Ranger, mystery fluid leak
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:57 pm
It's not a mystery anymore.
I've noticed an increasing fluid leak from under the truck to the point where it leaks noticeably just from idling a few minutes. I thought it was the rear main drying out.
Fast forward to today. I get an e-mail from Bryan that I can have a free Craftsman snow blower w/ B&S engine from one of his neighbors in his fancy neighborhood. It has some mystery problem but is probably fuel or spark (not totally destroyed, but doesn't start). So I am going to drive out to Lakeville after work to get it.
Tonight I decided to fill the gas tank. In my cul-de-sac, I put it in drive, went forward a bit, then decided to reverse just to adjust the brake drums (I do things at weird times). When I put it back in drive, nothing happened. Uh oh. Reverse. Nothing. Give it gas, bam, moving again. Uh oh. Drive again, go forward, reverse, then it loses drive again. Double uh oh.
Drive to gas station, fill up, drive home. Decide to check trans fluid level. Seems to be...almost off the dipstick?
Add 1-1/2 quarts. Go under truck to check leak. Trans cooler lines. Ah. Just rusty. So that'll need to be done pretty soon. But not before a ~2+ hours of driving tomorrow (work, Lakeville, home) to get my free snow blower. Seems worth it. AAA can tow a truck with a snow blower in it just as well.
I've noticed an increasing fluid leak from under the truck to the point where it leaks noticeably just from idling a few minutes. I thought it was the rear main drying out.
Fast forward to today. I get an e-mail from Bryan that I can have a free Craftsman snow blower w/ B&S engine from one of his neighbors in his fancy neighborhood. It has some mystery problem but is probably fuel or spark (not totally destroyed, but doesn't start). So I am going to drive out to Lakeville after work to get it.
Tonight I decided to fill the gas tank. In my cul-de-sac, I put it in drive, went forward a bit, then decided to reverse just to adjust the brake drums (I do things at weird times). When I put it back in drive, nothing happened. Uh oh. Reverse. Nothing. Give it gas, bam, moving again. Uh oh. Drive again, go forward, reverse, then it loses drive again. Double uh oh.
Drive to gas station, fill up, drive home. Decide to check trans fluid level. Seems to be...almost off the dipstick?
Add 1-1/2 quarts. Go under truck to check leak. Trans cooler lines. Ah. Just rusty. So that'll need to be done pretty soon. But not before a ~2+ hours of driving tomorrow (work, Lakeville, home) to get my free snow blower. Seems worth it. AAA can tow a truck with a snow blower in it just as well.