I've suspected for week that the seal between my AT and transfer is going (oil weeping out around the L4 and position switches), and confirmed it today. A quart and a half or two quarts of fluid came out when I pulled the transfer fill plug, and it looked and smelled more of ATF than gear oil. When I pulled the fill plug, it seemed that there was some vacuum in the case.... (I can feel that the cap on the breather moves loosely, but I don't know if it is working as a one way valve and allowing a vacuum to build as the transfer cools...) So I need some advice on what to do short term.
For the short term:
Does this mean gear oil is going the other way too, and Fing my tranny?
Will there be any significant ill effects from running the transfer with ATF instead of oil for a few months? Any ill effects from the fluid level in the transfer being too high?
The way I see it there are three immediate options for dealing with this.
1 - tap the fill plug, install a breather and hope the issue is a vacuum building in the case and sucking ATF back through the seal
2 - keep the AT topped off and drain the excess out of the transfer (assuming there isn't fluid going the other way)
3 - flush the AT and transfer and run them both with ATF, draining excess in transfer as needed
4 - as above, but rig up a fluid return to the AT from the fill plug of the transfer, similar to when the seal goes with the manuals, then maintain the fluid level based on the level in the tranny
In the long term:
Does the blown seal mean anything beyond the standard rebuild parts needed to rebuild the transfer? I assume it is the oil seal around tranny output shaft that has gone, correct? If I've been running with basically ATF, any non typical parts that will likely show excessive wear?
If I rebuild this case, I'll most likely be doing the McNamara gear at the same time, I've got a good case of the clunks.
For the short term:
Does this mean gear oil is going the other way too, and Fing my tranny?
Will there be any significant ill effects from running the transfer with ATF instead of oil for a few months? Any ill effects from the fluid level in the transfer being too high?
The way I see it there are three immediate options for dealing with this.
1 - tap the fill plug, install a breather and hope the issue is a vacuum building in the case and sucking ATF back through the seal
2 - keep the AT topped off and drain the excess out of the transfer (assuming there isn't fluid going the other way)
3 - flush the AT and transfer and run them both with ATF, draining excess in transfer as needed
4 - as above, but rig up a fluid return to the AT from the fill plug of the transfer, similar to when the seal goes with the manuals, then maintain the fluid level based on the level in the tranny
In the long term:
Does the blown seal mean anything beyond the standard rebuild parts needed to rebuild the transfer? I assume it is the oil seal around tranny output shaft that has gone, correct? If I've been running with basically ATF, any non typical parts that will likely show excessive wear?
If I rebuild this case, I'll most likely be doing the McNamara gear at the same time, I've got a good case of the clunks.