Got stuck in the mud... Submerged some stuff... Now I need help

Never seen this....hope you get her all fixed up.

And come talk to us in the maryland tacomas thread any time!

 

I changed the ATF at 99k, and I am at 124k, but will change it no matter what after this. It will be the first step after I do the diffs and engine oil.

 

Ok, getting back to my truck today. I looked over the engine, and only found leaks in two places, one looks old, on the passenger side, front part of the valve cover, there is a small leak, near the front, but this leak looks very old, and dried up, so I dont think this has anything to do with the current issues. I will plan to replace the valve cover in the coming months, but for the short term it is off the list for causes. I even looked for the upper oil pan, like someone mentioned, and it is dry and everything around it is dry.

Only other leak on the engine was the oil pan, and I have the gasket and will replace that today.

Engine pictures:






What is this? Between the oil pan and the trans pan, black plastic piece, on the bottom of the truck... It is very wet with oil. Is it a clutch dust vent? Could water have gotten in there and washed out clutch dust and be "oily" in appearance? I have an auto, and might be thinking of it like a manual.




Now on to the rest of the truck, I think the "leaks" are now coming from the u-joints and slip yokes, I am noticing lots of oil spots on everything, and I mean everything. If water got in those and broke down the grease, then it would splatter and collect on things. Also noticed that the driver side of the rear axel is the only side that is wet, and after removing the factory gas tank skid I found that it is oily, it isnt gas, but if oil got on the gas tank, and then flowed around the gas tank at highway speeds then it would have left the back of the gas tank and gone directly onto the one side of the rear axel.

See all the "spots", the rest of the truck has this, even the rear bumper, sliders, frame, etc.



I did find a little water in the front and rear diff, both had a slight gray tint to them, but it was small, and new fluid is going back in them today.

The only thing that is still concerning is the bottom of the front diff. The seal is vertical and RTV, and it is wet with oil... There is nothing in front of this or anything that could be making this wet with oil except for itself.


Lastly, I did see some oil residue on the power steering too.

My brake fluid level has not changed either.


There is sand everywhere too. I need to find a powerwasher...

 

Update, rear diff and transfer case are filled, and I checked the torque on everything from the transfer case back, also greased the rear drive shaft. Working on the engine oil pan, about to reinstall it, and then 24hr cure time.







Next on to the front diff and check the torque on the transmission pain.

 

I doubt you have mutch water in anything. And any vehicle with 100,000 miles will show signs of seepage.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263487

 

If you got water in the auto trans, it's done. The water will eat away at the phenolic resin on the fiber plates in the clutches. They'll start slip eventually. And chNging the fluid will do nothing. There's only a small amount of fluid that actually gets changed when you drain and refill. Just hope no water got into it.

 

Ok, I figured it out! I swapped the oil pan gasket and that was a waste of time, but on the plus side it has a new gasket. Got it cleaned, and new fluids in everything except for the trans. Took it for a 5 min drive, and it is the output drive axel from the front diff on the drivers side. a nice glob of fresh diff fluid came out when I got under it...

I have now cleaned off the sand, and now I need to decide what to do.

 

I found the seal at NAPA today, and got it installed and I am about to take the truck out for a test drive, but so far no more leak, completely fixed!

 

Is your front 4x4 actuator and rear locker actuator full of water and sand too?

 

I did trade my truck in for a car, but before I did, I fixed the leak, and I didn't sell it because of this leak, just because I was tired of getting 17 MPGs driving to work, there is no place to off-road locally, and I was not looking forward to all the other seals like this one going bad and needing to be replaced. In the end it was the drivers side front differential output shaft seal. When I was taking my lift off I pulled the half shaft and replaced it. I couldn't see anything wrong with it, but the leak was definitely coming from there.







Overall replacing it wasn't terrible, I left the half shaft in the spindle, made the job shorter, but left bunch of stuff in the way.


So far I am happy with my car, getting 36 MPGs to and from work sitting in traffic. Plan to get another truck in a few years, once my son is old enough to help me work on stuff, I will pass along what I know to him, and build something awesome again.

 

d00d, soon as i started reading this post that is what i was thinking, it happened on my cj-7.

what happened was when i would go out and hit like 3'-4' deep mud holes somehow little bits of water would get in the front diff. well oil will tend to separate and start to try to float above the water...

well at times it would force the oil out of the axle shafts and like the other guys said when your driving, 1 leak squirts oil EVERYWHERE so its hard to tell, and seems like EVERYTHING is leaking. i did have a small leak on the rear main seal, hey its an AMC 304, the rear main seal is gonna leak, lol! but i started seeing more and more oil splashed under it and it started to worry me. i only figured this out on my jeep because one day the axle seals totally gave out and i walked out and there was little puddles of diff oil next to each front wheel.

side note, taco's can take way more abuse than that bro, so i wouldn't worry about doing it again and again if you get anothr one i used to drive through stuff almost that bad on the way to work alot of days. it got to the point where all the guys left tow straps hooked up (me to) and would just toss em over the tailgate because you KNEW that very next day either someone was pulling you out or you would be pulling someone else out, lol!

alot of folks i know will disagree, but in a tight spot, especially if your alone, tire chains made for offroad/mud use can drag your tuck out of a hole in a second. ya it sucks putting them on if your already stuck, but put it like this, i have sunk my truck (prerunner, 2wd BUT WITH REAL MECHANICAL LOCKER, not vsc) till the rear diff and axle had started plowing a groove in the mud and the frame was on the ground and put chains on and drove out like going to church, they are not the best solution and ya have to be careful installing because of ABS sensors and do go buck wild spinning the tires, but if ya in a pinch and no wench...


in any case glad you got it solved and great write up and pics,

cheers,
disco