Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) 47RE transmission fluid leak

[Crowhurst]

I've just arrived in the USA for my annual visit to the US half of my family. I went to the garage to get my beautiful 12 valve out of store, and saw that the garage floor drip pan was full of ATF. The transmission is down 2 quarts, and the transfer box is still full. I could see no leak from the cooler lines or the steel connectors, or the transmission sump pan gasket. The fluid had been falling on top of the skid pan, and the suspect point was the joint about a foot behind the back of the transmission pan, at the front of where the transfer box is connected. From the shop manual, this will be about where the intermediate shaft connects to the output shaft. This vertical joint presumably has a gasket, and there are about five 9/16th nuts on studs to secure it. These were all finger loose. I've tightened these, all except one low down on the driver's side, which is inaccessible. I post this so as to warn others that these nuts would be worth checking, and also to ask if there are any further steps I should take, and is there a way to access that bottom nut? Thanks.

Nick.

 

[HLEschenko]

No gasket but there are two seals in that area; one for the transmission and one for the transfer case, either or both could leaking. There should be a smalll drain hole (tattletail) that drains the oil from the cavity. I replaced the transmission output shaft seal at 186K.

 

[Crowhurst]

Thanks for the reply. Like you, I replaced the output seal on the transmission last year at 120k. Are you saying that there should be no fluid at the joint I tightened up? I can't tell from the diagrams in the shop manual. However, ATF runs right through to the output seal at the back of the transmission, so I assumed that fluid would be present at that joint, and that any slackness in the joint would cause a leak. Am I wrong to assume that?

Nick.

 

[HLEschenko]

The cavity between the transmission and transfer case is dry. There is no gasket between the two cases. If you're still getting oil from the joint/tattletail, the transfer case will have to be removed for inspection of the transmission output shaft seal and the transfer case input seal for damage. Good luck.

 

[Crowhurst]

I suspect that I did not describe sufficiently accurately which joint was leaking. The joint no longer leaks after I tightened the nuts and ran the truck for a couple of days. Many thanks for your help.

Nick.