Replacing transfer case

[justin_knighten]

How much time am I looking at to do a swap? Any hints on how to do it faster or better. I'm working with minimal tools and a small floor jack, no transmission jacks or the like. Oh yeah, im 17 so the beer isn't gonna help this one:)

justin

[satan]

Justin,

The work itself isn't hard (remember to drop the driveshadfts, shifterlinkage, speedo cable and stuff first).

There are a few tricks -- the case is held to the tranny by a ring of nuts & studs - getting to the top few of those can be a PITA -- here's some BTDT tips.


CLEAN the area - even if you'd eat off of it, nothing that you workon that's over your head while you're forced to lie on your back can ever possibly be clean enough - clean it again before starting
block tires and set your parking brakes - "park" means nothing without your driveshafts
the tranny crossmember holds-up the tranny, and the tcase is bolted to the tranny - the crossmember get's in the way and taking it all the way out is a good thing - but then you'll need to support the tranny somehow (as low as you can get it for better top-access, IMHO) - remember that moving the tranny moves the motor - watch your clearances.
On the things to disconnect from your tcase list -- don't forget the vent line!
A drained T-case is less likey to spill lots of fluid; you'll still wear some - wearing white will give you a nice pink shade...
Make a wrench for the top few nuts (I cut-down a gear wrench, and added a hole in the cut end for a lanyard so I could finally stop dropping that little bastard) - if you're goon bend a wrench, use LOTS of heat, they break suprizingly easily
After the wrench will fit, you'll find that you need more leverage (HINT: breaker bars do not need to be straight, your ability to apply torque increases in direct relation to your distance from the centerline of the fastener.)
Get the hardest (top) nut off first, and reinstall it first (Off- cause it's all down-hill from there; On- cause it'll hold the whole thing in place while you get the rest on)
Studs will come out - the top one is the shortest - you'll want it to go back that way (the rest are all the same length) - it's the hardest nut to reach and you don't wanna turn it more than you need to
Shift the new t-case into 4-low (allows you to use the front yoke to rotate the input splines to match-up to your tranny
ENSURE that your new t-case is a 21-spline input case, just like the one you're taking out... count-em both side-by-side Don't use the tranny to test this - way too much work and you'll be PISSED




{edit} BBCode confuzzy -typos included for lack of clariety {/edit}

[justin_knighten]

shifter linkage? The 4wd linkage or the transmission shifter? So i assume i should just go ahead and "make" a wrench for this? Any suggestions on what should be done? What exactly is a gear wrench? and exactly how you got lleverage on that bad boy? can the nuts be accesed easier from inside me jeep? thanks
justin

[satan]

linkage = 4wd linkage (the rod should just pop-off of the t-case lever; best that you control when and how that happens!)

I have a stubby ratchet (Craftsman) that works fine - cutting a wreench a bit shorter works too -- buy or make -- whatevah' some of tool sets may actually come with wrenches that you can fit up in there. - if you plan on doing that nut before any other - it'll save you a lot of cussing down the road so you can build/buy what's needed before you're half apart!

GearWrench is a TM for a ratcheting box-wrench -- many types of these exist the GearWrench line requires onlu lik 5* of rotation to hit pawls where others require a lot more.

Leverage = add length -- one of the funniest ways I've seen it done is to fit the stubby wrench to the nut, then fit a socket onto the handle of the stubby, and a ratchet drive onto the socket -- the pushing the wratchet (not turning like you'd be if you were using it correctly) gives the 8" handle length at 90* angle to the working nut! Short pipes, long sockets, bent plumbing stuff... you may even be able to get enough "hand" on what you make/buy to ge the job done!

Inside access isn't really an option (unless you cut some big-*** holes) - maybe an idea for someone, but droppin' the tranny x-member should allo for adequate access from underneath.

[justin_knighten]

i'll let you know what i come up with...
justin

[justin_knighten]

i got it out. for some reason the whole assembly(engine, tranny, and t-case) lowered down. Well the front of the engine went up, it pivitod on the motor mounts. so the rear of the t-case was about 6inches off the ground. that meant i could stick my head up over it to see the nut i was workin on.

justin

[satan]

Cool - be sure to check every one of those stiff plastic vacuum lines up in the engine bay when you get it all back together...