Greetings everyone.
I have had an Epic tale of woe recently and thought there might be some lessons you can learn from my experience. This is a bit long, so let me get a couple of Bottom Lines up Front: When a mechanic tells you something is broken, ALWAYS look at it yourself. Scrupulously maintain your driveline Universal joints, grease and inspect OFTEN at least every three months or so. The transmission dipstick tube nut responds well to heat.
My tale begins in March, well I noticed in March but probably it really began a few months before. While in the middle of moving my domicile in March 2013, I noticed some very worrisome driveline vibration. Being a good scout, I crawled under the beast and put eyes-on the front and rear shafts. I noted big cracks in the rotoflex and grabbed the front shaft and couldn't budge it.
So I replaced the rotoflex and the vibe got better... But it didn't go away.
And while I was cogitating on why that might be, the front shaft let go. Well, at least I figured out what the problem was
Yay me! and it got wedged against the transmission so well that the truck was effectively stuck. Fearing the front diff may have seized, I had the truck hauled to Landrover Alexandria. (Yes, I know, if they could roll it onto the roll-back truck it wasn't seized. I wasn't entirely thinking clearly it was late at night)
The lads at LR Alexandria told me the diff is fine, but the trans case is cracked and not repairable because LR no longer sells the transmission (4HP22) and the prescribed repair is to replace.
So fearing what a huge PITA this job will be, I nursed the truck for several months by driving as little as possible and topping the ATF constantly. So yesterday, I finally screwed up my courage enough to tear into this. And I had forgotten that cross-member was under the transmission and needing to drop the Y, so that added some time.
What did I find? The pan is beaten but not holed! The transmission case has a ding, but is NOT cracked. The leak is caused entirely by chunk that was torn out of the pan seal! So those lying bastards at LR Alexandria, didn't bother to drop the pan or even look closely at the damage.
So what did I learn?
1. Check those front shafts closely. Everyone go look this weekend! or NOW!
The front shaft is close to a lot of expensive components. If it lets go under power, it can wreck a lot of that expensive stuff.
2. Verify any damage assessments from paid "mechanics" unless you have some evidence that they know what they are doing and are diligent in doing it.
3. That fitting for the dipstick looks fragile and you cannot apply enough power with a wrench to loosen it. Apply heat with a torch (not expensive or fancy, I used a cheaper propane torch) for a couple of minutes and it came right off, easy peasy. I searched for hints to get that off before trying it and the only references google could find were folks here and on other sites saying it wasn't possible
The serious wrench turners already know this but I wanted to get it out there for everyone else.
So have a great day, Check those U-Joints!
-jeff
I have had an Epic tale of woe recently and thought there might be some lessons you can learn from my experience. This is a bit long, so let me get a couple of Bottom Lines up Front: When a mechanic tells you something is broken, ALWAYS look at it yourself. Scrupulously maintain your driveline Universal joints, grease and inspect OFTEN at least every three months or so. The transmission dipstick tube nut responds well to heat.
My tale begins in March, well I noticed in March but probably it really began a few months before. While in the middle of moving my domicile in March 2013, I noticed some very worrisome driveline vibration. Being a good scout, I crawled under the beast and put eyes-on the front and rear shafts. I noted big cracks in the rotoflex and grabbed the front shaft and couldn't budge it.
So I replaced the rotoflex and the vibe got better... But it didn't go away.
And while I was cogitating on why that might be, the front shaft let go. Well, at least I figured out what the problem was
Yay me! and it got wedged against the transmission so well that the truck was effectively stuck. Fearing the front diff may have seized, I had the truck hauled to Landrover Alexandria. (Yes, I know, if they could roll it onto the roll-back truck it wasn't seized. I wasn't entirely thinking clearly it was late at night)The lads at LR Alexandria told me the diff is fine, but the trans case is cracked and not repairable because LR no longer sells the transmission (4HP22) and the prescribed repair is to replace.
So fearing what a huge PITA this job will be, I nursed the truck for several months by driving as little as possible and topping the ATF constantly. So yesterday, I finally screwed up my courage enough to tear into this. And I had forgotten that cross-member was under the transmission and needing to drop the Y, so that added some time.
What did I find? The pan is beaten but not holed! The transmission case has a ding, but is NOT cracked. The leak is caused entirely by chunk that was torn out of the pan seal! So those lying bastards at LR Alexandria, didn't bother to drop the pan or even look closely at the damage.
So what did I learn?
1. Check those front shafts closely. Everyone go look this weekend! or NOW!
The front shaft is close to a lot of expensive components. If it lets go under power, it can wreck a lot of that expensive stuff.
2. Verify any damage assessments from paid "mechanics" unless you have some evidence that they know what they are doing and are diligent in doing it.
3. That fitting for the dipstick looks fragile and you cannot apply enough power with a wrench to loosen it. Apply heat with a torch (not expensive or fancy, I used a cheaper propane torch) for a couple of minutes and it came right off, easy peasy. I searched for hints to get that off before trying it and the only references google could find were folks here and on other sites saying it wasn't possible
The serious wrench turners already know this but I wanted to get it out there for everyone else.
So have a great day, Check those U-Joints!
-jeff
