Shame on me!

Do you think I have ruined the transmission , t case and differentials

I recently had my 63 CJ5 restored by a Willys enthusiast who had done many restaurations ( I will post his website if any are interested in seeing photos of his projects : http://www.jeepwillys.piczo.com/?cr=3#).

He did a frame off which included pulling apart all mechanical items and rebuilding them.

I have had the jeep back now for a little over 2 years. It has appeared to be running well and have only put about 150 miles on it since.

It is a weekend toy which I drive around with the wife and kids into town at our cottage.

Last weekend I started hearing a low whirring noise nothing to alarming, and seemed to go away after a while. It seemed gear related because as I pulled in the clutch it seemed to disappear.

It bothered me during the week and I thought I better check the oil level in the transmission, transfer case, and differentials this weekend.

Well everything was bone dry! I did not feel any oil when inserted my finger into the filler holes and I really tried to stretch my finger down far.

Shame on me, I should always check someone elses job.

Do you think I have ruined the transmission , t case and differentials by doing the 150 miles or so.

I did not hear any unusual noises prior and the whirring noise is quite subtle at this point.

It changes gears smoothly enough whithout any problems.


I have filled up the differentials until they trickle out of the filler hole.
I will do the trans and Tcase next weekend as I ran out of SAE90.

Any suggestions on how to fill them as the filler holes are high up and hard to get a bottle of oil to pour down into?


Any words of encouragement would be welcomed.

Fred

 

At least some damage has been done. The extent of damage is going to be hard to tell without tearing the components down or at least removing covers and visual inspections where possible. At this point I would fill with the appropriate oil and drive and see if there are any noises. I would suggest buying a small pump that fits on the oil bottles. They make life much easier and generally a little cleaner. Available at most auto parts houses.

 

the easiest way to fill the transmission and the transfer that i have found is thru the shifter on the trans, and the pto shifter on the transfer. someone on here put a plug in the pto cover on theirs, or filled the transfer through one of the pto covers bolt holes. still have to pull the filler plugs so you know when its full.

 

Fill em and run them. I'd put a few miles on them then drain and refill with new. I'd run a magnet through the oil I drained to see if there were any shavings. If not shavings and the noise went away, I'd run them.

If shavings, I'd look at the insides to see what damamge was done.

 

You can also use a small radiator overflow hose to the gear lube bottle tip put a clamp on it and gently squeeze your fluid in and you can use it on the next bottle you need.

 

Sta-Lube brand has a pump that fits on their jugs at least. I put a piece of clear tubing on mine so I can verify that the lube is flowing.

 

the bronze syncros would be the only this I'd be worried about , but run it. maybe run an additive in there like Lucas? I know a buddy that did not check someones work ,,,, the ring gear and pinion were kind of blue. we have beat thet rig into submission for 12 years and have never had a problem with that gear. but it was dana spicer.

 

If Jason's at Tellico t90 can turn purple and not shift, run dry on oil and continue to run for several years I say go for it. Heck he used a claw hammer to shift it into gear.

 

Thanks for the comments.
I called the fellow up who rebuilt my CJ5 and he swears he put in oil and that the oil level with the correct 3.7 litres in the transmission and t-case should be about 1 inch below the filler hole????

I want to believe him, and I will as soon as I remove the drain plugs to see if any oil does run out. I should have checked this first before posting .. I have only assumed no oil by using the depth of my finger test.

I have 3 questions:
1) if there was no oil in the Transmission and T-case would I have been able to change gears easily and ran 40 mph with no unusual noises?

2) when I remove the drain plugs, do I need to apply anything to the threads to prevent leaks? or is there a rubber gasket ?

3) what size allen key head do I need to remove the drain plugs. Jeep is at the cottage and I can't get to it to check? I am assuming it is an allen key head as it is square recessed opening.

Thanks again
Fred

 

well, if there's no oil, then he probably THOUGHT he did it... as far as I practice-- fill it 'till it runs out-- not 'till it's just an inch below the hole.

I think it will run a while (at relatively low speeds--aka, around town) with no oil (especially if some assembly lube was used). 150 miles or so isn't alot of miles, unless it's done all at once, at highway speed.


I like to use a little paste-type thread sealant on the threads, but it isn't crucial. They may drip occasionally otherwise.

The drain holes in the bottom of the axles are either 3/8" or 1/2" square-- just use your socket set's ratchet or breaker-bar. I'm pretty sure they are 1/2"....


I'm with the rest of the folks- fill 'em up and see what happens. I think they might be a little noisy, but they may just 'repair' themselves.

 

:iagree:

I tried this last night.

 

there must of been at least a small amount of oil or they would have blown up in the first 50 mi,although the old drivetrains are pretty tough.

 

fill em up and run it at this point, did a jeep resurrection jeep here a few years ago, the motor was stuck, along with the following, trans, transfer, and both rears, ran it for a few days under hard circumstances, the rears started making a squelling noise before it dawned on me to check them, they were bone dry, added fluid and all was well, these little monsters are tough. i doubt you were bone dry as it started squeling pretty soon. like just withn a few miles(less than 5 miles)