Transfer Case question

Y

Yukon Cornelius

New member
Greetings all,

Please forgive my naivete, but I'm about as green as they come when working on these old girls. Nevertheless, my question is, how do I know if the transfer case is fully functional in its sedentary position?

Bear with me: I bought a basket case, if you will, to restore. It's a 69 1100D 4x4. The engine was torn apart and sitting in the bed of the truck when I bought it. So, should I crawl underneath and start taking things apart in the transfer case before I put the engine in?

I kind of have that same question for the front differential as well. Ditto, the hubs, should I tear all of that apart, or take it on faith they'll function once things are put back together?

Thanks a million!
 
The engine does not require a transfer case in order to run, so I wouldn't let your uncertainty about the case condition hold you up on bringing the engine back online.
First thing to check on the t-case is, can you manipulate the gear lever through the full range of motion to hit every selector position? Next, from under the vehicle, grip the propeller shafts one at a time near the case and shake each of them with all the force you can muster...up, down and side to side. A tiny amount of end play at the case outputs is fine, but excessive slop is not.
There should be an inspection cover on the bottom of the t-case that can be removed to not only drain the gear oil, but also allow you to shine a light inside for a partial view of the gears. If any pieces are sitting in the bottom of the pan or fall out as the pan is removed, or if the thing is full of rust and metal shavings, those would obviously be cause for concern and subsequent unit removal.
Don't just stop at draining the old oil out. Blast the living snot out of the case innards with liberal applications of brake parts cleaner spray. If everything thus far looks decent, you can button up the cover plate with a new gasket and refill with the lubricant type as specified in the factory service manual that I know you'll be investing in if you haven't already done so.
You can't really take anything on faith when reviving an old, abused and poorly maintained basket case. You should always prepare for and expect the worst at every turn. That way you set yourself up to be genuinely astonished and pleasantly surprised in the rare event that you encounter some item that turns out to be in good working order.
Lockout hubs, wheel bearings, brakes...indeed on and on and on all must be inspected, cleaned and properly lubricated as needed. You have no way of knowing what was done properly, improperly or not at all...and when, by the previous owner. Its up to you to determine the condition and establish the maintenance baselines for every major component in the vehicle. Simple right? We've all had to start somewhere. Get that manual, read up on this forum, keep asking questions, and post good pictures here of anything you're not sure about. Good luck.
 
Awesome reply!!!!

Great advice, thank you! See, car guys are a good breed, always willing to lend a hand.

I'll just start inspecting everything and tackle them one at a time. I'm currently finishing up the engine compartment, once it's pretty I'll be ready to put the engine back in. However, I think it's nice having all of that working room without the engine in. So any advice on what I should tackle prior to putting it back in?

Thanks again.
 
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