Transfer case issues 5.0/awd 4404

[99EB5.0]

I posted a thread several months back about a noise I was hearing, a metallic sound while coasting, replaced the front d/s hoping to fix it, no luck.

This last weekend I drained my transfer case with the result of silver fluid with the viscosity of water. I had changed the fluid about 4 months earlier and fluid was still red. I filled it up with Mobil 1 drove it around, drained it again and filled it back up. Noise still there.

Ive put about 50k on it since I bought it last March, noise has always been there. Sounds like a bearing.

My question is, what in the transfer cases could cause this noise, yet hold up for this long.

This is my daily driver so I don't have the option of pulling the t/c and opening it up so see. Luckily the junk yard out here is littered with these explorers so I think I'm going to go pull a couple plugs until I find good looking fluid and bring it home. Rent a car for a day and swap t/c's.

Id like to rebuild mine as I have time, but is replacing seals/bearing going to be my fix?

 

[99EB5.0]

Anybody?

I've compiled a list of symptoms...
Noise severity varies when turning.
No noise when in reverse.
No noise when accelerating, or at least I can't hear it, seems to be only when coasting, in gear or in neutral.
If I hit the brakes hard to come to a stop, I get a thud, or clunk, also when accelerating after the hard stop.

 

[shadowless127]

Swap the t-case and be done with it. Sounds like internals are grinding up.

 

[99EB5.0]

But why would it be completely silent when I take off the front d/s. Aren't the intervals still moving?...