Getting that oil pan gasket off was really, really hard work. The flat part wasn't too bad, but the parts in the arch were a bitch. I'd work for an hour or so and then need to do something else.
So while taking a break from the gasket...I knew the rear diff was leaking from both gaskets (pretty badly) and the front was leaking just a bit. I figured...dive in. So I pulled the rear diff cover after draining the oil.
This is when I realized I needed to remove the rear axles to remove the 3rd member (and I also learned that it's called a 3rd member because the crankcase is 1st and the tranny is 2nd). Getting the rear axles off was a snap.
Getting the 3rd member off was easy too. The FSM was clear and somewhere on Mud I read that a few rubber mallet whacks on the 3rd member would knock it loose. I had also read that it was darn heavy and to be prepared for that. I'm glad I read that.
Some of you have already seen my thread on this, but to summarize:
- One of the side gears had a massive chip missing from a tooth. I found this tooth in the bottom of the axle casing.
- The 3rd member cover had been welded and the crack through to the inside was deep.
The 3rd member really needs to be replaced. I also figured out at this point that replacing the front diff seal would require removing the front axles...this would require removing the front hubs and knucles. Wow.
This put me at a key decision point: Patch it back together with just a new side gear, ignore the weld in the 3rd, ignore the front diff leak, and be back on the road in a few days. OR, go big and fix it all.
Next....will Charlie Go Big or Go Home?