I took a 2 and 1/2 hour drive to Hanover, MD

Deadguy

Driving in the slow lane, doing 45-55 the whole way. The M38A1 did alright. I parked it, came back like 8 hours later, and took it out again. It was making a low thumping noise. Nothing real noticeable, but I pulled over and looked underneath. The bottom of the transmission was covered in gear oil. I pulled the top plug, and the ground wasn't level, but there was enough oil in transmission that it trickled out. I then checked the transfer case. The curve of the floor was against it, but I reached finger in and felt oil. Anybody have any opinions? I am facing a 2 1/2 drive back day after tomorrow.
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1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

capescw · Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:38 am Post subject: Thump

Just a thought, bad tire(s), as in 'bubbled' or ply separation?
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"Frugality keeps me in the Game"
1952 M38 Project "Lazarus"
1951(?) M100 Trailer
1956-60 USAF Special Weapons Program
http://www.bill-capes.com/insanity - Updated 04/26/14

Bill_F · Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:42 am Post subject:

Problem is now you are going to get a shotgun approach to identifying the problem. Lets try to narrow things down a bit. Does it get worse as you go faster? Does it only happen when starting off or is it the whole time? Do you just hear a thumping noise or do you feel a strange vibration?

Deadguy · Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:55 pm Post subject:

Alright, it's weird. It doesn't kick in when i start, or when I go faster. It waits until I've been driving a little bit, and then kicks in. I went to run it around the block, diagnose it a little further, and it would crank, all the gauges spring to life, but it wouldn't catch. I called up John from Midwest Military, and big props to him, he helped me through a diagnosis. We isolated it down to the coil, and I ordered a new one. This is not the first time John has helped me through a diagnosis-nice guy and I always recommend his business
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

wesk · Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:09 pm Post subject:

Dan,
This is getting a wee bit confusing. You just introduced four different problems in one post.

1

Deadguy · Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:35 pm Post subject:

Yes Wes, sorry, posting between doing work down here on my 3 day stay in Maryland. Hope this clarifies it a little. I drove it two and a half hours with no problem down to Hanover Maryland. Something told me to just do a check underneath, and that's when I saw the leaking oil. I thought that would be the main problem. Then, as I drove it, I noticed that after like 5 minutes on the road, a low "thumping" would kick in. It didn't grow louder as I accelerated, and at about 40, the gear whine covered it up. It wasn't real noticeable, but with the oil leak, I was getting a little paranoid. So I parked it for an hour or so. I went out to run it around the block, maybe have some more specifics to post, and now it wouldn't start. I thought it might be the fuel pump, and gave John a call. He went through testing the fuel pump, ignition wire to spark plug lead, condenser, and finally we isolated it to the ignition coil. I ordered a new one, next day air, and I'm hoping a little topping off of the gear oil will get me back to Philly, where I can pull the two cases and re-silicone the seals. Bill F, no vibration. Bill, I didn't get more than a cursory glance at the tires, but they looked fine.
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

Bill_F · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:21 am Post subject:

You have the canvas top on the jeep correct? The "low thumping" could be the canvas flapping. If you can get a sound recording of it, that might help. I also hate to say it but you could be looking for issues and that is why you find things. If I worried about every noise of vibration my jeep made I would never drive the thing.

You dont have to pull the t-case to take care of 90% of the leaks, but you are always going to have some leaks from a jeep.

skyjeep50 · Member Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Posts: 606 Location: Illinois

I don't mean to add to the "shotgun" of fixes but you said the bottom of the trans was covered in gear oil. I'm assuming that you checked engine oil level - a bad rear engine bearing seal can cause engine oil to leak out into the bell housing where it would tend to blow back over the transmission on a long drive.

Thumping? - make sure your 4WD is disengaged, the lever doesn't have to move much to engage the front axle. If your jeep doesn't have lock-out hubs the thumping could be the result of hopping as the drive train tries to compensate for running in 4WD on dry roads.
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1951 M38

Deadguy · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 8:42 am Post subject:

I have locking hubs, and the four wheel drive is not engaged. It could be the canvas, and with the other issues, I'm just being paranoid. The oil leaking is definitely gear oil. The engine leaked a little oil, but I can definitely tell the difference. Somewhere between the mating of the transmission and the transfercase appears to be the main problem. I have an overdrive, and that has always leaked a little. This time it was the same. The transmission/transfercase mating usually leaks a little as well, but the long drive seems to have been overkill, and this time it was leaking way more. I cleaned it up, but it continued to make small puddles. Just before the coil died yesterday, when I started it up, I noticed white/flaky ash coming out of the tailpipe. It didn't run different, and the engine is 380 miles on a recent rebuild, but that was new as well.
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

Deadguy · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:10 pm Post subject:

So, big update. There is an antique car shop right next to where i worked, and they gave it a run through. That old coil was toast, with the new one it fired right up. The gear oil leak is from a faulty transmission shaft seal, I'm getting that replaced before i head home tomorrow. As far as steering alighnment, the steering box has so much play, they said alighment will be kind of a lost cause. The steering box is NOS from Midwest Military. I'm guessing there is a tightening screw, it shouldn't be worn out with less than 800 miles on it. Anybody know how to do this?
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

wesk · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:25 pm Post subject:

Deadguy · Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:08 pm Post subject:

You were right again Wes, middle of the gear box, easy. My buddy installed the new steering column when he put the Jeep on the lift in his shop and did the transmission and transfercase swap. I pulled the plug and looked in. There was some heavy, lithium U-joint style grease on the gears and bottom of the plug, but no Oil. I bought some SAE 85-140 W and filled it to the plug line. I tightened down the screw a few turns, and the steering sharpened up. I'm really hoping that running with gear oil didn't massively wear down the gears.
On another note, the transmission/transfercase connections were all tightened by the shop in Maryland. They said that should get me home, but they didn't have time to instal the new seal. I drove home, looked underneath, and now the leak was gone. Novak would have installed a new seal when they sold me the combo, so that tightening of the connection might have been all that was needed.
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

Deadguy · Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:13 pm Post subject:

Now I am reading that the Ross steering box was made to take a lithium grease, not gear oil. Does anyone have some advice on this?
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com

wesk · Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:23 pm Post subject:

Did you read the free Ross Steering Gear Box Manual in the Downloads section? Lubrication is addressed on page 13.
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Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Deadguy · Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 11:06 pm Post subject:

I just read it Wes. It talks about what sounds like an oil. not a grease, but I didn't see any specifications on which oil to use. The gears had a coating of something that looked similar to U-joint grease on them. This might have kept them undamaged within the limited time period I've had the vehicle running. Can I check for this without opening the gear box? I poured in SAE 85-140 without fully cleaning out that grease first, was this a bad idea?
_________________
1952 M38A1
Marine core reinforced rear bumper, military transistorized turn signal upgrade, arctic heater, 11" drum brakes, 200L PTO winch, Huffy overdrive, deep water fording kit, RT 68 vehicle mounted radio, Trac Locs front and rear.
www.danhenk.com


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