I just checked my transfer case on level ground, and I did take the right plug out too check the level of fluid. I lost about 1.5 liters on the ground. How can you fill it that much in the first place? I know when I had bought the truck the tranny was basically empty. Is it possible for the tranny fluid to go into the transfer case?

 

There shouldn't even be 1.5 liters in it anway. The capacity is 1.2L (to the bottom of the fill hole). The only way that would be possible is if the transfer case was tipped over when it was filled up, cause otherwise theres no way to get the level of fluid over the fill hole.

There's really no way for the fluid to go from the transmission to the transfer case, unless the output shaft seal of the transmission and the input shaft seal of the transfer case were completely missing. Here is a picture of the output shaft of the transmission...
DSCN0191.jpg?t=1240525533

 

I was going to take it for a drive and then check the tranny fluid and see if its low.

 

You should be able to tell if the tranny is leaking fluid. There's nowhere for it to go but out. Look where the transfer case bolts up to the tranny, cause there is no seal there, so if either one is leaking it should be seeping out from there.

 

ya it looks like its sweeting right there

 

I think that might be a common problem with these trannys. I had mine leaking before the tranny rebuild. They replace the tranny side with the rebuild. I had to replace the transfercase one after the rebuild. Then for 6 months everything was good. Now I'm back to having a small leak again.

 

Lol, yeah, as you can see in that picture, theres a small amount of ATF in the back part of the casing. I replaced that seal back in November.

Now the NV3500 is leaking bad from that spot too. I should have realized it would, cause it had been sitting for several months. Plenty of time for the seal to dry up.

 

Dont feel bad. I was under the same impression and come to find out that I ruined mine from taking out the drive shaft too many times and not refilling the TC. The small leak is completely natural for our pickups.