Overfilling Transmission

[Dale Reed]

I put a bucket below the normal fill hole and removed the bolt. But surprise surprise oil did NOT come gushing out! Hardly a dribble, so I added a couple squirts from my little oil can causing oil to come gushing out. Re-installed the normal drain hole bolt.



Removed the top bolt from the adapter plate and squirted a couple three squirts before the oil started gushing out.



Does not make any sense to me. These two holes must go to different parts of the transmission. Hope you fellows know what you are doing to your trucks because I sure do not understand what I am doing to mine.



The transmission has been working fine since the dealer replaced it free 100,000 miles ago but I guess a new transmission oil seal is required. I do not pull or haul any heavy loads.



I wish I knew where the 2. 5 quarts of oil I added this PM went.

 

[AlK]

Dale,

I am wondering if your transmission was low on oil and that would explain the 2. 5 quarts. The fill plug on the getrag is accessible from the passenger side of the transmission case right next to the identification plate. I added an extra litre to mine by removing the shifter. The biggest problem that I had was getting the shifter to properly engage. I found the snap ring fairly easy to install.

---

Al

 

[Dale Reed]

I will look on the passenger side tomorrow morning after the sun comes up. But I have been working entirely on the driver's side. The normal fill hole and the winch adapter plate are on the driver's side on my truck.



Are we all talking about the Getrag transmission? Then again... I am looking at page 21-2 of the Diesel Supplement and it pictures the Oil Fill on the right side just like you say.



I wonder what kind of transmission I have? I bought the truck used with 14,000 miles on it, at about 40,000 miles it started popping out of low gear when using the engine as a brake going down hill and like I said the dealer replaced the transmission free.



I will look for the identification plate tomorrow morning.



I just noticed that on the same Page 21-2 of the diesel 1990 Service Manual it implies that the dealer cannot replace the Out-Put Shaft Seal on my W250. Hope my favorite mechanic can.

 

[Dale Reed]

Checked it out with a flashlight. Mine is a Getrag all right. Says so on the driver's side of the transmission.



There are two adapter plates. One of each side of the transmission. No doubt the REAL fill hole is on the passenger's side. Wonder what the long bolt that I have been removing on the driver's side goes to thinking that it was the plug for the oil fill hole? Hope simply screwing it back in re-attaches it to whatever it goes to. Guess so because this is where I have been checking my transmission oil for many years.



Tomorrow I will drain any extra oil from the REAL fill hole on the passenger's side then add another quart from the adapter plate on the passenger's side. I have not checked the heights to see if the adapter plates and drain holes are at such relative heights possible explaining the extra 2. 5 qts. Probably my transmission was simply low in oil hence it requires an oil seal replacement.



Unfortunately the REAL oil fill hole on the passenger's side is more difficult to get to than the who_knows_what hole I have been using on the driver's side.



Sure is difficult to communicate important stuff via cyberspace. Thanks for the help everyone. Keep on trucking! Dale

 

[Mgrant]

Hi Dale,

Good to know you got it figured out. That fill plug is a real pain in the keaster! Especially with that exhaust pipe. I actually had to fill it with my pumper can too. Once you got the normal plug at it's level, then reinstall the plug and take out the top bolt of the PTO cover and add the extra quart through it. I wouldn't put any more than that in it. A good way to check the level would be it to take mechanics or bailing wire, coat hanger, etc and put a 90 degree bend in it with about 3-4 inches along one length and a place to grip it on the other length. Stick it in the PTO bolt hole and use the 3-4 length of the wire as a dipstick and mark the level of the oil after you installed the extra quart. Now you have a way to check the oil level without taking out the fill plug and getting a gusher.



good luck!

 

[JFitzgerald]

Originally posted by Old Smoky

Well, I did it. I changed the fluids in the front and rear end, transmission, and transfer case. Some have said that they have noticed an improvement in shifting, etc. with an extra quart in the transmission, I noticed none. It remains difficult to shift into first and reverse, and I get a little "grind" shifting into third. It almost feels like the blocking ring is worn out on the third gear side of the 3-4 synchro. It’s not too bad, nothing to worry about for a while.

I can see why some have found other ways of adding the additional quart to the transmission than through the shifting tower. The shifter is not hard to remove, but getting that snap ring back in is a PITA. After fooling with it for a while I found a pretty good way to do it. But I think it only makes sense at 1:00am, when you’re tired and want to go to bed.



Mike

Sounds familiar - the first time I changed my trans oil, I was doing it at midnight or 1 AM or something, before I had to leave for Maryland at 6 AM to bring a car back to IL. I was tired, but determined to win that battle with the snap ring.



Man, I must be lucky to have a trans that shifts fine. Can't complain at all about it (fingers crossed).

 

[Dale Reed]

Found the 2. 5 quarts. Removed the REAL fill plug and the oil came a gushing out. Let it drain, plugged it then added one quart at the top bolt hole of the adapter plate on the driver's side because it is easier to get to. Could not figure out how to dip stick the level but will figure out something.



Used the 5W30 engine oil that I use in the Acura Vigor but the drained oil from the truck smelled like something other than 5W30 even with the 2. 5 quarts of 5W30 I added yesterday PM. Guess I will have to seach on the TDR on what I should be using in my Getrag.



Got to go test drive it now. Hope it shifts as well as it did before all the "improvements. "

 

[Paychk]

Dale



What you most likely smelled was gear oil and that is death to any Getrag transmission that Dodge put behind the Cummins. I would drain that transmission and make sure you refill it with 5W-30 motor oil, your choice of Dino or Synthetic, just as long as it is MOTOR OIL!



BTW



That is straight from the factory repair manual

 

[Dale Reed]

I drained the transmission today and overfilled(one quart) it with Mobil 1 5W-30. Shifts like a dream but it always did. Learned a lot from you fellows. Thanks for the help with my truck. Dale

 

[AlK]

Dale,

Glad to hear that you sorted things out.

---

Al