Help! Can't get '91 4x4 motor back on.

[mpierich]

Hope somebody can help so I can get to work tomorrow...

Was going to clean the contacts inside the 4x4 gearmotor on the back of the transfer case. I removed the assembly - it pried off fairly easily. Then I realized that a special torx (T-20 w/hole) is needed to get at the contacts. I decided to put it back together until I can get the torx.

Now the triangular hole in the gearmotor won't slide over the triangular shaft protruding from the transfer case. I tried turning the shaft slightly back and forth (not enough to shift it) but it still won't enter the triangular hole. Nothing was moved - I just looked at it. No power was applied to the motor.

What the heck do I have to do to get it mounted? I tried tapping gently on the back of the gear housing but it didn't help.

Can I just wire the assembly up under the vehicle and drive it like that and try again tomorrow?

Please help if you can.

Thanks.

 

[410Fortune]

You line up the traingle shift lever into the shift motor, then rotate the motor slightly.
Make sure the transfer case is in 2wd when you do this. Also you can drive it without the motor installed.....

 

[mpierich]

You line up the traingle shift lever into the shift motor, then rotate the motor slightly.
Make sure the transfer case is in 2wd when you do this. Also you can drive it without the motor installed.....

Thanks. Everything looks like it is lined up. But the end of the triangular shaft looks like it might be buggered up a bit (somebody might have had it off before, or else it mushroomed from a little play in the hole it goes into.) Like there may be a bit of a burr there on the end. I don't have a file right now so I'm going to either hang it or remove it (looks like you have to cut one wire) til tomorrow.

Are you sure no harm will come from driving without it? Is there any way dirt can get into the transfer case around the shaft if it is exposed?

thanks again.

 

[nostarttireflat]

You can knock that center pin on the torx head out. On mine after I had the motor off, I took a nailset & hammer & lightly hit that center pin and then took a small nail to pick at the bent over pin. All-in-all fairly easy, the small nail was something that was just close.

 

[mpierich]

You can knock that center pin on the torx head out.

Man, I must be getting stupid in my old age..I should have thought of that. Thanks a lot...this idea should be added to the excellent post about rebuilding the motor for dumbells like me.

BTW, any ideas on why the transfer case shaft won't slide right into the hole in the gearmotor? I _think_ it has a tiny bit of mushrooming on the end, but can't really see why it would...

 

[nostarttireflat]

Man, I must be getting stupid in my old age..I should have thought of that. Thanks a lot...this idea should be added to the excellent post about rebuilding the motor for dumbells like me.

BTW, any ideas on why the transfer case shaft won't slide right into the hole in the gearmotor? I _think_ it has a tiny bit of mushrooming on the end, but can't really see why it would...

I think that might be 1 of those perfectly level\plumb ordeals, patients & going slow make it easy. I just did mine last night also & had to redo the position of actuator by backing out the torx becuz I missed my realign mark. take that as "YOU'VE BEEN WARNED" since you are yet to do, but even after readjusting, had to find that perfect angle then slid pretty easy.

 

[410Fortune]

it should slide into the motor assembly as long as there is nothing in the way, I have never run into this myself.

It will not hurt it to drive without the motor, believe me I shifted my 4x4 for a week straight with robo grips out in the desert when my motor with 230K miles on it finally went south....

You only have to cut that one wire if you choose not to take the big square plug apart

 

[mpierich]

it should slide into the motor assembly as long as there is nothing in the way, I have never run into this myself.

It will not hurt it to drive without the motor, believe me I shifted my 4x4 for a week straight with robo grips out in the desert when my motor with 230K miles on it finally went south....

You only have to cut that one wire if you choose not to take the big square plug apart

Going to try cleaning up the end of the shaft w/a file tonight - it sure looks like it should slide right in there.

I have the whole thing wired up under the truck and drove it to work, seems OK. Got sleet coming tomorrow, if can't get it fixed tonight I'll keep my pliers handy, lol.

My mechanic friend lent me the torx w/hole in it. He says somebody makes a kit to convert to manual (some kind of lever arrangement to turn the trinagular shaft) but it probably costs more than a new electric motor. I am going to try and figure out how to make something myself - sure would be more reliable than this electric crap. And all so some housewife doesn't have to grab a lever and pull on it, haha.

Thanks for the input.

 

[DeRocha]

This happened to me before.. I removed the shift motor and couldn't get it back on. This happened because the bump stop for the geared selector had broken apart and allowed the geared selector to travel slightly outside is operation range (Thus causing a slight misalignment). Some people have also had this problem when the removed the shift motor and directly applied power to it to test it...

Note: Please make an alignment mark on the cover so you can install it back in its original position. This is necessary as the rotation of the cover is used to set up/align the electrical contacts inside. It took me several hours to re-align my cover after I forgot to mark it.

For the good news all you need to do is remove the security screws from the cover and pull out the geared selector. You can then re-install the shift motor (without the geared selector). Then re-install the geared selector (it only fits in one way). Please read Brains shift motor repair thread for detailed info.

 

[mpierich]

This happened to me before.. I removed the shift motor and couldn't get it back on. This happened because the bump stop for the geared selector had broken apart and allowed the geared selector to travel slightly outside is operation range (Thus causing a slight misalignment). Some people have also had this problem when the removed the shift motor and directly applied power to it to test it...

Note: Please make an alignment mark on the cover so you can install it back in its original position. This is necessary as the rotation of the cover is used to set up/align the electrical contacts inside. It took me several hours to re-align my cover after I forgot to mark it.

For the good news all you need to do is remove the security screws from the cover and pull out the geared selector. You can then re-install the shift motor (without the geared selector). Then re-install the geared selector (it only fits in one way). Please read Brains shift motor repair thread for detailed info.

Thanks. I have read that thread and a very good one it is. It should be a lot easier to replace the unit the way you describe. And I'll be sure to mark the cover.

BTW, as I posted in another thread, Advance auto Parts (Parts America) has these motors for $117, or $170 for an upgraded one.

 

[410Fortune]

upgraded? I am pretty skeptical about that.
I have rebuilt about 9 of these suckers, they all still work perfect, I see nothing wrong with the electric shift "touch drive".

Nobody makes a "kit" that I am aware of to shift the t case manually, what they did offer was a manual T case, which is an entire new case, shifter, and linkage.

Some people have created things to manually shift the electric shift t case, but its not as easy as you might think.

I vote for rebuilding the motor and getting it adjusted right, works like new.

 

[mpierich]

upgraded? I am pretty skeptical about that.
I have rebuilt about 9 of these suckers, they all still work perfect, I see nothing wrong with the electric shift "touch drive".

Nobody makes a "kit" that I am aware of to shift the t case manually, what they did offer was a manual T case, which is an entire new case, shifter, and linkage.

Some people have created things to manually shift the electric shift t case, but its not as easy as you might think.

I vote for rebuilding the motor and getting it adjusted right, works like new.

Hey whatever, all I know is what it says on their (Advance Auot Parts) web site. There are pretty obviously things wrong with the factory setup, since so many people have problems with it. The simple matter of the bumper plastic crushing is a design flaw, for instance

My mechanic friend gave the name of the mfr of the manual kit but I have forgotten it. There's no disputing it would be more reliable. In fact I would almost rather get out and use pliers than depend on this setup.

Of course I will get it repaired, either by fixing the motor or getting a cheap rebuilt one. But this summer I might ponder a way to make my own manual setup.

 

[410Fortune]

Do a search for Mcneils Explorer and shifter, you can see pictures of a setup that works without swapping out the whole T case.

If you ditch your shift motor I will buy it
I never said the setup was perfect, but it is pretty damn reliable, I have 273K miles that can attest to that, rebuilt the motor once at 230K......

 

[DeRocha]

Sometime after '94 the shift motor was updated.. The update was nothing drastic; basically minor changes to address the problems the first gen units were having...

 

[mpierich]

Sometime after '94 the shift motor was updated.. The update was nothing drastic; basically minor changes to address the problems the first gen units were having...

Sounds reasonable. Also like something that could be done retroactively.

 

[mpierich]

Do a search for Mcneils Explorer and shifter, you can see pictures of a setup that works without swapping out the whole T case.

If you ditch your shift motor I will buy it
I never said the setup was perfect, but it is pretty damn reliable, I have 273K miles that can attest to that, rebuilt the motor once at 230K......

Thanks, I'll check it out. I think my mechanic said it was a cable arrangement...sounds simple enough.

If I get rid of my motor you'll have first dibs...

 

[mpierich]

Well, things are going as these things usually go for me...

Borrowed the special torx, got the motor on the bench. Couldn't get the frozen screws out w/torx. Sawed a slot in one to try a flat screwdriver. Half the head of the screw broke off. Threw the pliers in the truck for tomorrow, went in the house and ordered a rebuilt one, due Thursday. I will still probably try to fix the old one (got some screws to drill out) but I'm not counting on it.

Thanks for all the help. 410, I'll let you know if I decide to sell the old motor.