What could have happened?

[KiltedBanshees93GT]

I just got the new tranny in my car, and we are teaching my g/f to drive, but today something weird happened.
The car was stalled several times in a row, and we started smelling smoke, looking under the car showed that the smoke was not coming from the tranny whatsoever, but coming off one of the cats directly under where the driveshaft plugs into the tranny.
There was nothing on the road that could have gotten up onto the cat, and there was no apparent leakage at the tailshaft. Does anyone have any ideas what could have caused this? Is it normal for a new t-5 to leak a little fluid from the tail? Or maybe the breather on top?
I'll be getting under the car again tomorrow to do some work, so more info may be forthcoming.
HELP.

J

[crazypete]

My cats would overheat regularly last summer and they would start smoking!!

Later on, the speedo gear started to wiggle out a bit and it leaked some fluid onto the pipe then it dripped backwards to the cats. Technically anything that leaks fluid onto the pipes forward of the cats has the potential to leak backwards.

What could have happened is as described above and then the stuff reached the cats and turned into burnt goo. This then requires some heating up before it would start to smoke. You were probably stationary for a lot longer than you usually are under normal driving conditions.

[KiltedBanshees93GT]

Well, that may be it, since when we replaced the tranny, the speedo clamp/screw was missing, and as such, I just plugged the cable in, (but apparently not far enough, since the speedo isnt working right now [on the list for tommorow, since the car was tagged and I found out])
Anyway, I'll let you know if it happens again, and would there be any residue on the pipe?
BTW, I added an aftermarket shifter (I know that the noise will increase) and now it seems like I can hear the clutch spinning/rubbing lightly especially when its out. Normal?

Thanks again for ideas,
J

[KiltedBanshees93GT]

Well, I was under the car for a good chunk of this morning, and indeed, the speedo gear was about 1 1/2 inches loose, (corrected) and apparently ALL the gear oil leaked out somewhere along the way (hopefully from the speedo).
I have to say, its kind of frightning that the thing was running so well for having a dry case (about an ounce of fluid was left in the pan after draining for 10 mins!!).
Anyway, after refilling the case with ATF, and spending a good bit driving it, it seems ok, still more noise than it used to, but less than yesterday. The only bad thing is now there is a sound coming from under the car, (unaffected buy clutch position or gear, so I dont think its tranny, but it is affected by rpm ). But it sounds like someone quickly flicking a piece of plastic with something metal.
More crap to try to fix before we drive 700 miles on monday...Can you tell I'm a bit stressed by this point
Thanks for the info Pete,
J

[Rev]

When you put in a new tranny it will have a new oil seal at the rear where the drive shaft goes in. You should put something like wheel beartng grease on the drive shaft yoke splined tube that fits into the tranny. Otherwise it may run dry for awhile enough to mess up that rear oil seal. Leakage would bleed out the rear seal and onto that drive shaft yoke tube where it would be spun off and on to your cats causing the smoke. Just a possibility.

Rev