I just got my truck yesterday, a 97 4x2 2500 club cab 169,000 miles. I purchased it from a small dealer and have not contacted the original owner yet, but durring my inspection my first stop was the gear housing, making sure there was no obvious damage done by the KDP. I did not find any sign damage but I did notice some red RTV or silicone that had came out from between the case and cover. Can anyone tell if this is a normal OEM seal or would it be an indicator that someone may have been in the gear housing before. Thank, Mike

 

Mine didn't have that for a stock gasket.

 

mine didn't either, it might be a cheap fix from the dealership to fix kdp damage. i would check the dowel as soon as possible. even if it did fall out, a lot of times it'll just crack the housing, leaving the gears alone. i still haven't seen a total destructive situation, ending in camshaft damage or valve damage, but i've heard of it though. just check it out, maybe the previous owner already killed the kdp, if you can get a hold of him to find out, it would save you 4 hours of work to find out yourself. congrats on the new truck, after the kdp is killed, you should have a long stress free relationship with that rattly old beast

 

SAme here

and i know cause i killed the KDP on my truck.. somethin is fishy, remove it and look see for urself...

Rick