• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Removing transfercase, what's the secret?

Sierra Drifter

Sierra Drifter

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Ramon Ca
So I'm pulling my transfercase and I can't get to a couple of the nuts.
It looks like I'm going to have to drop the exhaust, which is very rusty and I anticipate a painful removal. I've got both driveshafts out, disconnected the shift linkage, removed the electrical connection to the speed sensor, removed the crossmember, removed the mount from the trans, and I've lowered the trans/tcase as far as I can. And I still can't get a wrench on all of the nuts. It's a 2001 XJ, AW4 trans, 231 T-case. So am I missing something obvious, is there a secret to getting the T-case out?
 
#1 Remove crossmember
There are 4 bolts on the sides and they are 9/16" and in the middle of the crossmember look underneath and there are 4 13MM botls for the tranny mount.
#2 Usin a jack and lower the tranny and t-case all the way as far as they will go. It should only drop like 5".
#3 You need to go to Sears or like place and get a 9/16" stubby wrench not a full size one.
#4 Remove nuts with a dead blow if they are stuck on.
 
i use an air rachet.. you can actually lower down the tranny t-case a few inches, if you dont have an air rachet get a long extension on a rachet with a swivel head. It only took me about 45 mins to drop my whole t-case by myself
 
I used a racheting stubby wrench I got at Home Depot. Couldn't start itoff by hand, so I used a rachet strap hooked over the open end of the wrench and secured to my rock rider to start it.
 
A starter wrench works best!
 
RCP Phx said:
A starter wrench works best!
Click to expand...



starter_wrench.png


This one?
 
I'm feeling the pain at the moment - after spending about an hour underneath trying and figuring out how to get to those two nuts I thought I'll do a search and see how others did it. The FSM just mentions, loosen this and that and remove the nuts holding the transfercase to the transmission....easier said than done.

Okay, so from the above advice I need a stubby, other than that - do I NEED to remove my exhaust? It's a 2000 with AW4 and NP242. At first I thought I'll remove the exhaust until the first nut I tried broke off - no biggie, but then I noticed I also need to remove the sensors on the exhaust as well and they won't budge. I'll be very glad if this job can be done with the exhaust in tact...can it?
 
i believe i took mine out without removing the exhaust... not positive though. also, i have an ax15 and 231, so it's a different setup than you have... maybe just give it a try and see how it goes for ya? can't hurt to try
 
I've never had to remove the exhaust to get the T-case out. Its a pain but after the first couple they go easy. Its about a half hour job now.
 
I've never had to remove the exhaust, and I've had mine out too many times to count. Let the trans/t-case drop, the front motor mounts will hold it. T-case was a 5 hour job for me, on the ground with no power tools. 2 hours out, an hour on the bench doing whatever I had to do to the t-case, and 2 hours going back in.
 
i was able to get a regular length ratcheting box end to all my bolts, it might be because my motor mounts are worn out and allowed the drive line to tilt more, but it wasnt too bad of a job
 
Well, its out! ...but I had to remove that section of the exhaust running past the transfercase. At first I lowered the transfercase as far as it could go and it definately made things a lot easier, but the was that one bolt sitting right next to the exhaust. I checked my watch to see of the hardware store would still be open to go get a stubby wrench, but no luck. After I've taken the portion of the exhaust out I could have kicked myself that I didn't do it earlier - with it removed it's as easy as pie to get to all the bolts with normal tools.
 
Exhaust can stay on, but once you take the crossmember out you might as well undo the connection to the exhaust manifold. This will let the front of the exhaust move around a bit, and helps in getting to the transfer case bolts on the passenger side.

A transmission jack would be nice, but I found that a floor jack is enough to get it disengaged from the transmission, then let it "roll" down the jack to the floor, drag it out. For putting the new one in, get under the jeep, roll the case onto your chest and just push it up and in. Make sure you tie the wiring harness back out of the way so you're not trying to fight it.

And if you're taking the transfer case apart, get a set of locking ring pliers (NAPA, about 20 bucks) as opposed to snap ring pliers. I did the rear shaft swap-out twice with snap ring pliers, cursed the whole time. Did it again this weekend, used the locking ring pliers, 20 minutes of cursing is reduced to 30 seconds of work and saying to yourself "wow, that was easy". Don't ask how I know.....

Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
NP 231 input shaft
Replies
3
Views
2K
RCP Phx
R
Anak
How to Slot the CPS
Replies
4
Views
174
Evan03
E
K
Shop rebuilt front differential failed on first test drive, trying to figure out why?
Replies
4
Views
3K
xcm
xcm
C
Before I Get the Head Milled (Overheating)
2
Replies
31
Views
8K
maxbraketorque
M
G
Catalytic Converter Guard - Stinky Fab Crossmember
Replies
7
Views
2K
gearwhine
G
Back
Top