95 tahoe transmission lost all fluid

[westman995]

My buddy has a 95 Tahoe 2 door. today he was driving it and the transmission went out. from the back of the transmission pan, there is fluid covering the whole underneath of the truck.

Just wondering if anyone has any input on it? I haven't looked at it other than jus looked underneath it and seen it. I am sure it lost all of the fluid. Seems to be from the rear of the transmission.

So Where do you think the fluid came from? Transfer case? driveshaft seal? Im just wondering what to look for. Maybe the transmission isn't toasted and might work if some fluid is put in it?

 

[SunlitComet]

broken pan gasket, or output shaft seal before as it enters the t-case adapter. remove the t-case and adapter. Start from the bottom and work your way up cleaning the fluid off with towels or dry wipes only no solvent at all. As you get near the oil pan lip wipe just above it as well and give it a moment to see if fluid propagates from it. Do the same at the output shaft. Ensure that the fluid is not coming out the the vent port. If it is the cooler lines are blocked. DO NOT RUN ENGINE UNTIL TRANNY UNIT IS FULL OF FLUID AGAIN. If you fill it to the high mark and start your engine and it does not go down your pump was killed in the process. if it goes down the tranny should be fine.

 

[westman995]

I finally got a chance to look at it. I forgot to mention I was pretty sure he needed new u-joints.. Which he bought, but hadn't gotten a chance to have them put it in yet... And well, looks like that a was very costly mistake.. I believe the bad u joints is what caused the failure.. The tranny is cracked right on the output shaft of the trans..

I pulled the drive shaft and both u joints are complete toast.. One of the caps or whatever doesn't even have any of the needle bearings left in it. The other side of the u joint doesn't move freely all either. Both front and rear u joints on the drive shaft are just totally junk.

 

[SunlitComet]

So they do not flex freely at the joints then? A snapped out put shaft can cause that same tranny damage.

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------

If the tranny is cracked and it is for sure because of u-joints, the t-case is likely damaged too.

 

[westman995]

Correct the u-joints did not really move freely at all. And one or two didn't not even have any of the needle bearings left in it.

Well hopefully the transfer case is fine, But I guess time will tell.

Is it easier/better to take the trans out with the transfer case attached or to take the transfer case off first and then pull the trans?

 

[SunlitComet]

You will need to separate then if dropping them downward. Unless you want to take out the lower control arms and torsion bars and torsion bar cross beam and exhaust cross over parts.

 

[westman995]

That's what I ended up doing. How much of a pain in the ass is to to bolt up that transfer case once the transmission is back in the truck? The bolts are hard to get to even when its out. I didn't have to remove the bolts to take it out due to the whole end of the transmission was broken off so it just came right off.

 

[SunlitComet]

You bolt the adapter to tranny first. Put the t-case in place and at least hand tighten the bolts first. It is best if use a floor jack and a transmission adapter on it or wooden blocks and extra hands.

 

[westman995]

So you are saying remove the piece from the transfer case (held on by 6 bolts I believe)

And bolt that piece up to the tranny (held on by 4 bolts)

I just need to make sure that is the "adapter" you are referring to.



Also you still put the tranny and transfer case in separately right? Not bolt them together then put it all in at once..

 

[westman995]

I am just now realizing that there shouldn't be fluid between the transfer case and the transmission, correct? If so I am going to need to find out if the fluid came from the broken transmission, or if the seal or something else got damaged on the transfer case.

I suppose I can just tip it that way and see if fluid comes out of the seal/shaft.

There is a gasket between the adapter and the transfer case, should I get a new one for it after I take it off? I was reading that other people were saying that theres didn't have any gaskets on it, but it was for another model chevy I believe.

The new/rebuilt transmission is here already, so that is basically ready to go in. Just need to know if I should bolt the transfer case to the tranny first and try to get it in, or put it on afterwards. And of course to make sure the transfer case isn't leaking.