one of the Arizona copper mines maintaining all the fleet vehicles before he retired.  He says that he will rebuild it for me for $250 plus parts.  He did my son's A4LD trans in his ford explorer and that works beautiful, shifts like a brand new truck! He also did my father's 66 ford C-6 with the same results.  I'll be havin him put in TCI's master rebuild kit # 128905,  and converter # 141500.  This is the exact kit used in the truck master series transmissions and will have all necessary parts for the rebuild including a VB kit.  Hopefully it will have even the shift linkage o-rings.  This leak is the only problem I've ever had with this trans so hopefully everything will work out.  I decided to go this route since it has 150K miles on it anyway AND will be getting a fresh engine soon.  My only problem has been finding someone in AZ to sell me TCI parts. I will probably end up ordering from PAW in California.

http://www.tciauto.com/  

Thanks,

But I've already talked with TCI (that's how I got my part numbers) and they only have one AZ distributor that they know of (Beck's Racing Engines).  BRE does not answer their telephone, return phone messages, or have a place on there website to contact them other than to order or request an engine by filling out a form.  Not really jumping over backwards to sell TCI stuff are they.  My thoughts are to now contact someone in another state and mail order. Since PAW has been reliable in the past, I will try them. I just need to be able to catch them during business hours now....maybe tomorrow I hope.