Bill,
JC.
About the black gasket under the transmission plate...Mine appears rather whitish stuff,,from what I can see actually whith the cover plater on its position.Maybe more like the one pictured on one of your photo representing the rear portion with the two shafts.Isn't this one a replacement gasket you put on?When I took off the hyd. filter yesterday I have seen three pieces of black color and now from your picture I thing they are pieces of that black gasket...I guess the guy opened this and didn't take care of the smaller debris of the gasket wich fell down into the sump section.
I'm concerned about doing the same if I open it!I could filter all of the oil before putting it back of course..I'll see.
From your first pictures I thought these two bolts inside linking the diffy to the transm..but it is not the case now I can see.My observations about a certain possibly weaker joint is about this exact diffy/transm. joint:3 bolts on each side plus one underneath.This leave all of the width of the upper part of this joint not bolts mated.I would have put two other bolts there !
salut.
Ron.
