[:@]I just noticed a puddle of red (trans) oil at the base of my right front wheel. Any clues on common culprits for this? If so, how involved is the fix? I have not had time to even look at it. Luckily, I have another truck to drive till I figure it out.

Thanks

EDIT: 2000 H1

 

hopefully it's not the vampire -- check your air filter for atf fluid. The t-case overflows and forces the atf fluid through the vent lines into the air filter and geared hubs.

read about it here:
http://www.flashoffroad.com/features...re/vampire.htm

 

Check your brake fluid while you are looking around too.

 

If it is right at your wheel then wouldn't it probably be the gearbox at the wheel?

 

If the T-case is throwing the ATF into the air filter and hubs you will probably have to replace the seals in your hubs. The ATF will eat them up. I was told that if it goes unrepaired too long it can also damage your hubs. I had to make this repair on my 97 wagon. Can't remember what it cost but it wasn't real cheap.

 

OK! There doesn't seem to be any trans fluid leaking from anywhere around the hub. It also seems to have stopped altogether. The fluid level is fine. The air filter is dry. There is no noticable fluid in the breather lines.

Any more thoughts? Thanks

 

Red is almost certainly Dex III, which means it could be transmission, transfer case, or steering fluid.
"At the base of the right front wheel" -- Do you mean passenger side or driver's side, and what do you mean by "the base?"

If it is not the vampire (as Ronb suggested) coming out somewhere around the geared hub through a breather vent tube, then it is probably

A) Transmission hose/line leak
B) Steering Box leak

Steering box leak would be driver's side only.

A leaking transmission hose or hard line could be a number of places, since it runs up to the transmission oil cooler and back, and there is also a small network of hoses that run between the transmission and transfer case cooler loop.

I would check the tranny cooler hoses for leaks, and see if there is fluid running down along the A-arms and pooling up near the wheel.
Good luck and let us know what you find...

-Manny

 

Any update on this problem?

 

I think it was just a trans cooler line leaking near the clamp. It hadn't leaked any more, but I did see some fluid on top of theA arm. I tightened the clamp a bit, and am waiting to see if the issue goes away completely.
BTW, I am halfway through the conversion to run on SVO. The next step is dropping the rear tank and modifying it with the heat exchanger and HOTFOX.

I'll take any advise on this one that is offered:

I am using a goldenfuelsystems conversion. I paln to use the stock fuel tank switch (dash), and a Pollack 6-way valve under the hood. Is there an easy way to cripple (eliminate) the stock tank swithcing valve (on the pass side framerail). It just seems like a pain to get to. I was wondering, if I just unplugged it's harness while it is in the front tank mode, if that will stay in front mode, and would that effect anything else on that circuit? Problem is that I don't want to use the stock valve for SVO, only diesel. I';m running triple bypass line to the rear tank to pick up the SVO. I was also considering just disconnecting the stock rear fuel lines and capping them. Since I will be using a seperated, isolated lift pump for SVO, I figured thhat the valve could just switch to the rear tank, but have no actual fuel sorce on the tank end of the lines. I also plan to isolate the stock lift pump so that is stops when the rear tank is actuated, and the aux pump is turned on , and vice versa.

Thanks in advance

Doug

 

Another thing:

The guy I bought the truck from, had just replaced the engine with a new "heavy" short block. He said that there was no issue with #8 prior to the switch, but that he saw things in the oil that he didn't like. I don't really care why, but the engine is new. He said that he had set the injection pump to run a bit rich during the break in period. It has been several hundred miles, and is ready for the second oil change. Is there a way to check the inj pump setting without the scan tool? If so, please elaborate..

Thanks