Help! Sudden awful whine/grinding from H55f, slipping out of 3rd w/ no clear cause.

[CruiserTrash]

@Br3ntfire I'd definitely hop on the Rising Sun forum and post your ask for a shop. Aside from CTS and RSG, the other one that gets recommended is Japanese Auto Service in Wheat Ridge, which won't be too far from Golden. I have no personal experience with them though. Shops I'm less familiar with, but that work on old Cruisers: Toy-Auto Masters on Broadway in Englewood and The Toy Shop near Santa Fe and Mississippi.

Couple other things:
1. Can I buy the H55 you're pulling if it's rebuildable?
2. Did you used to live in the Northside off 38th or downtown? There's another 61 that looks exactly like that that used to be around those areas. Great looking truck either way!

 

[Br3ntfire]

One fairly quick thing I'd check before pulling it is to remove the 6-bolt cover on the back of the transfercase (near top of transfer in your pic in post 6) and make sure the stake nut behind it hasn't backed off.

I've seen once where the mainshaft on a H55F walked forward, binding with the input shaft. That made the transmission act like it was constantly partially engaging 4th (ie one-to-one). In that case the threaded tail of the mainshaft shaft had been cut off to suit a doubler and there was nothing but a friction fit holding the shaft from walking forward under load.

Failing that, my money is on an issue with the countershaft as @cruisermatt suggests.

@RockDoc is the torque spec I'm looking for on that nut 94ft-lbs? Not knowing for sure i didn't crank on it but it absolutely wasn't at 94.

 

[Br3ntfire]

@Br3ntfire I'd definitely hop on the Rising Sun forum and post your ask for a shop. Aside from CTS and RSG, the other one that gets recommended is Japanese Auto Service in Wheat Ridge, which won't be too far from Golden. I have no personal experience with them though. Shops I'm less familiar with, but that work on old Cruisers: Toy-Auto Masters on Broadway in Englewood and The Toy Shop near Santa Fe and Mississippi.

Couple other things:
1. Can I buy the H55 you're pulling if it's rebuildable?
2. Did you used to live in the Northside off 38th or downtown? There's another 61 that looks exactly like that that used to be around those areas. Great looking truck either way!

Thanks @CruiserTrash, I will. I saw some JAS recommendations when searching as well. Part of the reason I'm talking to RSG is that they were actually already scheduled to rebuild my driveline and replace some sway bar bushings starting today.

1- @cruisermatt already put in an offer for $300, I hate to start a bidding war but I'm in dire need of cash atm Y'all can work it out if you'd like.
2- No, I never lived in either area, although I did freelance (I do graphic design & motion graphics/animation) with quite a few shops in the RiNo area. I've been in Golden for 9 years now.

 

[RockDoc]

In my FJ62 FSM it is 94 ft-lb. I assume it would be the same with the H55F as with the A440F.... the nut should be staked into the indentation on the shaft to hold it once tight. Was yours not?

 

[RockDoc]

..

 

[Br3ntfire]

@RockDoc - It was staked, but absolutely nowhere near 94 ft-lbs, I turned it pretty easily 10deg or so with a normally sized 1/2" ratchet (and a slightly wrongly-sized socket).

I just tried again after seeing your message, and I was able to casually tighten it again, even with the shaft itself turning a bit. I took these pics before turning it again—the indent is now a bit outside of the keyways. I'd guess it was between 10-15 ft-lbs to turn this, almost effortless.

Not sure if it means anything, but ~1-2 tbsp of oil (no shavings or glitter) spilled when I removed the cover to access.

Transmission is in gear (1st), and transfer case is in 4Lo if that's helpful info in any way. I used 4Lo to get back home in 4th after the video I posted in the OP

Befores:

After:

 

[RockDoc]

Okay, I'm getting out of my depth here, so if someone with decent experience with H55F internals and how they wear in wants to speak...

I'm thinking since the nut was staked, you can assume it was torqued properly, and the looseness is from wear (excessive? normal?). Torquing and restaking it can't hurt (transfer in high range with parking brake set to hold the shaft), but I'd think if you see any improvement, it'll be short-lived / borrowed time...

 

[cruisermatt]

Lets open up a known original T-case in the morning and compare the stake quality.

 

[Br3ntfire]

Well, I can't speak to whether it was the cause of the problem or not (I suspect it was not), but I can confirm that torquing down the stake nut to spec did nothing to improve the grinding situation. Also confirmed is that it's plenty easy to take off from a stop in 4th if you're in 4-Lo so I didn't have to do any extra grinding once I confirmed that all the same gears were still f——d.

Socket needed is a 36mm 6-sided socket in case the reference helps anyone else out in the future.

 

[cruisermatt]

Fix in progress

 

[Br3ntfire]

Fix in progress

View attachment 3291728

Yesssss

 

[cruisermatt]

New H55f, rebuilt T-case with correct vacuum-shift, 10% Overdrive high range and PTO.
Our rebuilds use all new OEM hardware, all aluminum parts are vapor hone blasted, the result is a brand new appearance at half the price of a brand new case. In this situation the overdrive gear set replaces the input, idler and output gears so a brand new case isn’t a very economical choice in this scenario.

 

[Br3ntfire]

New H55f, rebuilt T-case with correct vacuum-shift, 10% Overdrive high range and PTO.
Our rebuilds use all new OEM hardware, all aluminum parts are vapor hone blasted, the result is a brand new appearance at half the price of a brand new case. In this situation the overdrive gear set replaces the input, idler and output gears so a brand new case isn’t a very economical choice in this scenario.

View attachment 3296164View attachment 3296165

Sexyyyyyyyy!

 

[cruisermatt]

 

[Br3ntfire]

After months of s***shows and delays, my beloved cruiser is back in my hands today. I absolutely love the OD gearing @cruisermatt installed, i have an actually useful first gear now. Loving the Dobinsons IMS too, first impressions are that it's incredibly comfy compared to whatever was on the before. I do need to replace my steering box though, it's toast. But first: time to pass emissions.

 

[Eicca]

Curious if you ever identified the failure in the original gearbox.

 

[Br3ntfire]

Curious if you ever identified the failure in the original gearbox.

I haven't, @cruisermatt should have it in his hands but idk if he's opened it up yet.

 

[cruisermatt]

Curious if you ever identified the failure in the original gearbox.

I will definitely get it opened up and post up here when I get a chance.

 

[cruisermatt]

Finally got a minute to pop this one open… trashed input and counter gear. That will do it!
Cost of a new input gear, counter gear and rebuild parts makes this an anchor essentially..

 

[Br3ntfire]

Damn, she was mangled!