Milky trans fluid?
 

Got the nasty milky fluid leaking out when changing my speedometer gear. Definitely smells like gear oil, what should I check first?

1986 22rte 5spd 4x4. Rear axle seals have been replaced in the last month, rear diff breather intact.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...6cc3724748.jpg

Bueller?

Truck had been sitting for a few days when I went under it.

If you don't know how many miles are on the fluid drain and fill it and start there. Do you wheel it? Is the a breather tube? If so could it have gotten submerged by you or a previous owner?

Agree that without knowing what conditions the fluid has been under it's hard to determine a root cause.

Reiterating what was said above again because I have ran into this before
1.) All Breathers if you wheel it they're not optional. You could be getting water/moister in through the breather if it's not connected or cracked
2.) Refill and drive it. Check it Daily or every other day to see if it is getting milky again.
3.) how many miles are on the fluid? how often did it see 4x4 action?

Edited after re-reading OP's post

Very possible. PO had MT tires on it and chopped the front and rear in places for better angles. I'm betting it was a mudding truck. I put a breather on the rear diff, but didn't think till just now about one on the trans. Very possible it got water in it before I bought it in March.

Will refill and check again after the rain stops.
As I mentioned earlier, I haven't thought about a trans breather. Is there such a thing?
No idea how many miles are on the fluid.


Second/third thought, I replaced the clutch fork release boot two months ago, which was totally rotted.

Start with a drain and fill. It can be easier to pull the shifter off and fill from the top vs. having to pump or squeeze it in from the side of the trans. Make sure not to over fill and check it by pulling the fill plug and getting just a dribble out of the fill plug. Check you fluid often until you determine if it is being contaminated or was just fubar before you got it.

Attempted a drain and fill just now and the bolts are totally rounded off. Tried a Dremel and flathead screwdriver, and no dice. Might have to move on to JB W a socket onto the old bolt. Any advice?

I will definitely be ordering some 10mm Allen drain/fill plugs to finish the job.

Weld a nut on? JB Weld a socket but make sure you don't accidentally weld it to the trans. ViseGrips?
You can fill through the shifter. Its easier for many that don't have a fluid pump. V

Bought some visegrips at Walmart, and I am sorely disappointed. Soft steel on the teeth? Seriously?

Moved on to a pipe/monkey wrench. Was able to get a bite and bolts came off without much fuss.

The last person to put these bolts in left the washers off of the fill plugs, rounded the tcase drain and fill plug, and the trans fill plug. They did, however JBWeld a 24mm nut onto the tcase fill plug, thankfully. I was greeted with this nasty mess. Hopefully it just needed a fluid change, will update later.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...6e974f56a.jpeg

Mighty want to run a magnet-on-a-stick through that fluid. Very fine particles on the magnet are (more-or-less) normal, but if you fish out some big chunks you'll at least know.

The shifter is the vent. That means you have had been submerged to above the tcase at one time. Just drain and fill with new 75 90, and run it. I would be kind of concerned of how long it had been in there, because everything above fluid line could rust when sitting and not being used. I am surprised you noticed now, and not from the smell of gear oil steaming out of the shifter when driving.

I would just change oil. Drive it a few weeks, and give it one more drain and fill.

Saw some smallish metal chunks on the magnetic drain plug. Think coarse ground sea salt.

I could definitely see it being submerged. It was a mudding truck for the previous owner, and the shifter cup top (right term?) was covered in crap when I took it off to fill up. It definitely shifts smoother with the 80w90 I put in, most likely because there wasn't f***ing water in it. And any specific 75w90 in your opinion vs redline mt90?

Nothing wrong with MT90. Just more $$$

I'll probably just end up using 75w-90 from Walmart, since it's cheaper than everyone else.