44-05 transfer case help

[lil'mounty]

I've been on here a long time and most of my problems were resolved by searching, but I haven't been able to find an answer for this one. 95 explorer with the dial type auto 4wd system. The problem was no engaging of 4wd hi or low but drove great. I pulled the shift motor and inspected the plastic stop for damage, all good. I thought to make sure the N-Hi-Low selector shaft on the transfer case wasn't stuck and turned it to neutral. It popped out of Hi and turned to neutral. My thought was, it shouldn't be in Hi because the front differential shouldn't be engaged (I'm used to manual 4wd systems). I left it at neutral and I turned the gear (and encoder) to match and reassembled. WRONG, No drive, No reverse. Pulled the shift motor off and I cannot get the shaft to stay at Hi, it just springs back. First question is how do I get it to click into Hi to reassemble? Second question is shouldn't the truck have recognized it was in a neutral condition in the transfer case and actuated the shift motor accordingly? Perhaps bad sensor or shift motor???

 

[lil'mounty]

Well I figured out how to engage it back to 2 hi. turn the encoder to the general are of Hi and leave the motor apart but plugged in. Use vice grips (loose) to hold the transfer case selector shaft at, or past, the Hi mark. I used a motor support bolt to keep the vice grips sprung in the that position. Start the truck and put it in drive. You will here it click. Shut the truck off and when you remove the vice grips it should have stayed in Hi w/o springing back to Nuetral. Align the encoder while reassembling the shift motor assembly. It took 3 tries to get the bolt holes to line up properly. I did shift it into 4wd with the motor apart and connected and saw no actuating of the worm gear... So I am still trouble shooting the cause. But this was my big hurdle for now.