Transfer Case Oil

[duke16]

I went to check my transfer case oil level today and unfortunately pulled the drain plug instead of the fill plug. It was the only plug I saw at the time, I took the damper off and the only plug behind it was the drain plug. There is another plug however higher up that says "AIE Level", maybe, it's hard to read. Unfortunately I only discovered that one after I pulled the drain plug. Is that the one I was supposed to use to check and fill? It's a little higher and to the right of the drain plug.

Now that I've lost all the oil do I need to fill it back up if I'm not using the 4x4? The front axle doesn't look like it's moving when I push the truck a little. I have the version where you press the 4X4 button to engage it.

Where can I purchase the oil from? It's Warner 13-54 and Advanced Auto Zone said they didn't carry it.

 

[Blee1099]

Get a hose & a pump and pump some fluid into the transfer case. Or find a bottle that you can squeeze to push fluid into your transfer case. Use regular Mercon III fluid for your transfer case.

 

[duke16]

Where is the fill plug? All I see is the drain plug. And Mercon III will be a OK substitute for the recommended stuff?

Also I'm not sure if I'm going to have time to do this today and I have to leave for Charlotte early in the morning. So do I need the fluid as it didn't look like the axle was turning.

 

[Blee1099]

Where is the fill plug? All I see is the drain plug. And Mercon III will be a OK substitute for the recommended stuff?

Also I'm not sure if I'm going to have time to do this today and I have to leave for Charlotte early in the morning. So do I need the fluid as it didn't look like the axle was turning.

There should be a fill plug on the top portion of the transfer case. Mercon is the required fluid according to my manual.

 

[duke16]

Looks like I wasn't the only one who did this, I did the exact same thing the guy in the following thread did;
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121908&highlight=transfer+case+fluid
The Hayes manual isn't very specific.

One thing from that thread is they say the truck shouldn't be driven without the oil because the gears inside the transfer case are still turning. But I'm not sure I understand this. The axle doesn't move but the gears are?

I have a 93, do you think that'll make a difference as far as the fluid goes? Seeing as yours is a lot newer.

- UPDATE -
ATF level, that's what it says. That's the only other plug I can see. Is that the fill plug or is that for something else?

- UPDATE -
Oh, Automatic Transmission Fluid, ATF... guess that's not the fill plug then.

Well I've gone and got myself some Mercon Dextron III and a siphon pump, now I just need to find that fill hole and I'm set.

 

[duke16]

Turned out that plug that said "ATF level" was the correct one, the Haynes manual was way off. I filled it back up with the Mercon Dextron III, which was a ***** to do... half ended up all over the driveway. Unfortunately this did not fix my problem with my 4X4 not engaging, so next week I suppose I'll try and clean the inside of the shift motor.

 

[KPT]

One thing from that thread is they say the truck shouldn't be driven without the oil because the gears inside the transfer case are still turning. But I'm not sure I understand this. The axle doesn't move but the gears are?

Notice how the rear driveshaft goes to the transfer case. It always has to spin the rear driveshaft........

 

[F14CRAZY]

The rear output shaft of the transfer case drives an internal oil pump, so that there is always oil circulating in there.