Tranny or Transfer case???? HELP.

[fred84]

So i was driving along and all a sudden it felt like I was pulling somthing. The farther I drove, the more it felt like I was polling something and it was having a harder and harder time. finally i could only go 5 mph. I parked it checked all the levels all were fine. started it back up and will act like it will go into drive but wont move. when i put it in reverse it dosnt even sound like it engages. Also I cant push it in reverse. The wheels seam to be locked up. I cant say that it is all of them or just a set. Any advice or tips would be great.

 

[doonze]

OooOOoo... this could be a tough one, could also be the rear end, but I think you would have been hearing some grinding or something, they mostly make noise when they go. So you can't push it when it's in gear/neutral? Well, your on the right track, either the tranny or transfer case. The odd's say it's the tranny. However the best test will be when you can jack it up and test each wheel. I don't have any 100% test for you, but I'm sure someone can think of something.

 

[fred84]

thanks for your answer. i will check that first. now what if one set works? i think it was just the rear wheels that wouldnt move. Do you know how to test the transfer case? i would prefer it to be the trasfer case since its cheaper but knowing luck its not that simple.

 

[doonze]

depends, try and move the front drive shaft by hand in 2wd mode. If it also is locked up, without the 4x4 engaged, then it's the transfer case (if it moves it tell us nothing, but a fried transfer case MIGHT also not let the front turn. In a good transfer case the only time the front drive shaft won't turn is if 4x4 is ingaged. It's a long shot but all I can think of that wouldn't have anything to do with the tranny.) . I was thinking if you can get the wheels off the ground and test em then we might be able to see if it could be a break locked up (or the rear). Course I'd think you could smell that, burnt break is pretty strong.

To tell the truth, if the tranny is locked up I can't think of much to test to tell if it's the tranny or transfer case. Maybe someone smarter will have an idea.

The problem here is most of the time when a tranny goes out it doesn't lock everything up, it just acts like it's in netrual all the time, if it's really out park doesn't even work anymore. I, myself, have never had a tranny "lock up", so I've never really trouble shot this issue. I would be easier if it just didn't go and was freewheeling, the locked up part has me stumped as to how to test the transfer case seperate from the tranny.

 

[fred84]

K thanks. I will try it as soon as I can. I might have to work in a couple min so I dont want to tear into this until I know i have an hour to play with it. I will post my findings and maybe that will help find out what it is. Shops just cost to much.

 

[fred84]

So im up on jacks now and the front wheels will rotate forwards and backwards. The back wheels will rotate backwards but NOT forwards. This is while I'm in two wheel drive. any thoughts? Thanks for your help.

 

[doonze]

So im up on jacks now and the front wheels will rotate forwards and backwards. The back wheels will rotate backwards but NOT forwards. This is while I'm in two wheel drive. any thoughts? Thanks for your help.

Fred, you got me on this one, I can't think of a reason why they would go back but not forward...is it both wheels??? Unless you have a locker even with a limited slip you should be able to at least get one to move, and the other wheel should move in the other direction when spinning it.. If not I'm thinking the rear end for the moment.

 

[fred84]

Ya its both rear wheals only go backwards not forwards.

 

[doonze]

Is it in park, or in gear or in netural when this happens, what happens when you put it in park? Gear? Netural?

 

[fred84]

that was in neutral let me go try the others.

 

[fred84]

K so Im a retard. I forgot to take of the emergency brake after i lifted it. All the wheels spin both ways in neutral. K so 2WD Park they all can be moved, neutral same reverse sounds like it kicks into gear but wheels dont spin unless i move them, drive the rear wheels work.(which is weird cause i couldnt move on the ground.) now in 4WD it all is the same besides the front wheels dont move on there own.

 

[doonze]

also while I'm thinking about it, what's the axle code on the tag on the end of the driver door?

 

[fred84]

There is a number 41 if thats what you wanted???

 

[doonze]

Ok, you got the same gears/rear end as I do. 3.27 with open gears. Unless these rears are somehow differen,t when you spin a wheel with both wheels in the air, and the tranny is in netural, the tires should spin different directions. For example if you spin one forward the other should spin backwards. That's how every open diff I've ever had to mess with worked. And I wouldn't know why these Fords should be any different. this applies to the rear diff only, the front diff is "locked" by the hubs and when locked both should spin together I think.

So you can't spin ANY wheels forward if it's in 4x4.... but you can spin them backwards. So that tells my your transfer case is at least not locked up. When in 4x4, and you spun a wheel, did all 4 wheels spin backwards???

i'm starting to think there is something up with your rear end, it's acting like the back axels are locked together, with a limited slip diff that might be possiable, but shouldn't be with a open diff.

I'm at work and my last break is now over so I'll try and think about this and see if I can come up with anything more to test and post it up tonight when I get off work. This is a strange one.

 

[doonze]

Ok, you got the same gears/rear end as I do. 3.27 with open gears. Unless these rears are somehow differen,t when you spin a wheel with both wheels in the air, and the tranny is in netural, the tires should spin different directions. For example if you spin one forward the other should spin backwards. That's how every open diff I've ever had to mess with worked. And I wouldn't know why these Fords should be any different. this applies to the rear diff only, the front diff is "locked" by the hubs and when locked both should spin together I think.

So you can't spin ANY wheels forward if it's in 4x4.... but you can spin them backwards. So that tells my your transfer case is at least not locked up. When in 4x4, and you spun a wheel, did all 4 wheels spin backwards???

i'm starting to think there is something up with your rear end, it's acting like the back axels are locked together, with a limited slip diff that might be possiable, but shouldn't be with a open diff.

Edit:

Oops Fred, I missed a post there about the e-break...sounds like a fried tranny to me. I'll re-read and see if I come to any other conclusions, have you checked the tranny fluid lvl?

 

[fred84]

I just was out playing with it and hearing some rubbing noise so i climbed under and its coming from the tranny. While I was under there i found two leaks coming from it. So I Will probably do the tranny this sat. Thanks for your help. I will keep playing and post any other findings.

 

[doonze]

Ok, I need to stop trying to read these post while at work, not only do I miss things, my thinking is not quite right either.

First of all, after thinking about it more, I believe I was a little bit incorrect about how an open diff will behave normally when jacked up. It's been 6 or 7 years since I had a rear in the air and messed with it. Unless I'm mistaken I think in park is where the wheels will rotate in different directions. I remember this because it surprised me so much that the wheels aren't locked. I do know I've always made sure the front wheels are ****ed or the e-brake is on at least when jacking up the rear since then. Now I'm tempted to jack up my rear and test it to see if I remember correctly.

Secondly, if you can't get any movement out of the tranny/transfer case then your auto hubs are not going to engage and the test are useless. Maybe if you have manual hubs, but with auto hubs it's no use. I just wanted to figure out if the rear wheels were locked if the fronts would be too. I guess testing the front drive shaft itself would have been a good test with 4x4 engaged though.

But I think your on the right track, I would bet the tranny is your problem. The transfer cases on these things are pretty tough. Do you know why it was locked up before? When you were trying to push it? That's the thing that really has me wondering now. E-brake wasn't on then was it?

Wish I was more help, but I'm still not 100% on this 4x4 and transfer case stuff and no one else was chiming in.

 

[fred84]

Ya the e-brake was off. It was in neutral. I dont know why it wouldnt move but it is in the air spinning so its just weird. Like I said though there is a large leak that wasnt there before. So That needs to be fix anyways but it makes me wonder if its more then the tranny. So unless someone else says so before tomorrow night I will be tearing it apart and starting there. Thanks for your help.

 

[fred84]

K so just a word of advice. GET AIR TOOLS FOR THIS PROJECT. Holy crap. Old tranny out and new one in. now just to put it all back together. Any one know about transfer cases? Some one told me that if you hold the rear shaft and try moving the front it shouldn't:scratch: budge at all. my wiggles just slightly but not even a fourth of an inch. They said that they give it two months tops. whats your thoughts? :scratch:

 

[doonze]

Mine moves if it's in 2wd... I've climbed under there and moved it about 1/4 turn back and forth with no problems. This is with the rear shaft "locked", i.e. In gear and truck off.

Now if it's in 4x4, then you shouldn't be able to hold one and turn the other.....