1999 Rodeo LS, V6, 3.2L, manual transmission -

I have a small leak at the transmission drain plug due to a crack in the housing.

So far, it's a very small leak but I need to get it repaired ASAP.

Externally I can see it easily with a magnifying glass. The visible portion is approximately 1/2" long. It runs underneath the drain plug o-ring and then down the side external to the threads about 1/2". How far it goes on the inside remains to be seen.

I don't want to remove the plug at this point for fear of making the crack larger.

I have a guy who can weld aluminum, but I've been told by a mechanic and the dealer that can't be welded since it isn't aluminum but some other alloy.

I was told that it can be fixed with a special epoxy once the rear part of the case is removed and all oil residue is completely removed (for adhesion/bonding purposes) and of course so that the entire visible length can be determined.

I was also told that the epoxy wouldn't be a "weak spot" when the plug's removed for future trans oil changes (which I find very hard to believe, but it could be true).


Can it be welded?
Will the epoxy fix be strong enough?
Is this a common problem?


I really hate to have to get another trans just for this problem. I've got 150K on this one and have changed the trans oil every 15K.

Thanks for any and all input.

Mark

Anyone have input on this?

St. Charles Isuzu has quoted the rear transmission housing at $626.71 with a 4 day lead-time. I'm wondering if that's the only way to go. I'm not so sure repairing it will last.

The local dealers told me the part wasn't able to be ordered. St. Charles in Mo. has always been a great source for parts - (636) 441-4481 http://isuzu.stcharlesauto.com/



Thanks,
Mark

Hard to tell if the epoxy repair will last or not. They put airplanes together with epoxy so there is some strong stuff out there. If its a straight line crack and not spider webbed I dont think it would get any worse by pulling the plug and putting it back in as long as you didnt torque it like crazy (I think factory spec is 24 ft lbs or some such). Replacing the housing is alot of work and will be alot of labor hours if you are paying someone else to do it. Will basicly be the same amount of time as rebuilding the trans. And if yours is 4wd since the t-case is intigral all that will have to be taken apart.

As a side note, in the manual for my '99 for trans and t-case oil changes it says to change at 15k, 30k, then every 30k after that.

Thanks Dave.

It's a fairly straight crack, but since it's a cast part, it's not absolutely straight of course. I really do wonder where the origin is.

I was busy on business travel and had my local mechanic change out all clutch related components and the rear main seal while I was gone. I just haven't had the time to do it and at 150K the clutch was starting to chatter finally.

They of course say that they didn't crack it. They may suspect me of trying to put one over on them, you know, getting the clutch changed and then bringing this up (pre-existing condition).

They're good people but I'm not sure yet whether they want full price to go the epoxy route. They'd have to take the case apart, see just how far the crack goes, and remove all traces of oil and then epoxy the whole thing, I believe.

If that's the case, I'm not sure whether that's a better course of action than just replacing that piece of the casing. I just hate to put out another $600 in parts, but.....

Yeah, I understand the trans oil is good for 30K. I've been doing it at 15K just to hopefully prolong it's life. Call me crazy.

It's a 2WD and it has never had a leak. Coincidence? Who knows? I don't see and bang marks.

Hmmm........I guess I need to see what they're willing to do, and then figure out whether I could do it a lot cheaper myself.

Thanks Dave. I really appreciate your time. If you have any more thoughts, I'm all ears.

Mark

some thoughts --

i'd be surprised that the case can't be welded. 'aluminum' engine parts are often magnesium alloys and can be welded if with the correct materials and expertise. i suggest you talk to the best machine shop in your area. one that does superior welding.

i'm not an epoxy-repair fan. maybe because i've never had much luck with it for anything other than a super adhesive. more than likely i've never gotten the materials clean enough.

and that leads to: by the time you get the material prepped enough for jbweld you might as well do it right.

another point -- visual observation of the crack will be wanting. you need to get it magnafluxed or similar to be certain you know the extent of the cracking. any machine shop doing the welding work would want to do that.

all that being said -- like gizmo said, this is going to be a ton of work and money. have you looked into a junkyard unit --- even if you decide to do all this, that would be the logical place to get a replacement case, even if you have to buy the whole trans and for whatever reason want to keep your internals.

anyway, contact a machine shop or two and get their advice.

//bc

Very much appreciated trooperbc.

I'm right there with you.

Mark

Almost any metal can be welded and transmission housings are no exception. I'm sure your cheapest option would be to get it welded and more then likely the crack ends where the threads are so it would have to be welded and tapped for the drain plug. This is where epoxy would fail over time and eventually you'd be back to square one taking it all apart again.

Gizmo42, trooperbc, shift220, thanks for your input, big time.

Removed it, had it welded by a specialist who also checked for any other cracks, and am now back on the road.

I wasn't going to be swayed into going the J-B Weld route on something like this, where I'd always be watching for the leak to reappear.

Thanks again for your input.

All the best,

Mark

your welcome, and congrats. now give us some input -- how'd the guy do it exactly, i.e. did he do any disassembly...etc...

thanks

//bc

Yeah, I'm always up for feedback for the forum. I've written quite a few procedures for posting.

I'm prepping for 2 business travel trips in a few days so I took it to my trusted local mechanic armed with your feedback and my own thoughts.

His 2 main mechanics said the same thing, that it would be like rebuilding the transmission to remove that rear piece of transmission housing.

When the shop owner came in, he echoed the same thing and wanted to stop drill the crack and J-B weld it. I didn't want to go that route and so he said he'd call all of his contacts at the local dealers and salvage yards.

HOWEVER, within 20 minutes he called me and said, "We're going to remove that clip, and take the housing to a welding specialist over in Anaheim who does great work". I didn't want to stop the motion so I didn't inquire as to what "clip" he was referring to.

When I picked it up this evening as they were closing, I inquired of the gruff old guy of few words about the earlier talk of having to effectively rebuild the tranny once that housing was removed. All he said was, "It required a special puller, which we luckily had".

I then said, just to gain information, that if one ever needed that housing removed again, then it wouldn't be tough to replace that housing with a new piece?

Of course he replied with this, "Why would you ever have to remove it again? This welder is great". There were no other cracks I asked? "None".

He did say that the drain plug neck material is thinner than that of the rest of the case. Makes sense.

There's definite evidence of the case being separated. Absolutely. I'll be able to see more tomorrow in the daylight.

What gives? I've never disassembled one of these transmissions, but I got the feeling that that end of the case was an integral part of the mechanism and not just a cover.

Can you shed some light on that?

Mark