Comment

Comment by Daniel Long on December 18, 2018 at 10:38pm

Hi Kevin, yes the TH 400 can hold a total of 11 quarts of fluid but to totally drain out all fluid you would likely have to remove the unit and torque convertor. Mine normally takes about 4-5 quarts with the pan dropped since I don't have a pan that has a drain (great idea!) someone installed after the fact. Having to drop the pan and replace the gasket is something of a debate. IF you have to do so, the idea that you should replace the gasket anyway because any job involving dropping of the pan is likely not a minor one. Not like changing engine oil every 3K miles.

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 18, 2018 at 10:34am

Good news (I think).  The pan on my TH400 transmission has an aftermarket drain plug...and when I drained it today, less than 4 quarts came out.  Which is about the capacity of the pan   Which leads me to believe that my leak was INDEED coming from the pan gasket, and not the torque converter oil seal.  If it was leaking that high up, I would think that more than 4 quarts would come out of the transmission when I drained it, since the capacity of the TH400 is 6 quarts, plus another 5 or so in the torque converter.   Does that sound reasonable?  Anyone disagree?  Did I get lucky this time?  Jimco?  

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 18, 2018 at 8:48am

Thanks!  We'll figure it out.  When I drain the transmission fluid today, I'll have a better idea if the leak is from the pan gasket, or from the torque converter seal.  I'm really hoping it is from the pan gasket...lol!

Comment by Russell E Johnson on December 18, 2018 at 7:50am

WOW, Kevin. When it rains it pours.  I hope your run of mechanical failures is at an end. Wishing you both a Merry Christmas. 

Comment by postman on December 17, 2018 at 10:24pm

Mr Smith all I can do from here is wish you Christmas Blessings. But if you manage to make it to Texas IH-10 @ Hwy 123 theres a rest area just before on east bound side.

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 17, 2018 at 8:29pm

So an update on the driveshaft saga:  I spent ALL day at Covinton Heavy Duty Parts, in Dothan, Alabama, while they tried to cross reference parts to build the new driveshafts.  Yes Drive SHAFTS!  The front one is also out of round, and the slip yoke is chipped out where the snap ring would fit.  So the whole kit and kaboodle is shot.  They quoted us around 400 bucks for everything, but couldn't source the parts. So after being there ALL DAY, they sent me down to Mann Automotive in the same town, who said they could do the job for around the same price, but Mann can balance the two driveshafts together for around the same price, and Covington doesn't balance.  Well heck folks!  If they had sent me to Mann in the first place, they could have ordered the parts today...now they have to look them up tomorrow and order them tomorrow, so we will be in this campground for about a week.  And probably won't make it back to Arizona in time for Christmas.  This has been one rough and hellacious trip...and we are running out of money.  Damn it!  We have more than enough dog and cat food, because I always stock up on it before winter "just in case,"...and I don't mind living on Ramen Noodles until we start back up in February.  But I'll be goddarned if I'm going to let my wife not have the food she likes.  If this keeps up, I might have to sell a gun or two...or even my motorcycle.  Fun fun fun!

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 17, 2018 at 8:10am

After my coffee this morning, I am off to the driveshaft shop with the drive shafts.  Hopefully they won't charge me too much, since we are on our winter shoestring budget.  

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 17, 2018 at 8:09am

If you are ever on I-10 in Florida and need a place to camp with your RV, please patronize The Hitching Post and Corral RV Park, in Cottondale.  When we broke down and were towed in, not only did they give us a nice dry site (with no fire ants) for me to fix the RV in, when I went to pay them, the invoice for the 4 days we think it will take us to get back on the road said, "Paid in Full...Merry Christmas!!!"  What awesome and amazing people!!!  https://hitchinpostcorralandcampground.com/

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 17, 2018 at 8:08am

I got the rear u-bolts off the differential yoke in the back, and thankfully the yoke wasn't damaged.  I also removed the center carrier bearing and the front driveshaft.  It looks to me like it was the center carrier bearing that went bad, since I can't turn it.  It looks like it might have seized up, causing the catastrophic failure of the rear u-joints...which actually snapped right off!!!

Comment by Kevin F Smith on December 17, 2018 at 8:08am

Now I have a leak from the transmission that SEEMS to be coming from the pan gasket.  I took off the torque converter cover and the torque converter is dry...but it is hard to see past it into the bell housing to see if it is wet or dry.  The vibrations from the driveshaft going COULD have damaged the TQ seal, so I might have to unbolt the transmission, inch it backward enough to see between the TQ and the bell housing...and if it leaking from the seal, inch it back some more, enough to get the TQ out so I can replace that oil seal.  I sure do hope it is just the pan gasket, which I am going to try first...but we'll see.

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