I was pushing an RV up a steep dirt road (yeah, I was going in reverse). I had the truck in 4x4 and was having to ring it out pretty good to move that damn RV.

Eventually, I started seeing smoke and stopped to see what it was. There was a ton of trans fluid pouring out from the inspection plate area. It was all frothy and looked to be very hot.

Once I finished what I was working on, I filled it back up an now it seems to work fine.

Am I OK, or am I riding on borrowed time now?

 

You were backing up right? This has happened before and folks have filled it back up to the proper level with no problems if memory serves.

 

Yeah, it seems like I remember a thread a while back that was similar to this one, and they just filled it back up and kept on their way.

 

Well, as long as it occurred in reverse and the leak is no longer there. If the front seal is gone, that is another story.

 

Next time you have some serious reversing to do, I would reccomend using 4low, and letting the hubs unlocked essentially making 2low. Much much easier on the trans.

EDIT: just reread and saw you were already in 4wd, next time, like I said, try 4 low.

 

yeah, I started out in 4 high and eventually switched to 4 low. It still was puking fluid while in 4 low. At one point, the two drivers side wheels were pretty deep in a rain runoff ditch and the trailer was at a real steep angle. I was probably working it to hard.

So do any of you know what happens to make the fluid come out and where it comes out from?

Thanks again,
Russ

 

That happened to my truck when i was going camping with a camper and dirt bike trailer...it wasnt frothy but was coming out of the front of the trans like you said. I filled it back up and it works fine now. I definitely learned to use 4 low from it though, your trans will thank you.

 

I have seen this explained before but do not remember. I know it has to do with design and the high fluid pressures in reverse. Hopefully one of the smart tranny guys will be along for this one.

 

This is a common problem with my truck, accept now it does it more frequently, it will puke fluid just driving around on a hot day. I was told the factory silicone pump seal is not up to the task, and gets worse with age, it will leak, then reseal, but its integrety is comprimissed every time it does. It was recomended to me to replace the seal with a viton unit that can withstand much higher heat without deforming. I found mine at napa but have not installed it yet. The seal is cheap, but of course you have to drop the tranny to install it. I do not know if this will fix the problem, but this is what has been advised to me by several people on here.

Here is a link to the Napa seal
NAPAONLINE®

 

My 99 was doing a simular thing. Change your trans fluid! It helps, my truck dropped fluid when hot, it got pretty bad about it, after talking to a mechanic friend, changed fluid wich helped.

I did end up putting a tranny in after 2 years from the first time it puked.

 

Had this exactly what happen to my old '99 PSD while crawling up a steep dirt road. The front t/c seal blew and it wouldn't reseal. I had to have it replaced.

 

From what I understand. Your trans overheated, and spit fluid out of the breather on the top of the trans..I did this a while back.. I would suggest doing a flush and fill on the trans.. This may be over doing it.. but a week later I lost the pump on my trans and had to go get it rebuilt..

 

What happened is that the torque converter got hot from all the high torque reversing. The heat softened the torque converter hub seal and it leaked. Once it cools it will work again. After several heat cycles it will stop sealing.

Fluid does not come out of the breather on top unless the trans was overfilled.

 

Thanks Mark for the correction.. by chance.. was the two incidents related when my trans blew..or was that just luck??