Josh,
If you have to swap, keep the old one for me for parts. If you get your trans running, send me some info on the good one you were going to swap into you 5 ton.
Just prior to the 4th of July weekend I was going up a decently steep grade on the way home from work and the M923 lugged down like it was loosing power.
Before I could pull off to the side, since it was all drainage ditch after a foot of gravel, I had a loud bang, felt a large thump and the air brakes engaged. I pulled on the parking brake, reluctantly turned off the engine, put on the flashers and got out to see trans fluid hemorrhaging and flowing down the grade. In between flagging groups of rush hour traffic, on the 2 lane road, around my derelict truck, I phoned a friend for a flat tow up the hill to safety, or at least a flat spot not blocking traffic where I could work on the rig.
After he arrived, we chained the trucks together and caged the brakes. He slow started to pull on the chains as I let off the parking brake.
Every foot or so there was a definite thud like the whole truck was jumping.
Turns out that the bolts that attach the torque converter housing to the engine had either snapped or been ripped out of the aluminum. I assume from trans fluid/oil starvation.
Also turns out, one of my friends notice that all of those bolts neatly fell into the frame rail that ran underneath the transmission. More likely what happend was, since I didn't check to see if all of the bolts were present in the bell housing, they were put in the channel as the trans was being worked on in the depot at Ft. Lewis and only a few were put in place, as some GI rushed the truck to Gov Liq's auction lineup. And those few didn't hold when stressed by the grade and loss of fluid.
The thump of course was the whole transmission, which was locked in gear to the transfer case, and free from the engine to spin along with the turning of the rear axles.
So as we were towing the truck to safety the whole trans was rotating under the truck. Making a thud every foot or so. Wrapping wires, hoses and the dipstick tightly around the trans housing until they snapped free.
Once in a safe spot we left the truck and drove home, picked up the full tool kit, tow bar, tow lights, straps, chains, slave air hoses and another M923.
Then spent a good 6 hours: supporting the weight of the trans under the truck, disconnection a short drive shaft to the transfer case, that wanted to spin the trans since it wasn't hooked to anything.
And with the drive shaft to the front axle to much in the way, wasn't able to get any real leverage to loosen the u-joint bolts. Un-caged the brakes, as we were going to slave the air lines to the towing truck. But then had to re-cage them as the spinning trans took out air shift hoses and was spewing air, while not building pressure. Then flat towed the truck 10 miles back to the house.
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So now I either need parts to try and rework my spun trans or swap it out all together.
I am not in a hurry, as that M923 went to the end of the projects line, and the other M923 became my new favorite and is getting all the luv.
And as reward for its unyielding service in the face of adversity, the towing M923 got the other m923's dump kit install.
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