Water in my axle and t-case! HELP!

Wheeling this weekend in a place off River Road (For those who live in the
Seattle area - 167). I got into some serious mud/water, a few feet deep.
Deep enough to cover the hood of my 80 Ramcharger with a 2.5" lift on 31's.
The hood was only covered when the front end into a dip/rut.

Anyway, this turned the front axle (Dana 44) lube into a brownish milkshake.
The rear diff managed to not get any water inside. AT fluid appears OK.
Haven't checked the transfer case out yet - is it sealed? The t-case does
make a pretty good grinding when going from 2hi to 4hi while in motion. Goes
smoothly into 4hi when stopped. Makes a light grinding when in 4lo and
moving (after stopping and shifting into 4lo).

I had to drive about 30 miles after the water, after a few miles in 4x4 to
get out of where I was. I drove the 30 miles in 2hi with hubs unlocked. Even
though I was in 2hi with free hubs, the front driveshaft was still clunking
pretty good when I would let off the gas and coast. The front driveshaft
turns back and fourth between 1/8 and 1/4 of a turn. Lots of slop. Bad?

I pulled the cover, drained, wiped out, and cleaned the front axle. I
sprayed the crap out of everything with B-12 Chemtool, and then wiped out
all the crud. Let it air dry. After, I blew the entire inside out with
compressed air.

After that, I refilled the front axle, ran it on jack stands in 4hi w/locked
hubs for about 20 minutes at about 25mph. Pulled the cover again, drained
the new fluid out, and wiped the excess out. Blew the rest out with
compressed air. Put the cover back on, haven't re-filled it yet (waiting for
gasket sealer to cure).

What is the clunking? Is my axle ruined? Is my t-case ruined?

Thanks,

Carl

I doubt I can help you diagnosing your problem, but I can tell you some
differential breathers would save you some trouble next time. When the diff
cools or heats up it either takes in air or releases air, in your case it
sucked in water. I attached some tubing from the breather stems on each axle
and ran it to the highest point under my hood then topped each tube off with
a small lawn mower fuel filter, just so no trash gets into the lines. I have
never had problems since doing this to my Toyota mud toy. You might need to
take a look at the u joints, that could be part of the problem. I hope this
helps in some way.

Good luck
Bryan S


"Carl Saiyed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Wheeling this weekend in a place off River Road (For those who live in the
> Seattle area - 167). I got into some serious mud/water, a few feet deep.
> Deep enough to cover the hood of my 80 Ramcharger with a 2.5" lift on
31's.
> The hood was only covered when the front end into a dip/rut.
>
> Anyway, this turned the front axle (Dana 44) lube into a brownish
milkshake.
> The rear diff managed to not get any water inside. AT fluid appears OK.
> Haven't checked the transfer case out yet - is it sealed? The t-case does
> make a pretty good grinding when going from 2hi to 4hi while in motion.
Goes
> smoothly into 4hi when stopped. Makes a light grinding when in 4lo and
> moving (after stopping and shifting into 4lo).
>
> I had to drive about 30 miles after the water, after a few miles in 4x4 to
> get out of where I was. I drove the 30 miles in 2hi with hubs unlocked.
Even
> though I was in 2hi with free hubs, the front driveshaft was still
clunking
> pretty good when I would let off the gas and coast. The front driveshaft
> turns back and fourth between 1/8 and 1/4 of a turn. Lots of slop. Bad?
>
> I pulled the cover, drained, wiped out, and cleaned the front axle. I
> sprayed the crap out of everything with B-12 Chemtool, and then wiped out
> all the crud. Let it air dry. After, I blew the entire inside out with
> compressed air.
>
> After that, I refilled the front axle, ran it on jack stands in 4hi
w/locked
> hubs for about 20 minutes at about 25mph. Pulled the cover again, drained
> the new fluid out, and wiped the excess out. Blew the rest out with
> compressed air. Put the cover back on, haven't re-filled it yet (waiting
for
> gasket sealer to cure).
>
> What is the clunking? Is my axle ruined? Is my t-case ruined?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Carl
>
>
>
>

Thanks Bryan!

Carl

"Bryan S" <bryan.shaver@qgdotcom> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I doubt I can help you diagnosing your problem, but I can tell you
some
> differential breathers would save you some trouble next time. When the
diff
> cools or heats up it either takes in air or releases air, in your case
it
> sucked in water. I attached some tubing from the breather stems on
each axle
> and ran it to the highest point under my hood then topped each tube
off with
> a small lawn mower fuel filter, just so no trash gets into the lines.
I have
> never had problems since doing this to my Toyota mud toy. You might
need to
> take a look at the u joints, that could be part of the problem. I hope
this
> helps in some way.
>
> Good luck
> Bryan S
>
>
> "Carl Saiyed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Wheeling this weekend in a place off River Road (For those who live
in the
> > Seattle area - 167). I got into some serious mud/water, a few feet
deep.
> > Deep enough to cover the hood of my 80 Ramcharger with a 2.5" lift
on
> 31's.
> > The hood was only covered when the front end into a dip/rut.
> >
> > Anyway, this turned the front axle (Dana 44) lube into a brownish
> milkshake.
> > The rear diff managed to not get any water inside. AT fluid appears
OK.
> > Haven't checked the transfer case out yet - is it sealed? The t-case
does
> > make a pretty good grinding when going from 2hi to 4hi while in
motion.
> Goes
> > smoothly into 4hi when stopped. Makes a light grinding when in 4lo
and
> > moving (after stopping and shifting into 4lo).
> >
> > I had to drive about 30 miles after the water, after a few miles in
4x4 to
> > get out of where I was. I drove the 30 miles in 2hi with hubs
unlocked.
> Even
> > though I was in 2hi with free hubs, the front driveshaft was still
> clunking
> > pretty good when I would let off the gas and coast. The front
driveshaft
> > turns back and fourth between 1/8 and 1/4 of a turn. Lots of slop.
Bad?
> >
> > I pulled the cover, drained, wiped out, and cleaned the front axle.
I
> > sprayed the crap out of everything with B-12 Chemtool, and then
wiped out
> > all the crud. Let it air dry. After, I blew the entire inside out
with
> > compressed air.
> >
> > After that, I refilled the front axle, ran it on jack stands in 4hi
> w/locked
> > hubs for about 20 minutes at about 25mph. Pulled the cover again,
drained
> > the new fluid out, and wiped the excess out. Blew the rest out with
> > compressed air. Put the cover back on, haven't re-filled it yet
(waiting
> for
> > gasket sealer to cure).
> >
> > What is the clunking? Is my axle ruined? Is my t-case ruined?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Carl
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>