03 4.7 545RFE 2WD Output Shaft Play

[Plnobarbosa]

Hi all, I recently crawled under my truck to inspect the drivetrain. The output shaft seal has a small leak, there aren't any spot where I park, but the seal is wet. Also noticed that the output shaft has a bit of play. Below is a link to a video of it. Wondering if anyone can confirm if this is normal? I do experience some shaking while idling and low speeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaqw9PsJ6aI

 

[Recoil]

If you are going to replace the seal, you'll need to pull the driveshaft, so inspect it and the spline on both the driveshaft and the trans when you have it pulled.

As far as play goes, there needs to be some play - I just can't tell you if yours exceeds the "normal".

 

[Jeepwalker]

How many miles?
Hard to say by your video. You gotta go by 'feel'. Put vehicle in N. If the driveshaft feels loose in it's bushing, like it's clunking around a little bit, you might need to replace the trans output bushing. If you do, don't put it off till the vibration & play knocks out your tranny.

They make a special tool for this that makes it an effortless 15 min job that can be done on the vehicle. But the tool is real expensive. The kind of tool only a dealer would have. It might be worthwhile to get a price from the dealer how much to replace the bushing. Kent Moore has a number of different versions of this tool that look alike but fit different transmissions (depending on bushing size), so it'll need to be the 'right' tool for your tranny. Replace the bushing (if needed) and then replace the seal. Use a Mopar seal bc theyre better quality (less likely to leak).

Hint: if the dealer does replace it, ask the tech to wrap some masking tape around the tool before he installs the new bushing. The edges on the tool 'fingers' are kind of sharp, and will leave imprint marks on the new bushing (which you obviously don't want on a new bushing). It's the kind of goof-up an average mechanic would make if he weren't paying attention. The masking tape avoids making imprints.

Tool looks like this (but you can find them on ebay for ~$400):

Kent Moore Tools J-45380 | Bushing Remover & Installer K & T

www.autotoolworld.com

 

[Plnobarbosa]

Transmission has about 173,000 miles. Don't know about service history but the fluid is cherry red and at the proper level. When I checked it I had it in park, Ill try again in neutral and see how it feels. The U-joints are in bad shape so I'll be replacing those. Will take a look at the splines when I do so. Despite having bright red fluid, the tranny grinds a bit when I shift to drive or reverse, sometimes it clunks around a bit. Might consider rebuilding it in the near future.