Grease covering torque strap/mount | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Grease covering torque strap/mount

I received this info from a guy on another car forum. It's heresay, but it seems to be accurate to me based on google searches. Might be some good preventive maintenance for you other explorer owners.

"That transfer case (PTO unit) is the same basic design that's used on the Flex, CX9, Exploder, etc. It's non-serviceable (until 2013 when they started including a drain plug). The half quart of "lifetime" gear fluid turns to **** after 30-50k depending on use and then starts blowing out the seals and leaking everywhere. By then you're lucky if it hasn't failed and stuck the vehicle in FWD only mode (or if you're really lucky, it's snapped the output shaft on the rear of the trans where it bolts up). The best way to avoid it is to shove a host in the fill port every 20k and extract the fluid, and refill with factory correct fluid, to keep the transfer case, gears, seals, etc, all happy. There's a reason those transfer cases can be found all day long on ebay for ~$600 NIB..."

Just an FYI.
 



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I understand ford fans on a ford forum are not going to be happy when someone gripes about their bad experiences with ford products. However, I have bought three new and two used fords in the last 11 years. I have spent over $75,000 on new ford cars in the last decade. I take care of my cars. I don't try to take advantage and make false warranty claims.

Griping? Sounds like you have a legitimate problem.

Honestly, I've been around this forum so long that complaints about the Explorer generally don't bother me. You should have seen this place circa 2011 when the Explorer first came out. My Ford Touch was a disaster. People were ranting and raving like lunatics. Every other day people were lemon-lawing their Ex's over MFT.

My question was because I just don't know much about cars. I used to try and change my own oil but it always ended in disaster....

Well, I guess the ambient lighting thread bothers me - that's just ridiculous complaining. But this is something to be upset about.

Sounds like Ford is mistaken - why would someone not replace it under factory warranty?

Indeed, wouldn't this be under the powertrain warranty which runs even longer than the factory 3/36?
 






I went to the service department of the dealership in person to look at the car and ask them why they thought the part was not factory. The tech said he simply pointed out to the service manager that the bolts on the transfer case appeared to have wrench marks on them, and it looked like it had be removed before. There are more pictures below. I was encouraged to escalate it with Ford, but the service manager is the one who determined it wasn't a warranty item for fear of Ford rejecting the work once they saw the PTO box. What do you all think?

The tech was familiar with problems with the PTOs, and he laughed when I mentioned another dealership not wanting to warranty a 2012+ focus clutch shudder. Real funny.

Pics from lift at ford service center: http://www.fawbush.org/images/2014_9_11_explorer_transfer_case/

Tech said the unit looked like it had been replaced based on the appearance of the bolts on the case and the driveshaft. When I looked at the driveshaft the yellow mark where it was clocked lined up at the rear. The marks on the two bolts between the transmission and PTO box here are the two he specifically pointed out for having marks on the heads:

http://www.fawbush.org/images/2014_9_11_explorer_transfer_case/20140911_13exp_pto_2_rear_346.jpg

I've seen ford parts all paint markered up before like this transfer case. Is that really a reason to deny warranty coverage? I wrote down what the paint markers spelled out on the case and added them to the name of the picture showing it. The first pic in the directory is of the tag I pulled off the top of the transfer case.
 






Interesting. If it indeed is a replaced unit, it likely was a warranty replacement, which would have a record with Ford.

I'd definitely escalate your concerns with Ford and see what they can do. Your challenge though will be the drivetrain warranty. Isn't it 36,000/3 years?
 






Powertrain warranty is 5 years, 60k miles.

Peter
 






Interesting. If it indeed is a replaced unit, it likely was a warranty replacement, which would have a record with Ford...

I've talked to three different folks at Ford about the car. An employee who builds fords, a quality specialist at ford, and a ford customer care hotline representative. All three looked up the VIN and told me the same history. The vehicle only failed one check the day it was built. It needed the seat electrical plug connected. It only had one service and that was a 2013 recall for the fuel sending unit replacement. They have no record of any other ford service work.

Some ford employees are saying that what the dealership thinks is salvage yard inventory marks are actually ford verification marks. The quality specialist is forwarding my pictures to a plant quality person in Chicago to see if they can determine if the unit is original or salvaged.
 






Just got a call. Ford verified that they write on about 1 out of every 1000 units. They directed the dealership to replace under warranty. Ford came through on this one. The dealership called to say they were wrong about the markings. I don't think most folks could get where I did. This warranty work was almost denied due to a master tech thinking factory marks were salvage yard numbers.
 






Just got a call. Ford verified that they write on about 1 out of every 1000 units. They directed the dealership to replace under warranty. Ford came through on this one. The dealership called to say they were wrong about the markings. I don't think most folks could get where I did. This warranty work was almost denied due to a master tech thinking factory marks were slavage yard numbers.
Well, there you go. And your within the warranty period, so no charge. Happy endings all around. :D
 






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