and yes there is a gasket when you pull the top cover off. if you dont replace it, it will leak. and while you are at it, you should replace the plastic ball joint in there as well. its another type of gasket that lies on the underside of the shifter. that will help with some slop in the shifter. the noise- well if you have lots of little metal pieces coming out, you might be buying a new tranny. is it the 4 speed? i had to replace mine too. it was making a whurring noise when in gear, didint matter if it was 2 or 4 wheel drive. its just a matter of time...
