Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Posted ImageWelcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are features you can't use and images you can't see. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Join our community!




Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Anyone had a manual trans case to crack?
Topic Started: Oct 24 2012, 01:17 PM (1,572 Views)
93Cobra2771
New Member
[ *  * ]
Looks like I've developed some hairline cracks in the bottom of my case on my 96 metro 2 door hatch 5spd. Cracks are between where the axles are entering the case. Mainly on the driverside of the case down to the case seam, then a little bit into the passenger side.

1. Is this a common problem?
2. Anyone tried to repair this via welding or perhaps JB weld?

It's leaking fluid like it's going out of style. To the tune of a quart every 2000 miles or so. 100% sure it isn't axle seals.

3. Car has 140k easy driven miles on it, never abused. Should I just throw gear oil in it every thousand or so?
4. If I decide to track down a trans for it, what year model is a direct swap for the case?
5. Or should I just go ahead and find a trans and rebuild what I find?
6. Or rebuild mine and drop the guts in whatever case I can find?
7. If I do have to find a new trans, any particular model have a taller overdrive gear so I'm not turning so many rpm at highway speed?

I love this little car, I'll be danged if a leaky manual trans will stop me. :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Murf 59
Member Avatar


JB weld does not work well here. To weld the case. The trans would have to be torn down and cleaned really well. There have been a few broken cases here. But they are few and far between.
Some of our friends here have interchange listings on their pages. I am thinking your car has the 4.38s.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
metromizer


I wouldn't try to fix it, I'd just buy a used trans. Or buy a rebuilt unit and just eat the core charge.

Like Muph says, JB weld won't work. You can't get the crack clean enough for JB Weld to stick well enough to not start leaking again. JB Weld is great for plugging punctures or repairing pulled out threads (in sheer), but whatever forces pulled apart your aluminum casting (in tension), will easily pull apart a JB Weld epoxy glue joint.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
geo4thewin
Member Avatar


I had a 1993 auto back a few years ago and my flywheel broke and cracked the trans case. I removed it and took it to a local welder and he welded it up. it cost me about 35 bucks and it never gave me a problem as long as I had the car :rocker
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Murf 59
Member Avatar


I get lost in trying to type. So sometimes things come out as incomplete thoughts. Welding causes heat. Unless the unit is torn down, the heat will draw the oil to it. Messing up your weld. It could also cause the oil to ignite.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
geo4thewin
Member Avatar


Oh I hear you Mr Muff, I forgot to mention that I stopped by the car wash on the way to the shop and got all of the oil cleaned off of the trans case ^o) I am just throwing out options :rocker
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Murf 59
Member Avatar


If its a crack that goes all the way inside the unit. It will draw oil from inside to the outside. Even if you drain the unit. Welding alum has to be really clean or it contaminates the weld. Any idea what caused the cracks to start? Most of the time its something violent happening. Our friend Jittneys pretty much exploded from the inside.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Jittney
Anchorage 92 XFi

My transmission developed a crack in the housing, too.
I had broken pieces inside my transmission.
The planetary gear was damaged while grinding those pieces through the housing.

If you have a crack developing, have you checked for stray pieces in the bottom of the transmission?
Edited by Jittney, Oct 24 2012, 05:59 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
93Cobra2771
New Member
[ *  * ]
Interesting, very unlikely trans case is cracked. They aren't known for it, apparently. DId extensive research and found no indication of it being a common occurance.

Well, the plot thickens. Let me give you the back story. :-D

A few thousand miles ago, I replaced the axles (underside was dry as a bone at that time, 132k miles roughly). After axle replacement, I noticed I had a small leak at the seal on the driverside. So, I finally got around to pulling it apart and replacing the seal after 3-4k miles of drips.

After replacing the seal, the friggen thing leaked worse than ever. I'm talking a quart every 2k miles. So, I decide to take it to a local shop that I have at least decent faith in. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but I'm not overly comfortable doing seals, plus I was tired of fixing my mistakes.

I tell the mechanic my entire story. Told mechanic to assume nothing. Look it over, mic the journals on the axles, make sure the seals are correct, etc. By the way, I'm 100% positive the seal I replace was the exact seal, as the part numbers were identical.

They replace both seals a week and a half ago.

I notice almost immediately I'm still leaking, but decide to give it a week and make sure it wasn't residual gear oil coming out from previous leak. It wasn't.

Take back to shop yesterday and tell them still leaking. He remarks that it can't be a seal, hopefully not a cracked case.

I call after lunch, and sure enough, he says it's a cracked case. Says there are hairline cracks between where DS axle goes in and crossing over the case parting line to the passenger side. I'm very bummed. Decide I might try some JB weld and see if it slows it down.

Put it up on ramps at home and crawl under. Hmm, don't see cracks. Plenty of oil but nothing obvious. I wipe it all down dry as a bone and lay there on my back, looking for oil drips to start. Hmm, still no oil. Huh?

Look up toward axle seals, seems really wet up there. I assumed it was from drips being caught by wind and wicking up, catching axle and then getting slung. Wipe it ALL down up to the seals, notice that its ALL dry. Nothing dripping.

Pull off ramps, and drive 100 yards down my rural road and back at 15 mph. I don't want wind to affect anything. Pull back on ramps. There is a drip already formed at lowest point on trans. I start looking for wet and guess what? There is a straight line of oil from the bottom of trans right up to the passenger side seal. I'm talking a very obvious line of oil. Driverside looks like it might have a bit of ooze, but nothing like the passenger side.

I repeat the process - short drive, wipe, inspect. Took pictures. VERY obvious where the oil is coming from.

Don't get me wrong, I know people make mistakes. But I was very specific and told the mechanic my story, and told him to ASSUME NOTHING about the replacement NAPA axles. Put a mic on them. Mic the seals. Make sure everything is in spec.

It is very obvious someone didn't do a good inspection after the install, or they would have seen the leaks.

Me and said mechanic are going to have a nice talk after I get off work today. I will be nice, but I will be firm.

Thanks for the feedback, guys, I'll update thread as soon as I find out more.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
clarkdw


Check the support bearing for the axle if it mics out ok.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Murf 59
Member Avatar


On side of our dif. is a very small bearing 6007. It wears out before the other side. If it were a crack. It should leak while just sitting there doing not much of anything. It sounds like once its started moving, the leak begins. That I know of, there is no way to check that bearing from the outside. When you had your axle out. Did you look at where the seal rides to see if it has worn a groove in the shaft? I can see cutting a seal when installing it. It happens to us all. But for it to happen several times in a row, and with different folks doing the install does not sound right. I think you are on the right track. Just need more info. Pics would help
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
clarkdw


To check the bearing remove the axle and the seal. Reinstall the axle without the seal. Wiggle the inner CV joint sideways and up and down. It should have very little movement. If it does have enough movement to put a load on the seal then it is bad. The seal will be wiped out by the movement of the axle in a bad bearing.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
93Cobra2771
New Member
[ *  * ]
Thanks for the thoughts, guys. I'm pretty convinced its either the reman axles being slightly out of spec, or the seals. It was leak free prior to my axle swap maybe 5k miles ago.

Found a guy on team swift that had identical issues and ended up doing speedy seals. Another guy did new axles.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
93Cobra2771
New Member
[ *  * ]
And, a pic to go along with it. Top of pic you can just see the passenger side axle as it enters the trans.

Top arrow is point where leak origin is. If you look just right you can see it's shiny path down the trans to it's final drip point at bottom arrow.

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
starscream5000
Member Avatar
Got 70 MPG?

Member mjspeiss has had problems in the past with reman CV axles having an improperly sized input diameter, causing the transmission to leak there. Installing a brand new, non-reman CV axle fixed his leaking issue.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Transmission/Clutch/Axles · Next Topic »
Add Reply