Crossy's son

I have been having some issues lately, not related to any of the hard parts in the trans. but a loss of ALOT of fluid.

About a month ago i was driving in a huge storm, it was pouring for all 4 TOTAL hours i was on the road. Non stop torrential. I drove through some flood waters but nothing crazy.

On the way there there was SMOKE coming out of the shifter boot and the smell of BURNT HOT gear oil.

So It was doing it on the way home but it'd only start smoking if i was lugging so i ran like 75 in 5th and downshifted when necessary.

got it home and drained the probably 3qts of GEAR OIL out, and it had a nasty green look to it.

I refilled the trans with exactly 5 quarts of 5W-30 MOBIL 1 synth. motor oil......I put it in through the top PTO cover bolt hole.

Everything has been fine since, i have noticed a little leakage though down the side of the trans, like right down the sides.

Today however when i finally made it to the truck pulls, onemoparnut pointed out my skid plate was wet.....well now there is oil everywhere, coming down the sides of the trans, the drain plug on the getrag is dripping, there's oil on the fuel tank and the transfercase is dripping oil too, i'm guessing off the transmission? .....I'd also like to add i used my 4x4 the other day for a tiny amount of time....

And the oil is nasty looking, and it has less than a 1000 miles on it. it's a nasty looking blackish green color.

Is there a seal on the top of the getrag anywhere that starts leaking?? the sides of the trans are covered in oil so I know it's coming from the top of the trans.....


Thanks

Crossy's son

There's oil steady dripping right now from the FRONT DRIVESHAFT output seal on the Transfercase......so my guess is, me using the 4x4 the other day could have destroyed that seal and now it's throwing oil everywhere???

I don't know. I know it's a nasty green oil ALL OVER my skid plate, and it drips on the ground like crazy.... and i have never changed the oil in the Transfercase so it is probably gear oil as well, because the previous owner loved using gear oil in everything.

BearKiller

When you noticed this most recent deluge of lubricant, did you then check the levels of both the transfer-case and the transmission ??

That should tell you which it is that is leaking.


It is possible for a seal to fail and the transfer-case lube to pour into the transmission and vice-versa.

Have you completely removed all the vents, including the hose-nipples that thread into the gear-boxes, and thoroughly cleaned them out ??

BearKiller

A worn-out constant-velocity joint can kill an out-put seal, as also can a bad front-shaft U-joint or slip-yoke.

The longer rear shafts will absorb any imbalance of the situation; but,the shortness of the front shaft will cause it to kick like a mule whenever any of it's components are binding.

CaptainChrysler

On mine, the front output of the t-case always leaks because the nut on the yoke backs off. I have put on a new nut, put large "self-locking" deformations in the nut, used tons of red lock-tite. It still comes loose. I even went as far as installing a newer rebuilt and balanced front driveshaft. With that it held for a year or so, but eventually came loose again. I think the splines and the yoke are worn.

BearKiller

That short drive-shaft kicking around is what causes such problems.


If you have the drive-shaft problems solved, replacing the YOKE will probably cure the loosening of the nut.

Yokes are intentionally made of a softer material than the harder-to-replace splined shaft; the splines inside the yoke are probably badly worn, while the splines on the much harder shaft may stilll be fine.



This is just one of the many reasons why I prefer a divorced transfer-case.

gadget.35-06

You could also try fluorescent dye in the oil and go over the whole shootin' match with a black light. I just hope you haven't cracked the case; I once blew out the whole left side of a Getrag. Not pretty.

Crossy's son

That's what i wanted to hear. as that's what i figured.

When i put the motor oil in the getrag after the smoking incident, i did not get alot of oil out of the trans at all. And the PO said he overfilled it with 5 qts....so that means it's been leaking for a while.

I have not checked the transfercase. tomorrow I'm taking off work and putting it on the lift and replacing trans mounts as they are shot, and gonna reseal whatever I can, or pay our trans man to do it.

Crossy's son

I can't imagine a cracked case but yet the trans shifting flawlessly, I mean i can shift into all the gears using my pinky with little pressure, 1st is kinda hard but it always has been.

i want to think that the top cover is cracked or something, or the shift tower? I don't bang gears but I don't shift like a grandpa either.

I HAVE seen a cracked shift tower on a getrag before, but it didn't leak

Crossy's son

I'm really considering pulling the trans tomorrow. i wanna get to the bottom of this.

but maybe i should order a clutch and a rear main first and do it all at once......

so many options, the good news is i have access to a lift and have a transmission guy that works cheap and fast

cougar

My rear main went and I have rust preventative everywhere. No way you can pinpoint it by looking. The clue is I'm loosing engine oil at a qt every 200 miles.
But yeah, sounds like your getting gear oil into the transmission.

GIT-R-DONE

No need to pull the trans !

The shifter top has a gasket around it. Do the floor mod if you havent already,( so you dont have to pull the trans) and pull the shifter top off. Blue permatex it and re-install. I went through this 2 months ago and have NOT had a problem since. I would bet this is your problem.

Crossy's son

But why would it randomly start leaking? it didn't leak when i got the truck, i don't remember seeing a OILY transmission when i looked at the truck when i bought it.

But anything is possible. I have made up my mind i am putting a clutch in it, since it's slipping, and the rear main leaks badly.

GIT-R-DONE

Oh, I didnt know you were planning on pulling it anyways. What mine did was after about 15K miles on it, the shifter top bolts worked their way loose. The whole one side wasnt tight. After the reseal, all was good.
Sure did a nice rustproofing of the underside too.

gadget.35-06

Try some drilled Allen bolts and safety wire 'em like they do in them aireoplanes. They won't back out then!!!!