Only car I have ever lost a transmission in my 1977 Caprice with less than 100K and well maintained?
Frustrated! trans well maintained, still grenaded
- Thread starter Tyson
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Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
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Originally Posted by Tyson
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Good news (relatively speaking)!
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Good news (relatively speaking)!
Good (relative!) news.
I wonder if it got water into the diff? OTOH I wonder if it was just the luck of the draw. Something was marginal, and it just decided to quit today.
Must have been quite the damage--I mean, if trans temp was spiking and hard, that diff must be cooked. Transmission has a cooler--that diff doesn't!
I wonder if it got water into the diff? OTOH I wonder if it was just the luck of the draw. Something was marginal, and it just decided to quit today.
Must have been quite the damage--I mean, if trans temp was spiking and hard, that diff must be cooked. Transmission has a cooler--that diff doesn't!
Originally Posted by Tyson
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Again servicing will prolong the life of the component .Servicing will not stop parts from breaking because of improper manufacture etc.
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Again servicing will prolong the life of the component .Servicing will not stop parts from breaking because of improper manufacture etc.
Originally Posted by Tyson
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Good news indeed! You may want to use a heavier (140?) oil this time, and step up from ST. Although their motor oils are fine enough, the jury (at least for me) is still out on their gear oils.
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
Good news indeed! You may want to use a heavier (140?) oil this time, and step up from ST. Although their motor oils are fine enough, the jury (at least for me) is still out on their gear oils.
Originally Posted by Tyson
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
In this case, I would have no problem sourcing a good JY unit. Widely available, at much lower cost. Very rare for this to fail.
No mention of ratio. Might be good time to step it up. 3.42 to 3.73, 3.90, 4.11 or whatever it was to a higher unit.
What about the cooling? Before the trans grenades next.
Heard from the shop.....not the transmission!
Catastrophic failure in the rear differential. Pieces of gears everywhere.
None of it is salvageable, so getting a whole new rear axle/diff assembly for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday!
I hope the trans wasn't damaged from trying to turn the jammed up rear end!
edit: Since I, and only I have serviced the rear diff, I find this troubling. Fluid was suctioned and filled every 50k. Supertech full synthetic 75-90.
In this case, I would have no problem sourcing a good JY unit. Widely available, at much lower cost. Very rare for this to fail.
No mention of ratio. Might be good time to step it up. 3.42 to 3.73, 3.90, 4.11 or whatever it was to a higher unit.
What about the cooling? Before the trans grenades next.
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Speculation: it's either a materials or manufacture defect in the axle (suggested by CT8) or the few severe use towing trips just put too much strain on the axle or axle lubricant. Glad you found the trouble and it is a quick & simple fix. Happy hunting.
Ya know, there are a few bells ringing in my brain now.......I should have looked deeper. This spring, gas mileage dropped from it's normal 13mpg mixed driving down to 9-10. Even after a tune up of plugs and wires it didn't change. I shrugged my shoulders at it and went fishing.
I bet the rear end has been machining away, creating drag, and slowly detonating this whole summer.
If anyone else is wondering, the shop said the diff fluid was full, but obviously contaminated with metal.
Edit. I do believe ratio was 3.73, but can't swear to it, trans cooling is whatever the factory trailer/towing package came with. I dunno, I had always heard the 6.0/4L80 combo was as bullet proof as it gets. I've never personally known anyone that had a differential failure. None.
I bet the rear end has been machining away, creating drag, and slowly detonating this whole summer.
If anyone else is wondering, the shop said the diff fluid was full, but obviously contaminated with metal.
Edit. I do believe ratio was 3.73, but can't swear to it, trans cooling is whatever the factory trailer/towing package came with. I dunno, I had always heard the 6.0/4L80 combo was as bullet proof as it gets. I've never personally known anyone that had a differential failure. None.
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Originally Posted by Tyson
...for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday...
Ouch...good luck!
...for just under $2k.
I'll be hunting Friday...
Ouch...good luck!
Dad's last car went 256,000 miles on "lifetime fill" tranny fluid before it grenaded. He commented to the service adviser that perhaps he should have done a trans service somewhere along the line. SA said "Your transmission fluid is likely just fine. It's your transmission that's shot", lol! Maybe your trans would have died whether you changed it or not. Just sayin...
Originally Posted by Tyson
Ya know, there are a few bells ringing in my brain now.......I should have looked deeper. This spring, gas mileage dropped from it's normal 13mpg mixed driving down to 9-10. Even after a tune up of plugs and wires it didn't change. I shrugged my shoulders at it and went fishing.
I bet the rear end has been machining away, creating drag, and slowly detonating this whole summer.
If anyone else is wondering, the shop said the diff fluid was full, but obviously contaminated with metal.
Edit. I do believe ratio was 3.73, but can't swear to it, trans cooling is whatever the factory trailer/towing package came with. I dunno, I had always heard the 6.0/4L80 combo was as bullet proof as it gets. I've never personally known anyone that had a differential failure. None.
I was wondering, if mpg had been dropping, giving a warning sign. Problem is, the diff is probably about the last place one would look for a sudden mpg drop! I guess it all comes down to "it happens".
Ya know, there are a few bells ringing in my brain now.......I should have looked deeper. This spring, gas mileage dropped from it's normal 13mpg mixed driving down to 9-10. Even after a tune up of plugs and wires it didn't change. I shrugged my shoulders at it and went fishing.
I bet the rear end has been machining away, creating drag, and slowly detonating this whole summer.
If anyone else is wondering, the shop said the diff fluid was full, but obviously contaminated with metal.
Edit. I do believe ratio was 3.73, but can't swear to it, trans cooling is whatever the factory trailer/towing package came with. I dunno, I had always heard the 6.0/4L80 combo was as bullet proof as it gets. I've never personally known anyone that had a differential failure. None.
I was wondering, if mpg had been dropping, giving a warning sign. Problem is, the diff is probably about the last place one would look for a sudden mpg drop! I guess it all comes down to "it happens".
wow! diffs rarely just grenade when used under semi normal circumstances, full of oil, with no warning signs of impending failure... No noises, no excessive backlash noticed when shifting, part to reverse, reverse to drive... Diffs will howl, moan, grown, for a really LONG time if they have oil before they fail. More details would certainly entertain my curiosity.
Quote
This spring, gas mileage dropped from it's normal 13mpg mixed driving down to 9-10. Even after a tune up of plugs and wires it didn't change.
This is a red flag I don't ignore. I keep going until I find the source of the lost mpgs. As a routine move, I open my differentials every 40k and at least visualize the fluid (usually change).
Tracking mpg's religiously is my favorite diagnostic tool. Very "top line," but I eventually find the problem.
This spring, gas mileage dropped from it's normal 13mpg mixed driving down to 9-10. Even after a tune up of plugs and wires it didn't change.
This is a red flag I don't ignore. I keep going until I find the source of the lost mpgs. As a routine move, I open my differentials every 40k and at least visualize the fluid (usually change).
Tracking mpg's religiously is my favorite diagnostic tool. Very "top line," but I eventually find the problem.
Its a 2002 vehicle. Like most have said, anything can happen. Fluid changes arent everything. Things do break. I can feel ur frustration however.
this is why I will always buy Toyota trucks
Now you can go hunting! As a previous poster indicated a junkyard unit would have worked well for you but it's done and go on to the next incident. Keep on changing that ATF and maybe you will go for a very long time on the transmission.
Used would have been about $450 less expensive. Normally I'd go this route, along with doing the labor myself.
I'd rather go hunting with my last son at home than not.
Since the trans got really hot, I asked the shop to service it as well. Hope it holds together!
I'd rather go hunting with my last son at home than not.
Since the trans got really hot, I asked the shop to service it as well. Hope it holds together!
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