85 720 4x4 manual trans bits

[ElliotV]

I was doing some maintenance on my truck trying to get a baseline on the fluids and everything and when I pulled the drain plug in the transmission some uh pieces came out and I was wondering if anyone could tell me where exactly they go. The transmission shifts fine and is quite so I was really surprised to see anything.(158k miles) https://imgur.com/a/60myh0F

[Crashtd420]

That's a bearing cage...

One of the bearings internally has failed...

[datzenmike]

 

Stop driving. That's a bearing cage that has disintegrated. Probably the counter bearing shown below but could also be one of the other ball bearings. The counter shaft bearing is the most likely but the transmission will have to come out.  If you keep driving you can damage the case and that can't be fixed.

 

With luck it is the counter bearing and you can separate the front case from the rest of the transmission with a 12mm socket and a pair of snap ring pliers. The counter bearing can be drawn off with a gear puller and a new one, about $15, hammered on with a suitably sized piece of pipe

 

 

Below is a failed counter beating that now does not support the front of the counter shaft. Under load the shaft is forces away from the main shaft and flexes at the rear and eventually metal fatigue causes it to snap off at the adapter plate.

 

 

When I drained this transmission at the wrecking yard the balls fell out.

[ElliotV]

I'm going to look at a parts truck tomorrow for a possible donor if I purchase it I will probably start dropping the trans right away to get this taken care of 

[datzenmike]

There are 2 smaller BBs in the adapter plate and one each at the rear of the counter gear and one on the mainshaft near the speedometer drive. It's the front counter gear that takes all the side loading.