Transfer case, hubs or sludge?

[gmanpaint]

Hey fellow x's!
I am trying to narrow down a problem with my 94 4 dr xlt. The 4x4, wont work!
Ok, going to try to explain. When it is in park, gear, or in neutral, the shift motor engages, you can hear it, the lights on the dash light up. But nothing happens. I tried to pull my boat out of the lake, in grass, and the rears spun, nothing from the fronts. Tried it at home, pulling my car out of yard( it has sat for two yrs and sunk in the ground), same thing happened. I only tried it again thinking maybe some thing just was not right at the lake.
I asked around and got three different answers;
1) the transfer case is shot
2) the hubs are bad
3) the case is filled with sludge from old grease, and needs to be cleaned out
and repacked.
Any one have a clue?

 

[MrShorty]

Where the 4x4 light is coming on, that suggests that the shift motor is doing its part. The next weak link on these is the auto hubs (assuming you still have them). Follow the power flow. In 4H, does the t-case spin the front driveshaft? If yes, then does one (or both) of the axleshafts spin? If either axleshaft spins without spinning the wheel, then that hub is not engaging.

 

[gmanpaint]

Yes it has the stock hubs. I will have to jack it up and try to spin the axles by hand. Not sure how much to spin them though b/4 it should grab. If they are bad, should I swap them with lockers?

 

[MrShorty]

I'd put manual lockouts on in place of the stock auto lockouts. In addition to being stronger than the autos, the manual lockouts are generally quite a bit cheaper than the stock hubs. It might not hurt to try cleaning the auto hubs out first, as excess grease can prevent them from functioning correctly.