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BANG, Tranny Fluid Everywhere

DjDom

Moderator Emeritus
Joined
September 11, 2011
Messages
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City, State
Toronto, Ontario
Year, Model & Trim Level
97 XL(imited)
Quite an experience I just had.

Driving up the highway, going about 65 mph, got a huge bang, then nothing but rattling vibration sounds. Starts slowing down fast.
Nice burning smell of tranny fluid too.

Manage to limp it off the highway just to be safe, pulled off on a road just off the highway, it's pissing fluid, I can't even see from where.
Check dipstick, it's dry.

Had to get it towed home..

Any ideas what it could be?

Prior to this, for the last 5-6 days, I had weird vibrations above 60 mph, where it would have a vibration for 2 seconds, then stop for 2, then repeat for 2, etc. Associated it to a lost wheel weight.. but I think I was wrong..


Thanks guys, I don't even know where to start tomorrow morning, just shaken up since it threw me into a skid.

Dom
 



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Pissing what kind of fluid? Engine oil or trans? If tranny fluid... at that speed a bad front u-joint finally cut loose and punctured the bell housing maybe? Of course, then the driveshaft would've dropped and you'd still be doing end-over-ends!
 






Well, after taking a look, the front drive shaft seems to be pulled out a bit, and the transfer case looks like it's at an angle to the driveshaft, as well the transmission looks shifted. I think the mount failed.
At first glance, the engine seems tilted back too, but that may just be me going crazy already.
 






Broken flex plate and tranny fluid leaking from the front pump seal??

Busted guts in the transfer case??

Egads... If it's not a busted flexplate, remove the driveshaft and give the yokes on the transfer case a spin to see what you can hear/feel.
 






Lovely series of events..

The tranny mount failed, causing the transmission to tilt down, putting the driveshaft at a bad angle, blowing out the u joint.

I haven't determined where the leak is coming from yet, but it's all in the works.
 






Get an inspection mirror and check the servo covers. Also remember the vent to atmo can piss fluid when overheated. On rare occasions a catastrophic internal failure can blow the main case violently. YMMV
 






On rare occasions a catastrophic internal failure can blow the main case violently. YMMV

Ding Ding.. we have a winner.

Upon further inspection yesterday, I noticed the transmission has a small crack at the bottom, then looked around.. Turns out it's a massive vertical crack right at the back end of the tranny, before it mounts to the T case.

Poor thing. Only 260000 kilometers (161000 miles) on it. The trans showed no signs of failure, still shifted perfectly and worked great.

Now I need to decide what to do with it.. Pull all my mods out and sell them? Swap in a new trans? I just have so much money in that truck, that it'd be a shame to let it go so fast.
 






I just have so much money in that truck, that it'd be a shame to let it go so fast.

..same boat I was in on my 197k '98 a few months ago. I'm way underwater on how much I've put in the old girl with mods, new parts & upgrades and such, that I just couldn't let her go or part her out. I opted for a $2300 tranny rebuild. I figured I owed it to her after all these years of carting me around.
Runs and shifts good as new now.
 






Ding Ding.. we have a winner.

Upon further inspection yesterday, I noticed the transmission has a small crack at the bottom, then looked around.. Turns out it's a massive vertical crack right at the back end of the tranny, before it mounts to the T case.

Poor thing. Only 260000 kilometers (161000 miles) on it. The trans showed no signs of failure, still shifted perfectly and worked great.

Now I need to decide what to do with it.. Pull all my mods out and sell them? Swap in a new trans? I just have so much money in that truck, that it'd be a shame to let it go so fast.

IMO new transmission. If you're mechanically inclined enough you can do what I did. Buy a junk yard transmission so it'll drive for now, and rebuild the old transmission in your spare time. When the junker starts to go, swap in the rebuilt one.
 






..same boat I was in on my 197k '98 a few months ago. I'm way underwater on how much I've put in the old girl with mods, new parts & upgrades and such, that I just couldn't let her go or part her out. I opted for a $2300 tranny rebuild. I figured I owed it to her after all these years of carting me around.
Runs and shifts good as new now.

IMO new transmission. If you're mechanically inclined enough you can do what I did. Buy a junk yard transmission so it'll drive for now, and rebuild the old transmission in your spare time. When the junker starts to go, swap in the rebuilt one.

This is the plan right now, just swap in a junk yard trans. However.. rebuilding the old one is not possible in the slightest. The actual case is cracked open. Not repairable, and even if I wanted to weld it back together, it's not worth it.

At the moment I'm looking for a vehicle to substitute in it's place, but it's very difficult. Once a car is found, I'll start my Explorer project.
 






I like the idea of swapping a used one in, and rebuilding one as well for 'future' swapping in. (then again I'm known as a parts "Horse".)

Most of the time you can locate a rebuildable auto from a pick and pull yard. Sometimes you can even find a decent solid one. They sell for pretty cheap, even factoring in the core charge.

Look for one with the usual low miles, some yards mark "Good Engine Bad Trans" or "Bad Engine Good Trans"... So you have a slight advantage. (unless the last owner was a fibber) Rule is: Low mileage, NOT in a roll over (think where all that oil goes....)..and a lot of common sense.

S-
 
























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