fixing last of the leaks, Trany. dropped and drained replaced filter reinstalled new gasket, new o ring at modulator valve. question is how much approx should it take to refill, an old Chilton says 3 Qts. I drained 5 Qts out. I have an after market dip stick that I am not sure it it is correct. and is not secured at the transmission. car leaked some fluid after driven not after running in shop. I have refilled with 3.5 Qts and the level with car running is at the bottom of crosshatch. rraider12010-04-28 13:52:01

Is that after a quick spin and the tranny warmed up? Hard to say what you're reading means tho since you're not sure if the dipstick is the correct length. Where did it read before?

I have been having a leak after driving, I have an after market dip stick and I am trying to determine if I have been  over servicing  the trany, I removed 5 qts. A Chilton manual I have for 77 says after filter change service with 3 qts run engine and check level. I was trying to determine the accuracy of the dipstick rraider12010-04-28 17:51:46

A pan drop/filter change on a 400 or 350 should require 4 quarts to fill, but it really depends on how long the pan is off, and how much fluid it had in it to start with.
400s are bad about leaking even when they are not overfilled. The problem is the pumps in the trans wears, and that allows the fluid to drain back out of the torque converter after sitting for a while. This raises the fluid level in the pan to the point that it wants to escape from anywhere it can. Of course, if your car has a 350, it's not as much of an issue.
The best way to determine the accuracy of the dipping stick is to install it all the way in the tube, then drop the pan. The "Full Hot" mark should be right at the level of the bottom of the trans case, where the pan gasket sits, or maybe just 1/16" higher.

Thanks for the info I will ckeck it out rraider12010-04-28 22:09:44

Looks like I have all the leaks fixed except a drip coming from the part where the speedo cable hooks up at the trany. this has a large o ring correct and my question would be how much fluid will come out if I remove it and is it a simple remove and reinstall ? whats behind that part will i have problems ? 

The speedo "bullet" does have an o-ring around it. Is it leaking around the outside of the bullet, or is it leaking from where the cable attaches? There is also a seal on the inside that seals the actual gear to the housing. So, depending on where it is actually leaking, there are two seals(1 o-ring, and one lip seal) that need to be replaced.
You will lose some fluid when you pull the bullet, but you can minimize this by jacking the rear of the car up, and leaving the front on the ground. Either way, you won't lose a quart, maximum.

Ok I will try to get the two seals, it is leaking at the bottom of the bullet, will it be difficult to reinstall the speedo gear/

Not at all...you'll see there is a flat, u-shaped bracket/clip, and a 7/16" head bolt that you remove. The speedo housing will pull out of the trans. The driven gear will come with it, or it may fall out in the trans, which is not a problem, because it won't go anywhere...it'll just lay there, and you can fish it out. Once you get the housing out, you'll see the o-ring around the outside of it. With the gear out of the housing, you'll be able to see the smaller, lip seal that seals the gear itself. This seal is in the end of the housing that the speedo cable attaches to. There will be a small, round, wire clip that holds the gear seal into the housing that you will need to remove to change the seal, and then reinstall.
Change the two seals, insert the gear back into the housing, and push the housing back into the hole in the trans, and reinstall the bracket and bolt.
The 400 doesn't use a "bullet" type speedo housing, as the 350 trans does, but they both have the o-ring, and gear seals. I keep forgetting this is a 400, even tho it clearly states that in the thread title...