Fluid Everywhere Under Truck

MRogers · 02-04-2005, 04:44 PM

I slid under my '89 4X4 Blazer 4.3 210,000 miles today and found what I think is tranny fluid covering the skid plate, some of the cross members, the tranny pan and part of the catalytic converter, which is no where near the tranny. I don't remember if the skid plate had fluid on it when I bought it. There isn't more than a drop or two where I normally park. When I got the car a few months ago, the vacuum ball under the hood was filled with tranny fluid and the tranny itself was about a quart low. I emptied the ball and it hadn't filled back up since. I just pulled the skid plate off to try to see if the transfer case was leaking but it is dry. The tranny's pan may be loose on the passenger side, as that side is wet but not soaked, but I haven't tried to tighten it yet. I pulled the fill plug of the transfer case and tranny fluid started pouring out (I'm sure it was the fill plug). About a quart came out before I put the plug back in.

Also, the 4X4 works and the transfer case makes no noise.

Any help is appreciated.

BlazerLT · 02-04-2005, 06:39 PM

Sounds like the rear tail shaft seal is leaking.

bowtie_pasta · 02-04-2005, 07:18 PM

When you pulled the transfer case plug was the truck level? If so it sounds like it was a bit overfilled. Not the cause of your problem, but something to note.

Could be as simple as a pan gasket. Maybe the bolts are a bit loose. Careful as I beleive they are only supposed to be torqued to about 12ft lbs. When is the last time you serviced the tranny fluid and filter? If it's been a long time I would go ahead and do it and see if the new gasket fixes the trouble.

MRogers · 02-04-2005, 08:06 PM

Update, the rear axle is also covered in tranny fluid, I checked the level inside the axle and it was full so it must also be tranny fluid on it too.

The truck was level and I doubt someone could overfill the case by a quart considering it's only supposed to hold 2 pints. It showed no signs of stopping when I put the plug back in. I thought posibly the link between the tranny and t-case was allowing fluid to pass to the t-case which would explain the large amounts of fluid coming out.

As I was told, the tranny got a new filter and pan gasket right before I got it.

Lt: Which is the rear tail shaft, the one on the tranny or the t-case? The seal would be around the shaft itself, correct?

Thanks

blazee · 02-04-2005, 08:20 PM

Yeah, listen to LT sounds like the seal between the tranny and the transfer case.

Fireplug · 02-04-2005, 10:01 PM

That would NOT account for trany fluid to be in the vacuum ball. I would also check the trans vent. Its a vacuum line mounted at or near the top of the trans and it should have a little sponge at the end on the vac line. It sound like the trans is over pressureized and blowing out fluid

BlazerLT · 02-04-2005, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireplug

That would NOT account for trany fluid to be in the vacuum ball. I would also check the trans vent. Its a vacuum line mounted at or near the top of the trans and it should have a little sponge at the end on the vac line. It sound like the trans is over pressureized and blowing out fluid

Don't consider this always one single problem.

MRogers · 02-05-2005, 02:27 PM

I'm not worried about the fluid in the ball anymore as it hasn't happened again.

I think I know half of the problem. I had to put a quart of oil in a week ago. The center of the passenger side of the engine below the head and starter is covered in oil. I can't seem to see if it's leaking from between the head and the block but it probably is. Upon looking at the fluid, it is more likely clean engine oil than dirty tranny fluid as I thought earlier.

I checked the pan bolts on the tranny and they are tightened down and probably not the problem. The entire tranny and t-case are dry except the tranny pan.

The fluid under the truck must have just gotten on there because it is still very clean.

My conclusion is that oil must have been blown out of the engine when the car was rolling and the oil stuck to all that under there and I think I know when it happened. On one of the rare occations I accelerated heavily when it was wet and one of the tires slipped for quite a distance, I saw a bluish cloud of what I now beleive to be oil. Nothing else happened other than the cloud, no drop in oil pressure, no noises. My coolant level didn't drop at all so it wasn't that.

I assume I'm in for a head gasket at the least, but as the engine 210,000 miles on in, and the heads and manafolds are one rusted hunk of crap, a long block is looking pretty good.

But what I don't understand is why my t-case is pouring tranny fluid out of the fill plug, should I let it pour out and check the tranny fluid level (while running, of course)?

As always, any input is appreciated.

MRogers · 02-05-2005, 02:45 PM

Another thing, it occasionally had some smoke on startup which I just attributed to valve stem seals as other chevys have the same flaw.

And about the seal between the tranny and the t-case, from looking at the GM service manuals, I don't see how the fluid could get from one to the other without two seals failing AND not have fluid visable around the connection. As allways, I could be wrong though.

If I'm not burning oil and puking oil all over the road, is it still safe to drive this car in the mean time before I fix it or is it a ticking time bomb on wheels?

Thanks again and all appologies for the excessive interrogation.

BlazerLT · 02-05-2005, 03:53 PM

Valve cover gasket is probably causing the leak.

MRogers · 02-05-2005, 06:57 PM

I doubt that because there is no oil on the heads or the manafolds, oil is only present in the middle and rear of the engine below the heads. I would agree that the head gasket wouldn't normally allow oil out without completely failing causing loss of compression and coolant, but since these conditions don't exist, I'm stumped.

Also, there is a bolt that looks like a plug on the bottom center of the forward half of the t-case. I can't find it on any diagrams. Is it another drain plug or does it hold something together internally?

Thanks again

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