Leak found.

[Icuff4cash]

my transfer case has been leaking since I bought it. On real hot days I guess the capillary action makes it drip more. Well the thought was the drain cap leaking. I didn't find that to be leaking I found oil pooling on the nut I drained the case what a mess my drain pad as off and I dropped about a pint on my driveway. After looking at everything I had a big patch of white silicone on the bottom of the front nose cone. Well the silicone peeled like soft peanut butter. Under the patch is a plug of metal epoxy the size of a dime.and around the plug oil is leaking out of the transfer case. Now my codes. My rear main is weaping and a trans seal. I know the book says sencers. But all my contacts are oil soaked including the harness loom. Will oil short out my electrical circuit. The wire loom comming out of the floor that plugs into the harness that go to the connectors to the case are soaked. The 2 wires going to the transfer case are also soaked in oil. How do I dry oil soaked electrical harness .
Do I cover the leaky patch with jb weld or resilicone it

 

[Icuff4cash]

I drained and cleaned the transfer case use jb for engine blocks. Won't stick. Any ideas

 

[Josh P]

Post a picture. Most epoxy like jb weld won't handle long term continuous contact with the fluid, if you got it to stick. My first thought is to make a patch from aluminum, could use a soda can. Silicone over the hole and epoxy the aluminum to cover the silicone. My second thought is fill the transfer case with red-kote, but please don't do that.

 

[Icuff4cash]

I used the jb weld tuff stick. It comes in a tube like a roll of nickels . I went with this because it says it's made for engine blocks. I'm going to check it to see if it got better after sitting for 18 hours. I drained the transfer case cleaned it with brake clean. I don't know if it's because the case is magnesium.its not a hearing . What was on it was a silver color epoxy but it was metal. The hole was the size of a dime or nickel. I believe the case was split because the same white silicone used as a gasket for the case half also was the same covering up the crack. As a former welder 30 years ago I'll bet the case was split a backer plate was use and the filled the hole that way. It's almost a perfect circle patch and around the outer edge is were it's leaking. And considering I got aprx a pint or more when I drained it showed it wasn't bone dry. So after today I guess I'm going to suck it up and top off the case with a quart every 2 months.but I can't get the electrical connectors dry there oil soaked. So that might be causing my transfer case locking in 4x4 mode. It's a bad system all those connectors just hanging the wires are in a loom cover but the sockets are there for rain and snow contact. Just got done watching tv had breakfast and it's van time. I'll let you know what I find.

 

[Icuff4cash]

Well after the over night sit it's hard,I'm giving up I cleaned off that transfer case and found more cracks it looks like a dropped egg ad it's weeping between the case hafts. When I'm at the bone yard I'll check on a case I can drive it no problem as long as I check the oil every 2 months. I'm at the point I just might sell it. I'm going to put $400 in tires there $92.00 a piece so I need 4. If could fine 1 good one but I hate mixing tires mine are no longer made by master craft. Maybe I'll post it on Craig list I bought it for 1500 have a grand into it with out the window and tires so maybe I'll aske $2500 since it's rust free and only have 153,000 but if I put new tires I'm not going to lower it

 

[Josh P]

I wasn't expecting that.

 

[Icuff4cash]

I wasn't expecting that.

I love the van even with a few quirks I'm not strong enuff to work on it. I can feel I'm getting weaker and it's going to get to a point I'm going to be stuck in a wheel chair. Who ever gets it it has a 2 brand new ac units,new map,oxy sen,no rust period,and less than 155,000. No smoke no knocks very solid trailer hitch and the inside is great with 2 bench seats and long wheel base. I'm confused and disappointed since I'm getting sicker I bought stuff I didn't even put on it yet. I have a new 2" lift I bought progressive aluminum spacers made for the van and I have new superior load springs for the rear. I also bought a electronic voltage regular for running 2 or more batteries. It charges them off the alternator or solar power and disconnect the house battery so you can never run it down while camping and useing electric goodies camping. And if the hose battery dies push a button and the van starts on auxiliary batteries. I bought spring compressors to work on the van . My hope was turning it into a westfelia. I have the factory roof racks with all the bows. So someone who's strong enuff and maybe invest a grand would have an great awd van. You can't touch a ford awd van for less than 15 grand an Astro awd van most are shot 250, plus on miles and go for 3,500 junked there not a s10 like most think there front diff is a hibride like ours. And lifting them they have torsion bars and keys. Biggest lift is 11/2 for them. So the Aerostar is a much better van.

 

[Icuff4cash]

We'll update on oil leak it slowed down quiet a bit. But honestly it needs a new transfer case. To many stress cracks. How to I dry out those oli soaked electrical connectors so I can trouble shoot my awd. Any ideas please send them and what my van is worth if I sell it. I love this thing it rides and drives so well. I'm on the fence.

 

[92exp4x4]

You may just pull them apart and clean them with brake clean. The oil will ruin the rubber seals in the connectiors and the coating on the wires over time. Hopefully they are but to bad. You may find the issue by pulling the wires and connectors. Sometimes it's as simple as a broken wire in a bend.

 

[Josh P]

If you want to keep the van on the road on a budget, have a bw1359 dummy transfer case from a bronco II swapped in. There is one on ebay right now for $46. Find a rwd aerostar aluminum drive shaft and have it shortened. Run the van as a rwd and fix all the other issues like the rear window. As far as value of the van, there is a 96 awd van with 89k miles, clean title, ready to run for $1700 in so-cal. Similar condition vans pop up here in Phoenix and Tucson several times a year. Phoenix being a retirement area sometimes I see estate sale cars with under 30k miles for $2500 or so, yeah I watch Craigslist far more than I should...