Feed them or fix them ( tranny & transfer)

[Scottwagon]

So generally I like my machinery to be well serviced and in top working order. On my 1952' both the transfer case and the transmission leak some oil. Mind you it's not a lot, they are covered (with a rust preventative coat of oil) but only occasional drips make it to the floor. In a weeks time there might be a spot the size of a quarter on the floor.

Truck seems to drive well, but I have nothing to compare it to as its my first FFPW.

So do I just periodically top off the transmission and transfer case with gear oil, or is it worth pulling them, opening them up, inspecting them, and fixing as necessary and then reassemble with new gaskets ( and any other parts warranted by the inspection)

All thoughts appreciated.

Scott

[Desoto61]

Depends on what you want out of the truck. If you don't use it hard, and everything seems to be working well, I'm not sure it's worth it unless you really hate the leaking.

To do it right you'll have a few hundred each in a rebuild with new bearings, seals, and sleeves assuming you don't find anything else wrong, plus probably a couple of days down time at minimum.

The plus side is you'll know that everything is up to spec, but honestly I had heard they always leaked with the old seals, so unless there are strange noises or something isn't working right the only real benefit would seem to be a cleaner floor.

[Frank Irons]

I agree with Desoto61, Power Wagons like to mark their spot. A little seepage is normal.

Frank

[wayneh]

If you are getting a quarter sized spot per week, I'd leave it. My trans and transfer do not leak. But... that was not without pain and investment. It took me four tries (yes, I'll admit it) to get my NP200 to not leak. The final fix was to get Charles Talbert's Stainless (=$$$) shift rails. If you want a leak free system there are some things you need to know, and I think I know about 75% of them, but my NP200 and 420 are pretty much dry now.

Now my engine is a different story....

Wayne

[Jerry Henry]

A mechanic told me the best way to know your oil housings are not empty is if they leak a little. Granted, this was meant in jest. But I would not pull things to repair what you are speaking of. Get a flat sheet metal pan that will fit under and catch the drips.

[712edf]

I have the same situation with my W600. The 318 has oil on it, but doesn't drip on the ground at all. Same for the NP540. The T223 t-case is the only part of the drivetrain that's perfectly clean. The previous owner had it rebuilt. They must have done a fine job.

Now my differentials, that's a different story. Both of them leave a quarter sized spot after much sitting. I regularly check & add lube as needed. The P.O said they leaked that way the entire 15 yrs he owned the truck. Since I don't drive it daily & never more than 10 miles or so at a time, I'm content to leave it the way it is.

Bucky

[Charles Talbert]

What is normal?

Well I will say this; with the old leather seals which will cut a nice groove in the yoke seal surface over time, yes dripping is quite the norm. With the old felt dust wiper that was incorporated into the outer end of the original seals which are notorious for holding moisture, severely rust pitted yokes are always the result, so again leaking is quite normal. Install new seals every week and you will still have a leaker until the yoke surface is repaired properly.

I've seen a couple of instances where a maladjusted and oil soaked park brake band has got hot and caused a fire; now if you have one of those gear boxes that has the nice oil and dirt combo all over it an inch or so deep; you know, the rust preventive that was mentioned earlier in this thread, the result is usually unrecognizable charred remains.

As for the statement about Power Wagons like to mark their territory, not to ruffle feathers, but that theory indicates an owner either does not want to fix the problems, they don't believe leaks can be stopped, or they simply don't understand how to properly repair a gear box so it doesn't leak. Yes any repair done the best it can be will cost a premium. What it boils down to is what an owner wants and the quality of workmanship offered by the person doing the repairs.

You can choose a leaker, run by Wal-Mart for some cheap oil to top off with because you don't want to spend $$ for the good stuff as it's just going to run out on the ground. Or you can fix your gear box right the first time and put the best oil in it and keep it there to provide top notch protection for many thousands of miles. The latter option will always be the best over the long haul, the best oil will always protect the unit at top efficiency, bearings, gears, and seals will last much longer. In the end you will realize real cost savings; even though you spent more initially to do the job the best it could be. All this, not to mention the unit will run cooler, quieter, and shift way better.

[wayneh]

I agree with everything Charles said, just doing this is easier said than done for us part time mechanics....

"Or you can fix your gear box right the first time"

That was my plan of course, but things didn't work out quite the way I planned. The good news at least for the transfer case is after the first time it takes no more than 30 minutes to take it out!

Wayne

[Scottwagon]

we need more forum members with experience taking video so us newbies can come up to speed faster:)

I agree with everything Charles said, just doing this is easier said than done for us part time mechanics....

"Or you can fix your gear box right the first time"

That was my plan of course, but things didn't work out quite the way I planned. The good news at least for the transfer case is after the first time it takes no more than 30 minutes to take it out!

Wayne

[Desoto61]

we need more forum members with experience taking video so us newbies can come up to speed faster:)

The biggest problem with that is that like the trucks themselves it tends to be a niche kind of hobby. I'm usually alone in the garage, and you can't wrestle with a 150 lb transfer case while trying to video tape it.

That and most people that like and are good with advanced technology aren't working on 60 year old trucks!

Plus I wouldn't want video evidence of me dropping it on my foot!

[Clint Dixon]

we need more forum members with experience taking video so us newbies can come up to speed faster:)

I have been doing it for 33 years, and I am not quite up to speed yet. I doubt that video would help me much, but the pages of Gordon's Power Wagon Advertiser sure do!

[Jerry Henry]

I watched a documentary on bear tracking in Alaska. They were fitting what they called "Crittercams" on brown bears. These took constant videos of the bears' travels. Maybe we could get some for the expert mechanics here. :)

[Gordon Maney]

As folks are doing this work they need to take hi-resolution photos and write articles for the magazine.

Thank you, Clint!

[wayneh]

I think if I wore a video cam the only thing you might learn from that are more words not suited for publication.... Actually, what I have learned is that most of these parts are simple, and the repair manual breaks them down into manageable sections. If I recall right, the transfer case breaks it down into four segments, each pretty simple, and then the last step is to put them together. The manuals were written for folks with a high school education, not a PHD...

Gordon: I promise I'll do some scribbling this fall/winter. I don't think you, Clint or Charles will learn anything knew for me, but you will get a laugh anyway.

Wayne