| |
I drained the lube from the diff on my '46 Coupe last fall, and left the catch pan with the lube in it to "settle" so I could check for metal particles. As my garage is not heated, the pan sat under the diff until yesterday. I took the pan and slowly drained the lube into a waste oil container, and that is when I saw it, a very thin piece of metal about 3/4" long! In distress, not a panic yet, I took out my inspection camera, put the probe into both the fill and drain holes to see what, if anything, I could see. A limited view, showing the odd bit of pitting and scuff marks on the teeth, but nothing that sacred me. Back to the piece I found. After logic settled in, I checked the piece with a magnet. Nope, didn't attract. Closer inspection, a few bends and..... it is a piece of the aluminum seal from the top of a gear oil bottle. Probably a piece I discarded while opening a fresh bottle under the car when refilling the transmission. I guess I tossed it in the wrong direction, and it ended up in the diff drain pan. Moral of this story? Slow down, analyze, think again, test, and don't panic. Sorry for the long spiel, but this isolation is starting to wear on me.
|