transmission case bent/cracked thoughts? Also cooler return line fitting (1 Viewer)

[sam74]

So I'm the guy that let his U-joint explode on my LX450 where the front drive shaft and transfer case meet a few weeks ago.

After further inspection upon cleaning things up and removing the pan and having some work done to straighten the pan rim up I have found out that the transmission case and pan got struck where they meet and the case appears to have bent and cracked some where the impact hit and the closest transmission bolt was located. As it turns out the transmission pan didn't get cut it just broke the seal where it took that obvious lick.

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• sam74
• Jun 21, 2021

Trans1

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• sam74
• Jun 23, 2021

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• sam74
• Jun 23, 2021

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• sam74
• Jun 23, 2021

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• sam74
• Jun 23, 2021

I tried to bolt the pan back up before realizing the case was bent and things were going well and I could get a bolt into the bent hole but it would not get to torque spec it was just spinning. I also had an issue with another bolt on the other side of the pan that didn't want to get tight either. Those were the last two bolts I had that didn't torque to spec. That is when I realized the case bent. After removing the pan again and determining the case bent I took these pictures. I was able to get a bolt to tighten on that bent area without the pan attached.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do? I thought maybe I could get some sort of clamp to tighten things up using pressure from the outside rims of the pan and transmission case but not sure what to use.

I also considered tightening that bent areas bolt to spec first if possible and seeing what I could manage with the rest of the bolts.

I have the neoprene pan gasket.

Also, what about that crack? Any recommendations?

Another thing I noticed was several things took a lick from the driveshaft. In particular one of the fittings on the cooler lines that I believe my research determined it was a low pressure return line appears to have pulled out some from where it bolts to the transmission case. I can see a few threads pulled out on one side but not the other.

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• sam74
• Jun 23, 2021

I think the transmission cooler lines are discontinued and I would suppose also this part. It would also be damn hard to get to. How vulnerable would it be to leaking being a low pressure line for anyone with experience with it?

It also looks like a lever from I'm guessing the gear shifter down to the transmission was hit and bent.

Any and all thought appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[WCBlueSky]

Personally I would carefully sand the sealing surface down level, then seal the pan with generous amounts of Permatex RightStuff black (or FIPG if you are a purist). You could also add a little JB-weld to the crack and bolt hole and then use a tap to get the threads cleaned out. The torque on the bolts is very low and my personal experience is when the pan is sealed with Permatex RightStuff it takes considerable prying to get the pan off even after all the bolts are removed. In other words, the bolts don't do much after the sealant has cured.

 

[sam74]

Thanks for the advice. Any further advice on the JB-weld and tapping for a newby. Should I fill the entire bolt hole with JB weld and what type of tap to use. Would I need a drill for the tapping tool?

 

[mudgudgeon]

You could drill and tap the hole for a helicoil insert. Locktite the helicoil in.

Clean and JB Weld the crack.

Might be time to start looking for another trans??

 

[ScratchCoin]

LS swap time!….you know…while you in there lol

 

[BILT4ME]

Also check your wiring harness and O2 sensors.

We rebuilt one that blew up at 70 mph on the interstate and it busted the bell housing, the side of the transmission, cut a wiring harness, and dented the floor.

That one required a replacement transmission and bell housing.

Amazingly, it still drove 10 miles to a shop as long as we poured enough fluid in it.

If you're going for long term fix, replace it.

Short term, clean it well, smear The Right Stuff black into the crack FROM THE INSIDE. Do a helicoil or tap out larger and insert new bolt.

Use The Right Stuff black for the seal, not a gasket.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I would try re-tapping the two bolt holes and, as @WCBlueSky noted, copious amounts of permatex/FIPG.

 

[sam74]

I appreciate all the ideas so far. I'm hoping to not need to replace the transmission as I'm not sure it is cost effective. If that is needed then I just found my parts vehicle minus a tranny.

So I'm going to shoot for the short term solution and try to get it back on the road. It doesn't get driven that much anyway. Maybe a time or two a week.

I was probably going 65 or 70 mph myself when the u joint gave out. I can see a few hits on several things but hopefully nothing bad other than that cooler line fitting (which I hope is not bad) and bent lever arm.

If I hit the wiring harness could I expect some obvious wires hanging down? This is the most time I've spent under the truck at this point so I don't have the location of everything figured out.

Anyone have any experience with that cooler line fitting connection and if I can expect it to start expelling massive amounts of fluid the way it got cocked?

 

[WCBlueSky]

Not sure about the cooler line, you could see if the nut is now spinning loose or still tight. I think the only option is to fire it up and see if it leaks. It is only showing 2 theads so could be OK.

For the tap you need a tap holder, something like this: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_...VrxsERaOH4Rx1pEa9jiQNZzC3xWtSE8aAvJeEALw_wcB&. As mentioned, you could use a helicoil kit which usually comes with the right drill bit, tap, and coil. Could also fill the crack and any gaps with JB-weld then clean out the threads with a tap. You need to know the bolt size and thread pitch to match up the tap or helicoil kit. The torque on the pan bolts is very low, so you don't need much to get it to hold. Hopefully you are using a torque wrench in inch-lbs to tighten the bolts to the FSM spec. It doesn't look like the internals of the transmission are damaged, so if the pan and line seals I would run it. Can also get a used transmission for a good deal from @slow95z, shipping is the probably the biggest cost.

 

[slow95z]

I have a few used transmissions and they are cheaper than you think. Send me a message if you end up going that route.

 

[sam74]

Not sure about the cooler line, you could see if the nut is now spinning loose or still tight. I think the only option is to fire it up and see if it leaks. It is only showing 2 theads so could be OK.

For the tap you need a tap holder, something like this: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_...VrxsERaOH4Rx1pEa9jiQNZzC3xWtSE8aAvJeEALw_wcB&. As mentioned, you could use a helicoil kit which usually comes with the right drill bit, tap, and coil. Could also fill the crack and any gaps with JB-weld then clean out the threads with a tap. You need to know the bolt size and thread pitch to match up the tap or helicoil kit. The torque on the pan bolts is very low, so you don't need much to get it to hold. Hopefully you are using a torque wrench in inch-lbs to tighten the bolts to the FSM spec. It doesn't look like the internals of the transmission are damaged, so if the pan and line seals I would run it. Can also get a used transmission for a good deal from @slow95z, shipping is the probably the biggest cost.

Thanks for the link on the tapping tool. I have no experience with anything like that. I'll have to do some youtube video research. Can one find out the bolt size and thread pitch from the FSM?

My torque wrench is in ft/lbs but I converted to that from in/lbs before using.

 

[sam74]

I have a few used transmissions and they are cheaper than you think. Send me a message if you end up going that route.

Thanks for that option. What I've found online is rather expensive. I'll be in touch if things lean that way.

 

[slow95z]

yeah, some of the prices online are just silly. i can get you what you need MUCH cheaper than you are thinking.