Advice on shifting t90 and fluid leak

[BeninCT]

Got her back together and the T90 leaks from the front seal (felt seal area I am assuming w/o taking to all apart). I did read that it may be because my son overfilled it. Is that a thing? I believe he filled it to the fill plug but said he had to thread the plug in against the outflow so hoping it will leak until it’s at the right height. Suspect it will leak until its at the input shaft height myself but trying to stay hopeful lol.

Then shifting- I know there is no synchro for 1st but I cant grab 2nd w/o any grinding. 2-3 shift is fine. Any suggestions?

Pics because pics!

[bmorgil]

Yes if you overfill it it will definitely leak from the original front input shaft seal. Remove the fill plug from the transfer case and the transmission and let them both drain until they stop. Then put the plugs back in. Overfilling is a bad idea. Regardless, they usually leak somewhere, until their empty! Notoriously these old transmissions/engines and transfer cases find a way to leak.

https://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?2513-T90-Transmission-and-Dana-18-Transfer-case-Lube-Levels


What lube did you use to fill it up? If you have a good GL4 for synchronized transmissions in there, there could be a few things on the second gear shift. The most probable is a worn 2nd gear synchronizer.

[51 CJ3]

The first thing that pops into my mind for grinding gears after a fresh reassembly is clutch adjustment. The second is something did not get assembled correctly. The third is technique.

I sold a 1966 CJ5 to a friend of mine 30+ years ago. He didn’t have it a day before he came around complaining about how it wouldn’t shift. I got in it and it shifted fine so we swapped seats and I watched him. He was trying to shift it like a race car. People used to try the same thing with the column shift on my Bronco. White knuckle fist on the shifter trying to jam and force it. I always used 2 fingers.

[51 CJ3]

I need to add lube to my list.

[BeninCT]

Yes if you overfill it it will definitely leak from the original front input shaft seal. Remove the fill plug from the transfer case and the transmission and let them both drain until they stop. Then put the plugs back in. Overfilling is a bad idea. Regardless, they usually leak somewhere, until their empty! Notoriously these old transmissions/engines and transfer cases find a way to leak.

https://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?2513-T90-Transmission-and-Dana-18-Transfer-case-Lube-Levels


What lube did you use to fill it up? If you have a good GL4 for synchronized transmissions in there, there could be a few things on the second gear shift. The most probable is a worn 2nd gear synchronizer.

I will ahve to look but I was aiming to put something in for 100 miles then change it out and think we just used some 90W gear oil. I can almost guarantee that it’s overfilled so hoping it will stop leaking so bad soon lol.My 18 year old son did it and confessed that he put the whole bottle in it lol. Good news actually.

[BeninCT]

The first thing that pops into my mind for grinding gears after a fresh reassembly is clutch adjustment. The second is something did not get assembled correctly. The third is technique.

I sold a 1966 CJ5 to a friend of mine 30+ years ago. He didn’t have it a day before he came around complaining about how it wouldn’t shift. I got in it and it shifted fine so we swapped seats and I watched him. He was trying to shift it like a race car. People used to try the same thing with the column shift on my Bronco. White knuckle fist on the shifter trying to jam and force it. I always used 2 fingers.

I have slowed my shifting per your suggestion and the grinding is much much less. Still a little but so much better! Thanks. Going to run it for a season and prob get into a rebuild this winter and go for a seal instead of the felt deal.