• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Tennessee Adventure About to Begin

clinto

Moderator, wonderful human being & practicing Deuc
Staff member
Administrator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
12,596
1,129
113
Location
Athens, Ga.
:beer:
 

cranetruck

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,350
75
48
Location
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
Slightly out of breath keeping up with the story. :wink:
The Tennessee mountains are the pits, you make on long hill and there is another..and another....
Glad you made it!
 

devilman96

New member
2,056
17
0
Location
Boca Raton, FL
Mike pulls out his tool bag and we remove the line. Mike reaches into the bag and pulls out a compression fitting and we make a quick roadside repair. I'll let Mike tell you why he had that fitting!
After watching Kenny having to change a brake line on the side of the road about 2 years ago on the tractor I go NO WHERE with out having 2 sets of compression fittings from 1/8th" thru 1/2" in the truck... It SO MUCH EASIER to splice than it is to try and find fuel or brake line at 2am on the side of the road!!!
 

Attachments

1,331
5
0
Location
decatur alabama
lol.. i wondered if you guys would stop there or not.. i could not stay away any longer, had to pulll over for a little bit. woke up never seen you guys there. i figured you guys must of made it by ok and had no problems.. so i keep on trucking... glad to hear the trip went ok though
 
Great story, great trip. Glad to hear you guys are back safe and sound (and only slightly “worse for the wear”)

Regarding the rear main leak, . . . I suspect you guys are dead tired, and might not have had a chance to look at it closely yet, so I will share this story:

I had a similar fear last year on the convoy to Aberdeen. After about 200 miles into the trip, I started to notice a black spot on the road under the truck at each stop we made. After closer inspection, I found a black, oily substance dripping from the fording plug hole in the bottom of the bellhousing – the classic telltale sign of a failed rear main seal. I also could feel the clutch slipping under hard acceleration. However, I didn’t experience a subsequent drop in engine oil level. “Must not be too bad”, I thought, so we pressed on. (not like I really had a choice anyway, lol).

At the show, I was fortunate to get a chance to talk to John Winslow. He suggested that it might instead be gear oil coming from the front of the transmission. He explained that he had seen this before on trucks that had been driven really hard with the gear oil high. That was my case for sure. The Aberdeen convoy was brutal - trying to keep up with the Cucvs, I had the “go pedal” all the way on the floor for hours on end. In addition, while performing my pre-trip PMCS, I had “topped-off” the transmission, so I know it was full.

I went back and took a sample of the black, oily substance on my finger. It seemed thin like hot motor oil, but had the distinct gear oil smell. I pulled the fill plug on the transmission, and the level had dropped just slightly. The theory seemed to make sense - The hard driving really heats up the gear oil, it gets thin, and leaks through the front of the transmission. I’m not sure, but I don’t think there is a seal on the main shaft in the front of the transmission - just a bearing?

Since returning home, (1100+ miles later), I have only made short, local trips and the leak has seemed to disappear.

Just something to ponder.
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,808
113
Location
GA Mountains
Will have to look at that for sure Jeff. I can tell you this, Mike had the pedal smashed against the floor trying to keep up so it was certainly run hard.
 

citizensoldier

Active member
3,981
17
38
Location
Northern Michigan. Smelt City
I had this same thing happen on my M109 when I drove it back after sitting for some time and I ran the dog crap out of it.. What happened was I topped off the Transmission.. The oil heats up like you said and the screw back on the input shaft can not keep up with it.. In my case the screwback had some metal shavings in it to ad to its inabilaty to keep the oil in the case. It soaked the clutch and she started slipping bad. I took it apart cleaned the shaft, cleaned the clutch plate and flywheel, lowered the oil level and she has been fine ever since.. I would check this for sure I bet thats what happened.. Arent they supposed to use and leak a little oil out the main seal?
 

devilman96

New member
2,056
17
0
Location
Boca Raton, FL
Arent they supposed to use and leak a little oil out the main seal?
Wishful thinking brother!

Its the main... I've gone through the tranny thing before also... In this case the 2-3 missing gallons of engine oil sums it up nicely.

Karma... If I didnt have bad luck I'd have nothing at all!! lol
 

FreightTrain

Banned
2,730
13
0
Location
Gadsden,Al
ehhh,you still didn't top the great Little Rock trip.......No wipers,Flat tire,monsoon,35degrees,and idiots in compact cars,Leaking fuel cans,ankle deep 33degree water,............
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,808
113
Location
GA Mountains
FreightTrain said:
ehhh,you still didn't top the great Little Rock trip.......No wipers,Flat tire,monsoon,35degrees,and idiots in compact cars,Leaking fuel cans,ankle deep 33degree water,............
We used the 5 P's so we didn't end up like you guys
 

Armada

New member
3,046
4
0
Location
Buick City, MI
Great story and pics! What an adventure. Recovery trips are always a good time. And what's a good time without a roadside repair or two?? Thanks for sharing.
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,808
113
Location
GA Mountains
Dang Jeff, sorry we missed ya! The trip was a little grueling but very fun. I'm so used to taking these 1000 mile trips alone, its quite fun to have someone to convoy with. Looking forward to the next one!
 
Top