H55 leaks (1 Viewer)

[coldtaco]

Wondering where the typical places for a H55 to leak from? Mines got oil all the way up the shifter tower, and signs on the right side. Lots of dirt on it so would take a lot of cleaning to try and find where it is leaking from. Probably need to do that anyway.
Thanks.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Usually its the t/case that does the leaking. Might be coming out of the gearbox cover. Just soak it in solvent and then pressure blast it a few days later.
Its not from the t/case oil going uphill is it?

 

[ca18sean]

My H55 was leaking from the nose seal when it got overfilled by the transfer case. Adding a return hose fixed that pretty easily.

 

[coldtaco]

Was going to check fluid levels at some point. I guess I better do that first. Thanks.

 

[cruiserdan]

My transmission leaks into the transfer case. I found out because the transfer was so full it was pushing oil out of the transfer breather.

 

[Josh NZ]

I recently got my H55 and transfer fully rebuilt and it’s still damp on the sides.. I think it’s the seal around the shifter tower.

What’s the deal with the mainbox leaking into the transfer? Is there a solution for that? I think my mainbox is filling my PTO, is that a thing?

Sorry for all the questions haha.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Trans to T-case seal, damaged drain plug/gasket and nosecone seal. If you need any help with parts, we (Cruiser Outfitters) stock all of the seals, gaskets, bearings and full rebuild kits for the H55F. Or if things are really bad, we have full transmissions and t-cases too

 

[roscoFJ73]

What’s the deal with the mainbox leaking into the transfer?

There is a seal that keeps the 2 lots of oil separate. Usually when the seal fails the oil gets pumped uphill into the gearbox and this can be cured cheaply with a hose that connects to the filler holes.
However , if the oil is running downhill, it cant be fixed without dismantling the whole lot.

 

[cruiserdan]

Mine is doing the latter. I recently removed the fill plug for the transfer and there was a slight vacuum in the case. That made me think that this may accelerate oil transfer from the transmission to the transfer. Because of the location of the PTO box I was not able to connect a balance tube between the two so I went from the transmission to the PTO fill plug. I am testing now to see if this pressure equalization will slow the bleeding.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

@Josh NZ ...... "I recently got my H55 and transfer fully rebuilt and it’s still damp on the sides.. I think it’s the seal around the shifter tower."
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It's good that you don't own any vintage Land Rovers. Dampness, seepage and drip pans were a way of life.

 

[Josh NZ]

@Josh NZ ...... "I recently got my H55 and transfer fully rebuilt and it’s still damp on the sides.. I think it’s the seal around the shifter tower."
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It's good that you don't own any vintage Land Rovers. Dampness, seepage and drip pans were a way of life.

I know what you mean. I’ve had 6 of them! That’s why I graduated to landcruisers, for supposedly less work in between drives

 

[coldtaco]

Well, took the transfer fill plug out and nothing came out, stuck my pinky in the hole and came out wet, but couldn’t tell if it was residual since I had latex gloves on. Renoved the transmission fill plug and got maybe half a quart out. Drained both and refilled with fresh fluid. Then made/installed a hose between the two fill plugs. Used clear pvc tube so I could observe some. Don’t know how long clear pvc tubing will hold up to gear lube so will probably need to replace it with oil line at some time?

 

[cruiserpilot]

When you drained them did you measure how much came out of each? My only recommend is my experience
in the last two years I've seen a H55 grenade the front bearing on a 13BT and my own H55 from my 12HT. In both
cases the transmission had been draining into the t case. So if that is the case, I highly recommend pulling the front
transmission cover and replacing the front lower bearing on the lower shaft. It can be done without taking the transmission
apart. In my 12HT, the case showed shiny snowflakes, and the outer race had severe scrub marks and the inner rollers were
making metal. The transmission works fine after replacing just that bearing. All the other internals were inspected and
fine.

 

[coldtaco]

Yeah I got extra fluid out of the transmission, maybe 1/2 quart or little more. Normal amount of crud on the drain plug magnet.

 

[HomerOz]

G'Day Fella's,

Good to see you have got this fixed.
I actually like the clear hose, so you can see things at work.
I did the same thing myself, after having the same oil leak problem.
Here's the link; Landcruiser G/Box-T/Case Oil Leak Fix

Don't forget to de-grease all the leaked out oil, off the outside of the G/box and T/case.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
Homer

 

[coldtaco]

Ok, leak still there. I de greased thoroughly, drove about 200km today and still leaking the same place. Looking back, the 3 bolts that bolt the bell housing to the back of the engine are oily. Is this a sign of the rear main leaking?

 

[cruiserdan]

It could also be residual oil surfacing after cleaning. Clean again and monitor. If multiple cleanings do not clear up evident leakage it is safe to assume that the leak is active. One or two cleaning attempts may not be sufficent.

 

[coldtaco]

Ok, here is another pic showing the drips hanging off of these bolts. And it also looks like seeping between the bell housing and transmission, I will clean it again.

 

[ozcrusier]

Looks like the main seal is leaking.

 

[cruiserdan]

A quick sniff can help determine that. Gear oil and engine oil have totally different olfactory presentations.