Really LOW tranny fluid...???

[h2osk8er00]

SO....... just did my plugs.. IAC... Rotor.. Cap... Wires... water/fuel separator... took her out and the biatch started slippin.. not missing.. opened the hatch and saw the belt waving.. thought it was the belt.. put a new one on.. ran.. same thing.. didn't even thing about the tranny cuz i thought it was pretty much self contained...check the tranny fluid I neglected and she was low.. really low! Noticed that I didn't even have any pressure in the system... I just had the cap for the tranny sitting on there.. reading was bellow one notch... barely readible.. filled it up and she was like new.. My WOT was at 4700RPMs.. now at 5000 almost.. about 4900... of course I don't wanna run her like that.. but that just goes to show how bad all the ignition components were.. on top of low tranny fluid.. anyway.. my question is:

Could tranny fluid have come out the top since the whole system was basically unpressurized? I had no idea I was supposed to turn the thing to widen the bushing on the dip stick.. I heard I could also be loosing fluid out of the exhaust! I'm hoping it just came out f the top and that I didn't mess the transmission up! Stupid me.. Live and learn, right? Glad she is doing well though now.. running faster and stronger than ever.. just hope the tranny holds up since fluid was so low.. didn't even get a beep out of the warning system!

Now I'm checking the fluids every time I go out.. b4 and after... like I should have been doing.. just not that smart I guess or thought I had a solid running boat cuz in the last 3 seasons she was so good to me.. sorry so long of a thread guys... chime in with whatever..

[dom w. forte]

If the fluid goes down and you dont see it in the bilge, it would have to leak in the tranny cooler and out the exhaust.

[boatwakes]

If you had fluid exchange through the trans cooler, you would also be getting water into the trans sump and a pepto colored concoction would occur. ATF is highly viscous and in will actually vaporize and evaporate when heated. The borg warner 71c transmission is sealed with the dipstick to prevent this problem from escalating and causing clutch slipping issues from low fluid levels. However, fyi, these transmissions are a pressurized clutch system using the input shaft to drive the pump that pressurizes the fluid to the clutches. So, if fluid is low, the pump may cavitate and cause slipping. And conversly, if fluid is high, it may aerate/foam and cause pressure loss as well.

[h2osk8er00]

Should I be extremely worried or is this an easy fix? For now would I be okay just making sure the fluid was topped off? And will it get progressively worse?

[h2osk8er00]

Leaking out of a nut by the dip stick... need the part number for the O-ring... anybody?