Why your transmission leaks oil

[tco3129]

like my old Ford. If it ain't leakin, It's empty!

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Another thought on these tranny leaks is the VENT, that gets plugged or even sticky where it opens late after pressure has started to build WILL cause leaks where ever the pressure can find a place to escape, like a SLIGHTLY worn seal that would hold fine under normal pressure

I think these VENTS cause more leaks and trouble then thay are worth,

[...]

I think that's right, and in my opinion there is also the following to consider: theses vents only work one way (_if_ they work). What happens after the vehicle is parked and things cool down? In the axels and trannies there will be a slight under pressure, which draws air through the axle and transmission seals from the outside. Naturally, on the outside of these seals, there is often dust, dirt, moisture, goo and what not. I guess that if that stuff get sucked into the seals it eventually makes them leak.
One of my spring jobs this year was exactly what you said: a common vent line that connects all axle and trannies and ends in the motor compartment on top of the air cleaner. No more pop vents for me....

By the way, 2 out of 5 of my vents I removed were stuck and did not open due to dirt in the cap....

Cheers,
Mark

 

[m-35tom]

so many people have this strange idea about not filling the trans to the propper level! fill it to the bottom of the fill plug. it holds 5 qts. reccomending that someone only put half the oil in their transmission is just foolish. are you going to buy them a trans when it burns up? the oil level is WAY below the input shaft when full, and will not leak under any circumstances i know of unless something is wrong with the gasket or other related part.

by the way another reason the trans leaked is that it does not have the correct bearing, it should have a shield on the front side. the wrong bearins shown allows much more oil than normal to be on the front side of the bearing.

tom

 

[greg2560]

So is it a "sealed bearing" with a seal one one side or a tin shield. That sounds good. That sounds right. The input shat has to have some type of seal.

 

[doghead]

From the LO, 4.25 qts, 1/2" below the level plug

 

[Robo McDuff]

From the LO, 4.25 qts, 1/2" below the level plug

This is what has me upset and I am looking for a filler pump to do this during my next working round. In normal field operation, or even in a nice clean workshop, how you fill to exactly 1/2" below the level plug? Certainly does not make for quick and efficient working. Why not make a level plug at the height to where you should fill it? Much easier, surplus just flows out, no prob.

A well, ours is not to reason why ...

 

[Speddmon]

This discussion has raged on for at least the past 2 years that I have been a member. One person says to fill it full, and the other says leave it 1/2 to 1" below the fill plug.

One person say's I run it full and it doesn't leak, and the other say's If I run it full it leaks badly.

I'm thinking it's a combination of factors at work here. As m-35tom mentioned, a shielded bearing would be a better fit in this situation, but without seeing the engineering drawings from the manufacturer, who is to say which they intended for use in that particular application. Are you clairvoyant? I'm not.

The other main driving factors are speed, and weather conditions. Westy told me when he brought the truck back from Texas, the temps were cold (20's to 40's) and he was driving about 50 max speed...Transmission did NOT leak the whole long way back from Texas. Fast forward to the Findlay trip...temps are now running in the high 80's and he's driving WOT. That equates to a LOT more heat in the gear trane, thinner oil, more expansion and quess what...now it leaks! And in a much much shorter distance than in the distance from Texas to WI.

The short and sweet point of what I just said is this...every truck is like every person out there...they all have their little quirks and idiosyncrasies. A blanket statement to tell someone that they are foolish to run the transmission lower than you do personally is as wrong as telling someone to run it at a lower level just because it works for you. It's Westy's truck, not yours....he'll run it to whatever level he knows and feels is best for his truck. Just the way I run mine the way I feel is best for mine.

 

[clinto]

This discussion has ....................

This is probably one of the ten smartest, most well thought out and communicated comments I have ever read here.

 

[73m819]

This is what has me upset and I am looking for a filler pump to do this during my next working round. In normal field operation, or even in a nice clean workshop, how you fill to exactly 1/2" below the level plug? Certainly does not make for quick and efficient working. Why not make a level plug at the height to where you should fill it? Much easier, surplus just flows out, no prob.

A well, ours is not to reason why ...

MY thought on this exactly 1/2"below the level plug is that these trans were civi and designed for mostly flat roads, hence where the fill plug is, with the off road use, it required the lowering of the oil level to PREVENT major leakage out the front when in a major nose down position

 

[Robo McDuff]

Ron, please don't get me nervous. What you are saying is that the civi design asks for a "fill to the plug level", and the army LOWERED the recommended level to avoid leaking in heavy nose-down position? That would mean that when filled according the army lub order, the trans actually is permanently below optimum level, maybe from the beginning at the min level needed. Not a very happy thought.

If so, I would fill her up to plug level because I don't expect to be much if at all in a major nose-down position (at least not often or for long).

Did anybody ever checked this with the manufacturers?

 

[73m819]

Ron, please don't get me nervous. What you are saying is that the civi design asks for a "fill to the plug level", and the army LOWERED the recommended level to avoid leaking in heavy nose-down position? That would mean that when filled according the army lub order, the trans actually is permanently below optimum level, maybe from the beginning at the min level needed. Not a very happy thought.

If so, I would fill her up to plug level because I don't expect to be much if at all in a major nose-down position (at least not often or for long).

Did anybody ever checked this with the manufacturers?

Yes, most likely why most of us that fill to the plug don't have a major leak, I would also quess the flat landers that have LEAKS, can be traced back to the space age vent

 

[gringeltaube]

........................... how you fill to exactly 1/2" below the level plug? Certainly does not make for quick and efficient working...................

Read again, it says within 1/2" and I understand that they meant recommended level to be anywhere between 1/2" low and overflowing out of the fill plug...

More of the same.... here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/39262-duece-tranny-capacity.html#post432806

G.

 

[gringeltaube]

So is it a "sealed bearing" with a seal one one side or a tin shield. That sounds good. That sounds right. The input shat has to have some type of seal.

Wrong! NO input shaft seal needed and no sealed bearing either, but a shielded one, which is NOT the same.
Shielded ONE side only, on the inner side of the tranny!

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/52980-leak-bellhousing.html#post639542

G.

 

[Robo McDuff]

Read again, it says within 1/2" and I understand that they meant recommended level to be anywhere between 1/2" low and overflowing out of the fill plug...

More of the same.... here: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/39262-duece-tranny-capacity.html#post432806

G.

Makes sense and does not. With regular checks, I would accept the oil should not be lower than the 1/2". However, when draining hot oil and refilling, I would think they would give a max level, or they just go by the amount.

Whatever, I will split the difference.

 

[m-35tom]

they do give an implied max level, bottom of fill plug and min level 1/2" below. if spicer wanted less oil, they would have put the fill plug lower!

tom

 

[stutzcattle]

Does anyone have a part number for this front seal? Mine leaks and I would like to fix it. Also, should I replace the bearing while I've got it out?

 

[greg2560]

look at the tm that is no seal there

Wrong! NO input shaft seal needed and no sealed bearing either, but a shielded one, which is NOT the same.
Shielded ONE side only, on the inner side of the tranny!

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/52980-leak-bellhousing.html#post639542

G.

 

[Westech]

Does anyone have a part number for this front seal? Mine leaks and I would like to fix it. Also, should I replace the bearing while I've got it out?

I am guessing this dude did NOT read any of the post.. just seen the name and posted a question. By the time it took to type his question he could have look at the post and figured it out.

Same stuff different day......

 

[Heavysteven]

True, good topic though I mkssed it. Glad it came up.

 

[SMOKEWAGON66]

Eriks military surplus has 3052 and 3053A full gasket sets, that include that pesky input shaft gasket for 18$ yes... Eighteen dollars.

M35 Transmission Gasket Set (For Spicer 3053A & 3052) 7741X / 7520987

this is what i bought, installed and no leaks.... and the input shaft bearing P/N is 6308 ZNR "sheilded" on the inside and a snapring.