Crack in bellhousing question

[chriskupka]

I know this TOPIC has already been covered several times, but I have a specific question that hadn't been answered in any other threads, so please don't remove this post...

My buddy bought a DSM the other day (91 AWD 5spd), and the thing ran really well when I test drove it. 20 minutes after he completed the purchase, he was driving (25mph) and started leaking oil. Turns out there's a small crack in the bell housing.

My question is, would driving the car at low speeds about 15 miles to a trans shop exacerbate the problem? From what I understand, its possible to weld smaller cracks - he wants to get it fixed as cheaply as possible, and swapping bell housings requires removing the entire trans. Would the crack get bigger to the point where welding was no longer a possibility if he made this short drive?

Thanks

[Eric Wort]

You can have it welded, but depending on the shop's cast aluminum welding experience it may crack a few months down the road. I tried welding one of mine and it broke a couple weeks later, at least now I know what I did wrong with that weld though :rolleyes:

Anyway, driving it a few miles probably won't hurt it too much, just make sure the transmission has plenty of fluid in it.

Make sure they drill holes at both ends before they weld it. This will help keep the crack from spreading.

[TheCrush]

I had a crack welded about a year ago and we just pulled the trans yesterday and so far it has help up fine. And I didn't know I had the crack until I took my car to have the clutch replaced. Who knows how long I was driving like that, but he should have no problem driving it slowly to the shop.

[Otis]

The bellhousing doesn't hold any fluid, so that's not to worry. The bad part is that the tranny should come out to have it welded. Make sure they're using TIG welding.

[colonelfox]

After I dropped my 1G's tranny on my foot( and broke my toe :eek: ) I found the endcase was cracked. believe it or not, JB weld held up fine for the last year. The car has been sitting most of that time, but weather hasn't affected it, and it's still solid.

[NeEmo6]

I had not only a crack in my tranny but also holes from exploding diff, sent it up to tre and they did an awesome job, and would definetely recommend them.

[LeemRichmond]

tre welded it?