Can anyone isolate this leak?? Or, 'Depends' for an FJ40...

[Solace in Solitude]

Could you have gone over some seaweed, a dead catfish, or maybe someone's charbroiled infant?

OK, the infant is a bizarre example but I'm trying to bring the possibility that the blobs are not a failing of your truck at all but instead a result of something you encountered while driving your truck.

While therapy may be in your future, I like that you are "thinking outside the truck"

I had considered this and couldn't come up with a single instance where I drove over anything that resembled a puddle. So, "no puddle" rules out the seaweed and the catfish.

I hadn't considered a "charbroiled infant" But, I didn't hit anything and I don't recall anything dark in the road.

I honestly don't know that this occurred on my most recent trip, because I've been on several day trips of late and hadn't checked the rear end until after this most recent trip. But, I didn't see anything on the floor until after this most recent trip.

I think the best thing to do is pressure wash it and drive it at 65-75 and see what happens. It could have been the loose nuts... it could be the tcase breather is plugged... it could be a number of other things... but, I'm ruling out a charbroiled infant

Happy New Year!!

 

[GA Architect]

Happy New Year!

Hope you get it sorted out before too long.

 

[Landpimp]

Where you following a Rover by any chance?

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Happy New Year!

Hope you get it sorted out before too long.

Thanks Rick!!

I'm gonna go pressure wash the rear end and drive it in a bit.

We'll see...

Then, I'm pulling the rear harness so I can send the bits off to coolerman for my new rear harness. Won't be able to drive again until I get the rear lights working again.

It sure will be good to be rid of that chopped up rats nest!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Where you following a Rover by any chance?

Funny you mentioned that!! A new Discovery passed me on the way home... For real!!

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

Looks very similar to what happens when you drive over fresh asphalt, and that crap is very hard to get off.

 

[lostmarbles]

.....This morning, I find thick, black blobs under the rear end.. From shock mount to shock mount.
The rear end, itself, was glistening, from the horizontal welded seam to the bottom, only on the front side............................No obvious leaks...
. Just the obvious shine and the blobs on the floor...
All insights are welcome!....

The black blobs were VERY thick and VERY black... I couldn't merely wipe them off of the epoxied concrete floor... Had to use brake cleaner to get it up.......

Hi there Danny

I've been keenly following your distressing "black blobs under your rear end problem" and you'll be thrilled to know a possible cause has just sprung to mind.

Have you recently noticed any odd aromas while driving?

Maybe I shouldn't ask this? After all, your olfactory receptor neurons have probably succumbed to the ravages of time (like so much else in our bodies) and we all know how nasal hair undergoes a growth spurt in one's twilight years .....so I'll "cut to the chase".....

What I'm thinking is .....Maybe daBoise may have been sneaking the occasional discrete leak in the back (during your extensive desert travels). Or more likely, one may have had a bad case of the trots? (I'm sure your desert diet would be somewhat lacking without Dianna).

 

[tls3601]

Had a similar situation after regreasing drive shaft, thought I cleaned the zerks off completely, but some did fling off-was messy too.

 

[cooney]

Could you have gone over some seaweed, a dead catfish, or maybe someone's charbroiled infant?

OK, the infant is a bizarre example but I'm trying to bring the possibility that the blobs are not a failing of your truck at all but instead a result of something you encountered while driving your truck.

Interesting thought. Could be George Bush's fault? Ha!


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Looks very similar to what happens when you drive over fresh asphalt, and that crap is very hard to get off.

Good thought... but nope...

Hi there Danny

I've been keenly following your distressing "black blobs under your rear end problem" and you'll be thrilled to know a possible cause has just sprung to mind.

Have you recently noticed any odd aromas while driving?

Maybe I shouldn't ask this? After all, your olfactory receptor neurons have probably succumbed to the ravages of time (like so much else in our bodies) and we all know how nasal hair undergoes a growth spurt in one's twilight years .....so I'll "cut to the chase".....

What I'm thinking is .....Maybe daBoise may have been sneaking the occasional discrete leak in the back (during your extensive desert travels). Or more likely, one may have had a bad case of the trots? (I'm sure your desert diet would be somewhat lacking without Dianna).

Yeah, nah, get off the grass, Cuz!! That's a load of lod cods wollop about daBoise!!

I'm having a fizzy, a vegemite sarnie and some crisps and thinking you're being a bit of a dag, Bro!!

As soon as 44 cools down, I'm gonna suss this out bugalugs...

Cheers!!

Interesting thought. Could be George Bush's fault? Ha!


Sent from my iPhone

I'm not sure which post this was in response to ... ... but, why not...

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Well, I washed my rear end and drove about 50 miles, at 70 mph... returned home, parked in the garage and crawled under... there is a fine sheen of gear oil on the rear end.

Apparently this has been going on for the past few trips and all the off road dust mixed with the fine mist... over and over... until I had a nice crust built up. Once my crust was baked, the mist from the last 80+ miles of pavement driving simply slicked it up and softened it up and when I parked at home, the result was thick, black blobs on the garage floor.

Since I washed it before my drive, I can easily see the dried, fine droplets on the rear drive shaft... so, it's coming from the tcase... and appears to be coming from the tcase breather. I need to pop the hump to be sure... but, I need to do that to raise my breather anyway.

So, Rick (@GA Architect) had the right idea first and several others followed... Thanks everyone!!

What would cause gear oil to spray out of the tcase breather? I haven't needed to add gear oil lately... haven't checked it yet today ... waiting for everything to cool down. I can barely reach the breather (with the hump on), so I can't tell what condition its in right now... could it simply be that the breather cap is not fully seated? That might explain the fine mist.

Once I get my rear harness off and ready to ship to Mark (coolerman), I'll drop the skid plate and pop the hump and see what's what.

Thanks and Happy New Year!!

 

[honk]

What would cause gear oil to spray out of the tcase breather? I haven't needed to add gear oil lately... haven't checked it yet today ... waiting for everything to cool down. I can barely reach the breather (with the hump on), so I can't tell what condition its in right now... could it simply be that the breather cap is not fully seated? That might explain the fine mist.


Thanks and Happy New Year!!

It could be the breather cap, but it could be that your T case is overfull. If the rear seal - oh hell, I forget the nomenclature but gear oil can flow between trans and transfer case if a seal between is leaking.

Do you have a bypass hooked up between the trans and T/case fillers? If not, then you'll need one. There are several threads about it and I'll see if I can find you one in a few minutes but I've GOT to go feed my dog.

OK, I saw that you know about the bypass hose mod and apparently the oil usually runs the other way if it's the seal between the two anyway. But if the trans output shaft bearing is bad or if one of the two bolts that go from T/case to trans under the PTO cover fell out or were left out then
the T/case will force oil out. It wouldn't be dumping out usually but you'll be wet from the case back and mixed with grime and goo from critters it could eventually drop off in blobs like yours.

All theoretical, of course.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I should have mentioned... I run @shipmag 's bypass - great product!!

Dogs should ALWAYS come first!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

It could be the breather cap, but it could be that your T case is overfull. If the rear seal - oh hell, I forget the nomenclature but gear oil can flow between trans and transfer case if a seal between is leaking.

Do you have a bypass hooked up between the trans and T/case fillers? If not, then you'll need one. There are several threads about it and I'll see if I can find you one in a few minutes but I've GOT to go feed my dog.

OK, I saw that you know about the bypass hose mod and apparently the oil usually runs the other way if it's the seal between the two anyway. But if the trans output shaft bearing is bad or if one of the two bolts that go from T/case to trans under the PTO cover fell out or were left out then
the T/case will force oil out. It wouldn't be dumping out usually but you'll be wet from the case back and mixed with grime and goo from critters it could eventually drop off in blobs like yours.

All theoretical, of course.

Thanks!

I removed my rear harness and have it ready to send off to coolerman.

I have the skid plate off and cleaned the grime off of the tcase. I'll pop the hump and go from there in the morning.

Happy New Year!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Well, I removed the seats, seat frames, center console, mat, Jack bracket and tool strap apparatus. Next was the tank cover and the gas tank. Then the hump bolts. I had to unbolt the rear heater and move it, to get the lines out of the way. Next was the shifter, then an hour or so to get the hump to break loose without bending the hell out of it.

Once the hump was off, I found the tcase breather cap slightly askew... But it wasn't wet on top... Just very grimey...

The bulk of the gear oil is on the backside of the tcase, between it and the parking brake. I haven't checked bolt tightness yet... There is one tcase bolt that clamps the wires (to tranny) that was not even threaded at all.

So, without snugging bolts or raising the breather... I'm going to shower and crash for today.

Tomorrow, snug bolts, raise breather, Jack it up and put it on stands and run thru the gears a bit... May have to put the shifter back for this Does anyone have a pic they can post of the tranny shift tower breather? I need to seal it and can't find it...

If I don't find any loose bolts (including the two @honk mentioned behind the pto plate) or I tighten loose bolts and still find gear oil escaping, is it a fair assumption that the drive shaft / parking brake need to be removed and the output seal needs to be replaced on the tcase?

Oh, also found a couple of 1/2" rust holes under the gas tank... I'll need to fix them. Also found a ton of crap under the mat... I'll clean that up before I lay the insulation.

Here are the rust holes...

Here is the tranny and tcase and beautiful floor

Here is the breather... It wasn't plugged

Here is the area between the tcase and the parking brake... The wiring bracket bolt that was hanging loose goes in a threaded hole that is outside the right scope of this pic... The corner of the top plate, with the breather.

 

[tls3601]

Danny not to hijack but where in those pics does the reverse lights relay attach to the t-case?? I believe my brothers '76 needs one.

 

[diogenese]

There is definitely movement on the cover plate with the breather on. Look at the corner between the yellow and black wires, looks like grey goo from alloy parts moving against one another. I'd whip the cover off and make a new gasket and seal it back on. Take out the breather and fit a hose tail for your extended vent whist you are at it, less chance of getting bits inside the case

 

[diogenese]

Danny not to hijack but where in those pics does the reverse lights relay attach to the t-case?? I believe my brothers '76 needs one.

Reverse light switch has the yellow wires going to it, it doesn't have a relay just an ignition feed to it and out straight to the lamps.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Danny not to hijack but where in those pics does the reverse lights relay attach to the t-case?? I believe my brothers '76 needs one.

Tom,

Go to google and run this query "1976 fj40 backup light switch location on transmission images"

The first image shows the backup light switch on the tranny... To see where this image comes from,

Click on the SOR.com link right after the images... That will take you to sor's switches... Find "backup light switch"

Click on "backup switch location"... Pick your year-range and you will see the same image... That's your '76 location... Same as your '78 location.

In my pic, as @diogenese said, "follow the yellow wires" (tape)

 

[Solace in Solitude]

There is definitely movement on the cover plate with the breather on. Look at the corner between the yellow and black wires, looks like grey goo from alloy parts moving against one another. I'd whip the cover off and make a new gasket and seal it back on. Take out the breather and fit a hose tail for your extended vent whist you are at it, less chance of getting bits inside the case

Good eye!! I'll do that in the morning and see if that solves it. Thanks!!