42RLE no issues, but a snapped snap ring.

[RustyShackleford]

Howdy folks,

I decided to service my trans yesterday. Not because I was having issues, but because I haven't done it in the years I've owned the jeep and I felt like it was a good idea. The fluid smelled good and had a nice red color to it. Not burnt or stinky like I've smelled in bad transmissions. There isn't even a remarkable amount of metal shavings in the pan or on the magnet that's meant to collect them.
However, I found this tiny bit of snap ring that I'll attach a picture of with a 3/8 drive socket for size reference.
This has left me perplexed as to what my next move should be. I'd hate to fill it back up with fluid and sporting a new filter just to have it go whoops! all neutral on me. I would like some input from anybody who has a similar problem or is knowledgeable with the 42RLE.

Edit: To add some possibly useful info. This is in an 04 Wrangler with 170k miles.

Thanks for reading!

 

[MountaineerTom]

Howdy folks,

I decided to service my trans yesterday. Not because I was having issues, but because I haven't done it in the years I've owned the jeep and I felt like it was a good idea. The fluid smelled good and had a nice red color to it. Not burnt or stinky like I've smelled in bad transmissions. There isn't even a remarkable amount of metal shavings in the pan or on the magnet that's meant to collect them.
However, I found this tiny bit of snap ring that I'll attach a picture of with a 3/8 drive socket for size reference.
This has left me perplexed as to what my next move should be. I'd hate to fill it back up with fluid and sporting a new filter just to have it go whoops! all neutral on me. I would like some input from anybody who has a similar problem or is knowledgeable with the 42RLE.

Edit: To add some possibly useful info. This is in an 04 Wrangler with 170k miles.

Thanks for reading!

View attachment 470980

You found that in the pan?

 

[RustyShackleford]

You found that in the pan?

That is correct.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I'd be concerned enough to do whatever it takes to figure out where that piece came from. It doesn't look like part of a snap ring though. It doesn't look like it's part of the easily accessible valve body though.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I'd be concerned enough to do whatever it takes to figure out where that piece came from. It doesn't look like part of a snap ring though. It doesn't look like it's part of the easily accessible valve body though.

It has a slight curve to it with wear on the outside edge which I've found to pretty characteristic of a snap ring. I can't imagine what else inside the transmission would look like this that isn't a snap ring. I almost wonder if the last fella tossed it in as a joke. Hahahaha

 

[cjindna]

Magnetic?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Magnetic?

Yes, indeed. It was stuck to the magnet inside of the pan.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

It has a slight curve to it with wear on the outside edge which I've found to pretty characteristic of a snap ring. I can't imagine what else inside the transmission would look like this that isn't a snap ring. I almost wonder if the last fella tossed it in as a joke. Hahahaha

It'd have to be a damned big snap ring.

 

[cjindna]

Seems a little big (pictures lie) but could be one of the clutch pack snap rings - how it’d wind up in the pan of a functioning trans is curious.

Send it!

 

[06lj]

I found an almost identical piece of metal in my 06 when I bought it. I still don't know what it was. That was 7 years ago so it didn't seem to be to detrimental. Hopefully someone will give a definitive answer as I've always wondered what it was.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Seems a little big (pictures lie) but could be one of the clutch pack snap rings - how it’d wind up in the pan of a functioning trans is curious.

Send it!

It's looking like it's going to get sent. I figure worst case ontario I have to rebuild the thing when it fails. If I pull it apart to see where this came from right now, I may as well just rebuild the damn thing, which I am not currently prepared to do.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I found an almost identical piece of metal in my 06 when I bought it. I still don't know what it was. That was 7 years ago so it didn't seem to be to detrimental. Hopefully someone will give a definitive answer as I've always wondered what it was.

I'm OCD enough that if I had seen that in my pan in the several times I have had it off I wouldn't be able to sleep. I pulled the valve body above the pan to make a repair several years ago but didn't see anything in the valve body or above the valve body that reminded me of that broken piece.

 

[hear]

if that is a snap ring piece, it's for a pretty big snap ring. I believe there is a really big one in the back of the case. Can you tell if both sides appear to be snapped off? I don't remember what type of ends each of the rings has, sometimes they have an angle, sometimes they're flat. Would be interested to know if it broke off the end or in the middle somewhere.

From a pure conjecture standpoint, a broken ring might not be the end of the world; it's there to hold the clutches & steels in when the piston pushes them together. Theoretically, it would only take small pieces of rings in 2 strategic places to still be able to hold everything in place (in practice you couldn't keep them in place during operation). But a small portion of the ring breaking off at the end shouldn't cause a catastrophic operational problem, provided that piece makes it to the pan & not somewhere more important.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I'm OCD enough that if I had seen that in my pan in the several times I have had it off I wouldn't be able to sleep. I pulled the valve body above the pan to make a repair several years ago but didn't see anything in the valve body or above the valve body that reminded me of that broken piece.

It's absolutely driving me crazy and I've been obsessing over it since I found it. I may pull the valve body and take a look around for to see what I can see.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

It's absolutely driving me crazy and I've been obsessing over it since I found it. I may pull the valve body and take a look around for to see what I can see.

Get some ATF type assembly goo, you'll need it to hold the valve springs in place above the valve body while reinstalling the valve body. You can see what I used for mine...