97 T-Case Stuck in Neutral: Need help NOW

[sk1er17]

Ok long story short:

1997 sport 4x4:

offroading, in 4 low going slow started grinding/got stuck. Finally got out of 4low and drove away.

When put back in 4 low nothing would happen, no grinding or anything. So it just had 4auto and 4hi.

TODAY:
Changed T-case fluid- looked ****ty.

TEST DRIVE:
Went fine, till we put it in 4low- didnt move. Tried putting it back in 4high, didnt move, tried auto- didnt move.

Disconnected battery: nothing

Removed shift motor: Shift motor moves when switch turns.. so its working propperly.

Tried putting t-case in gear by hand, hard to turn.

Suggestions needed ASAP.

 

[sk1er17]

ok update:

with engine on, tranny in N:
The t-case is clearly in the 4low position. When i try to manually turn the pin clockwise it seems like its spring loaded and shoots back to 4low. Will it eventually click into place if i can get those extra few degrees of a turn?

 

[DirtyDog]

If you manually try to take it out of 4lo it shouldn't feel like it's spring loaded. Try doing it with the engine off, tranny in N, lift all the tires off the ground and try turning the driveshaft(s) while trying to manually take it out of 4lo. But I think it's safe to say that somethin's busted inside. I had the electro magnet fly apart in my t-case and it ruined my 4x4 all together. And it was cheaper to but one from a wreckers than it was to rebuild it.

(An electromagnetic clutch is what engages 4hi, so the shift motor doesn't move to put it into 4hi. The shift motor moves a shift fork inside the t-case that engages 4lo.)

Good luck.

 

[sk1er17]

I think we can take this out of "911" or delete it all together:

its 3:50 AM on Thanksgiving... I just got home.

Considering his 4low never worked and now this + the "silver spraypaint" color that his t-case fluid was, we just said "screw it" this t-case is shot.

Chris (lizardtrac) had a spare hanging around and donated that. So now my buddy owes him big-time. Either way he lives 2.5 hours away.. and like i said i just "got home"....

So its bedtime now and hopefully in 4-5 hours from now we'll start the install and have it done with plenty of time to clean up for Turkey Day!

 

[off-road97Xplor]

Thats good to hear skier,
Make sure you eat all your turkey and mashed potatoes

 

[DirtyDog]

Cool

 

[sk1er17]

Guys need some more help:

Put in the New T-Case and it works fine... except it didnt have the hole for the speedometer sensor above the rear driveshaft out put...


So now his truck shifts like crap, cause according to the computer he's not moving.

Can we splice into another sensor for the speedo to work? Or get another sort of sensor?

 

[nissanboy]

if it didnt have the speedo hole it is a different t-case.

are you sure that it doesnt have a speedo sensor still in it from its previous owner oyu are overlooking or something simple like that.
If it is a Borg t-case it will have a speedo snsor hole near the rear output flange somewhere.

 

[sk1er17]

it is a different t-case. thats the problem.

i know where all the sensor are and supposed to go.

we are currently in the process of attemting to change the shells of the t-cases...

 

[sk1er17]

well the swap was successfull...

we were able to change the cover of one t-case with that of another- his truck now has the speed sensor and runs fine.

It's a good thing i let him take apart the OLD t-case.. cause he didnt know what he was doing and when i got home from work i saw exactly what you see in the first picture...

So i told him i would take care of taking the other t-case apart... since we needed that one to stay somewhat in tact... thats the second picture

and the third--- well thats our work area.


If in the future anyone reads this page searching because you have the same problem, its really not that hard to do. PM or email me and ill lend a hand. you WILL need an impact gun to get the yoke nut off.