'97 transfer case broke again

[Mklarich]

I have a '97 explorer, 1 year ago I was slowing down on interstate when transfer case broke. A gear stripped out badly. I had no reverse and anytime I was going downhill without my foot on the gas the transfer case was grinding.

I had it repaired and went on my way.

Now 20k miles later it has started doing it again, not as violent but basically the exact same thing. If I start in reverse and use the brakes at all the transfer case pops and grinds, going down a hill it pops and grinds.

I thought about just dropping the damned transfer case and getting rid of my 4wd. I live in florida now and don't have time to play anymore. The transfer case is directly attached to back of transmission through a small adapter box though and I know the shaft on the back of the transmission is a spline shaft so I would have to come up with something to convert to a U-joint, also I don't know if there is oil inside that adapter box. I might need to come up with some kind of seal...

I wouldn't care if the 4wd lights blink, I know where they live and I can remove them.

I am also looking into getting a remanufactured transfer case, I cannot find any close to me down here though.

Any suggestions on dropping transfer case??

Thanks much,
Matt Klarich

 

[Opera House]

I would check for up down play on the rear shaft (must be in neureal to check). The 4405 has a history of the the rear bearing mount wearing and the rear half of the case needs to be replaced. If only the stretched chain was replaced, you got rid of half the wear. Another used transfer case is the easiest solution. Just check for rear shaft play. It is only in the up down direction.

 

[Dorothy]

Opera House - The transfer case in my 97 Explorer started slipping on a vacation trip while I was going down a long hill and now it slips whenever there is no preessure on the gas. It's ok in forward, happened one in reverse, and idles ok in Drive. I was able to drive it home by "shifting" into neutral on hills and coming to lights.

My transmission shop proposes to do a rebuild using a rebuild kit. Can he check for needing a new case before he drops the case?? Does the car need to be off the wheels?? What parts should I have replaced just to be on the safe side?? I am concerned that he will "fix" it but that it will continue to self-destruct. Is the transfer case issue you point out the same as the one in the article below??

This unit is prone to certain mechanical problems that are beyond
the scope of most shops to repair. The most common mechanical failure is a
complaint of a loss of drive accompanied by a ratcheting noise coming from
the transfer case during coast or deceleration or when in reverse. Careful
questioning of the driver will reveal that this condition was preceded by an occa-
sional thump from the transfer case at a constant road speed of 40-60 MPH.
When you disassemble the transfer case you will find that the range hub and
range fork will be damaged, but replacing these items will not solve the prob-
lem. The range hub is helical cut gearing and will stay in mesh under load,
but will move out on coast due to the thrust loads generated by the helical
design. Adding power will cause the gear to return to the correct position.
The bottom of the teeth get chewed up and the constant pressure on the fork
causes it to burn up. The real cause of the problem is an offset in the centerline
distance, putting the shift rail at an angle, which allows the range fork to
move out of position. The cases are magnesium and we do considerable
machine work to correct this problem, which is beyond the equipment found in
the average shop. If you see units with this damage, you will usually see
oblong holes in the cases where the shift rail rides. It is cheaper and more
efficient to buy a unit that has this problem corrected than to tackle it
yourself.

Thanks,
Dorothy