The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Found something scary - need help

Members:
I drained my tranny today ....and while doing so I heared a loud plop... After the tranny was drained I looked thru the oil and found a ball bearing the size of a pea......Now where did that come from ?
Last year I drained all fluids and rinsed with kerosine 3 times. refilled all fluids and did other things to Jaunita. I then drove a total of 800 miles from may to Dec. No problems, ran like a champ. No noise or anything.......
Please help. I really don't know trannies and I pray it's nothing...I've pushed my luck with the Mrs. pertaining to coin going towards the other Woman in my life.

What is the history of this truck/transmission prior to your year ago draining and flushing? You do state 800 miles since with No problems, ran like a champ ,No noise or anything. That 90 gear lube is some thick stuff, was the pea size bearing in there prior to that flush job from some prior malfunction/repair and then came down and laid on the bottom? Given your statement in your last sentence, I would put new gear lube in and run it. If you start experiencing noise or problems then do a tear down and repair or grab a replacement tranny. JMHO. Jerry

Well Jimmy V if it was a pea size bearing it could mean trouble. The input shaft and output uses ball bearings....the rest are needle bearings set between the actual gear and mainshaft. Remove the inspection cover on the side and reach in there with your hand or magnet to see if the ball bearing cage is at the bottom. Keep us posted on what you find.

I will check it out ths afternoon when I get home from work. I don't know the history of the truck other than the 4 speed is not
stock to this truck. I don't know if the ball bearing is from an old injury and was stuck in the muck and when I drained it it came out? or something new... I neither have the skill or the coin to do the tranny...if it's bad.....AHHHHHHH

YES you do have the skill, you just haven't been there yet. Are you into puzzles? Do you like adventure? This is your trip, this is your chance.

I replaced the bearings, seals and synchro cones in my 4 speed last summer. So if push comes to shove the only real hard part will be removing from the bell housing.
Taking the tranny apart is not all that hard, I only needed to borrow a guillotine(bearing) puller to remove one of the bearings. You can buy a kit for everything, the two brass synchro cones took a bit more time to find but they are out there. To find a ball bearing left behind from someone else seems a bit rare, bad news can be a drag but in the end you will have made a correction so that you rest easy. Its a good experience as well and you will know transmissions a lot better, good luck.

"I neither have the skill or the coin to do the tranny...if it's bad.....AHHHHHHH"

Jimmi, if you haven't tried how do you know you can't do it? Transmissions are stone age devices that you will be able to figure out and if a ball bearing is spitting out balls that will be obvious to you.

If a piece of debris like that gets caught between 2 gears, for example between the cluster gear and one of the gears on the mainshaft, the transmission will explode.

In our state of California there may be a lot of weirdos but there is also a guy on every block who can help you with that project. Go get em!

I bought a Jeep from a friend for my son a few years back. He was leaving the house and a loud crash and the Jeep stopped.
I found a spare parts in the tranny, pieces of a 1/2 & 9/16 combination wrench. I took his wrench parts back, and started looking for some new gears. Spare parts are mot good.

Hi Jimmy V

Even if you give your tranny another test run and there is serious problems you'll have to remove/replace. If someone helps you thats great, once its on the floor it can be disassembled in a very short time. Two or three sockets sizes will do the trick and a puller.
I found the rebuild kit at a jobber for about $130.00, I don't have a bearing heater but I improvised with an old pot on my coleman stove and they slipped on real easy. After all if you are going to own this age of truck you might as well put yourself to work as you will save lots of $$$ doing it yourself, plus the bragging rights.

Gentlemen:

I pulled the side inspection cover...and.....found nothing. I ran a magnet all around. I don't know what the gears are supposed to look like...but they look very shiney and new. Now nicks or burs or any obvious signs of something /ball bearing doing the pichinko thing all the way to the bottom from who knows where.
It ran perfect when I put her up for winter. I guess my choices are...let her ride and see what happens, since no futher evidence was found and play my luck ...or tear her down and fix something thats maybe not broke or prevent a full blowout.

Hmmmmmmmm. Time to think.
Thanks

Jimmy
If you don't have a diagram check out 'the old car manual project' you can download a manual for 48-51 truck this is the link to the manual transmission page

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1948_51truck/51ctsm0714.htm

You will see what the gears look like, now you will notice that there is a sheet metal shield or deflector that lies close to the bottom, what you would need to do is use your magnet in the drain plug hole to get underneath to find any particles (hopefully you don't), I know I'm a stickler and I would probably jack up one rear wheel so as to spin the tailshaft and observe what you can see turning through the inspection port. A person could go to the lengths of baring the engine over in gear to see more of the other side of the gears. This way you could listen also for any strange grinding noises etc that could give away any problems, if a bearing is failing you should be able to hear it when baring over by hand etc. good luck

I wouldn't take the chance of running it. It would bother my brain.Plus it will Blow! They are not that hard to rebuild. If it was quiet before then all you will need to replace is a few Ball Bearings.But do a little research so you don't drop all the needle bearings.the best place to get bearings is your local bearing store. Just take the old bearings to them.

OK, I ran a magnet thru the drain plug and got nothing except a few very fine metal slivers and some sludge. I have Jaunita on stands so I turned the back wheel and didn't hear any weird noises...just the drums slightly scraping. When the misses gets home I'll have her turn the wheel and I will get up close and personal and listen and watch the gears turn.

I hope things turn out...I'm trying to retire and money is going to important things to help that along..not towards toys. I have already spent my fair share on Jaunita. And getting the stink eye from my other love is not what I'm looking forward to. Also I have a disease...Since I have the tranny out..how about that rearend change over so I can go freeway speeds...It's a SAFETY issue and needs to be done..and since I'm going fast I need to change the brakes out to Power drum in the rear..and we live in the Mtns. so we should be safe and get disc in the front...and the steering is loose and...and...and...and........

It would be much better left alone...Can we have a collective prayer for Jaunita to be OK...Thanks
I'll keep you posted....

I understand, I suffer the same affliction, it started with the front end (king pins,brakes, engine rebuild, tranny rebuild) slowly working my way aft.

I worked as a diesel mechanic for years so I've seen some wierd things go on with machinery. Another check is to try and move the output shaft back and forth, to see if you get some obvious play, if the aft bearing is coming apart you may feel it.

Hopefully its one of those cases where the previous doctor left a sponge or something in the patient. Good luck with Juanita.