Winterizing Surprise

[squeeg333]

So, when I was winterizing this past weekend, I came across something I thought was a little strange. I didn't take photos just yet, but can.

I had just removed the impellar, and decided to remove the cooling line going to the tranny cooler - I like to do this to be sure nothing accumulates at the inlet of the strainer on it (you can find impellar parts there, or just collections of weeds and the like). And to preface this, I put a cooling water strainer in the system right before the v-drive, to keep anything large out of the system.

Well, I reached up inside the tranny cooler, and found two small pieces of what look to be gasket material. As I mentioned, I have a strainer on the cooling water line, so there's no way these pieces could have made it thru there. I suppose there is a chance these pieces were stuck in the system prior to me installing the strainer, and finally made their way to the inlet to the transmission cooler. But it got me a little concerned, if they were "new" debris from this year. The only place I could see a gasket coming apart is from the water jacket cover to the v-drive. I saw no leaks from this area, so I think that is alright. But, it was non-the-less surprising.

I'd love for ideas of what these gasket bits might be, but I know I gave a vague description, and I don't think photos would shed any light. I guess this serves as a note to everyone to be sure to check the inlet to the tranny cooler when you winterize just to be sure no objects are in there. I hadn't seen any engine heating issues, but, I'm glad I found these obstructions.

[Moomba Dad]

My guess is impeller parts & pieces. See my impeller thread...part 2 for a pic of what I found yesterday in mine.

[squeeg333]

I've had imprellar parts in there before, and these were most certainly not impellar parts. There were two small pieces of what looked like a think gasket. They both had straight edges, and then some torn-up edges, like it was a fulls gasket that came apart. I'll try to get some photos up soon.

[Replicant]

Is it manifold gasket material? That would be a yikes.

I've had imprellar parts in there before, and these were most certainly not impellar parts. There were two small pieces of what looked like a think gasket. They both had straight edges, and then some torn-up edges, like it was a fulls gasket that came apart. I'll try to get some photos up soon.

[squeeg333]

Wouldn't be possible. The inlet to the transmission cooler (and it's 'strainer') is before the cooling water ever enters the engine block. The only place a gasket could have come from is the cooling cavity of the v-drive. Otherwise this material could have been picked up by the cooling water scupper somewhere from the previous owner and/or before I installed the inline straner on the cooling line, and somehow found it's way to the strainer this year. I know for a fact the strainer was clear at the beginning of this season.

I'm thinking that it's either a piece of the gasket used on the coverplate to the top of the v-drive, or else it was stuck in that area, and finally made its way thru the system.