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Drained T-case and found this

Begster

Begster

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cape Cod/Boston, Mass
Alright, so I've been working on my Jeep this whole weekend getting it ready for its break in run and first time offroad since Oct. '07.

Long story short, I go to drain the transfercase, and I noticed this, it seems plastic, and there might be some metallic shavings in the fluid, but it was hard to tell as I emptied the fluid into a container that already contained engine oil, regular gear oil, gear oil contaminated with water, etc.

DSC_2897.jpg


Does anyone know what this might be? I have to drive back up to Boston tomorrow to go back to school, where I wouldn't be able to drop the T-case or really work on it?
 
No its not magnetic.



Just snapped a picture of the oil container. Doesn't look good.
DSC_2900.jpg
 
Last edited:
Apparently that's not it - cool "starry" pic though! :eek:

If you don't want to crack it open right now, check for an online parts guide/breakdown and see if you can ID the piece. Doesn't look like anything in the one pic I have posted about my 231...

Jim
 
As I haven't had to work with T-cases before, please bare with me. I can pull the back part of the case off without having to drop the entire t-case right, like there aren't any shafts that slip onto bearings that are installed in the rear case, and its impossible to get them back in if its horizontal?

Once I get my front hub fixed, I'm going to go try to drive it around, see whats up with my 4wd. I did put it in 4wd as a test, and the shaft does not spin freely once 4 is engaged, so thats good. There is some slop, its not as tight as my rear axle, but it doesn't spin freely.
 
It's a piece of the shift fork pads. The metal is coming from the fork running on the collar without this/these pads.

I last bought these pads from Quadratec, under $8 IIRC.
 
That's part of a shift rod pad. Sounds like your 242 has cooked before and melted the pads. Case might be alright currently but when they get worse it will develop shifting problems and might fall out of gear.

I'd suggest rebuilding the case, you may be able to get away with just replacing the shift rod pads if the bearings look good. If you're not the original owner you can tell immediately if it's been cooked when you open the case up.

Here is a case that hasn't been terribly abused:
IMG_0020.jpg


Here is a cooked case:
IMG_0010.jpg


Here are bad shift fork pads:
IMG_0011.jpg


Here are good (new) shift fork pads:
IMG_0024.jpg
 
Thanks for the help Overland and Sequia.

I'm not the original owner on the Jeep, but it was stock, and as far as I could tell (was 16 and knew nothing about Jeeps), never offroaded before.

What would cause the T-case to get cooked?

Do you think it would be extremely unwise to do a 1 hour trip back to school tomorrow, 2 hour trip to the trail next Sunday, a couple hours of wheeling, and then a 2 hour trip home? Or is that just asking for trouble?
 
Begster said:
What would cause the T-case to get cooked?
Click to expand...

Oil starvation.

Begster said:
Do you think it would be extremely unwise to do a 1 hour trip back to school tomorrow, 2 hour trip to the trail next Sunday, a couple hours of wheeling, and then a 2 hour trip home? Or is that just asking for trouble?
Click to expand...

Got AAA? I'd do it if i had a backup plan to get me home in case the transfer case died, but I'd make damn sure it was full of oil and I'd check it a few times on the way. If you do not have a way to get the Jeep home if it dies I'd suggest not doing so.
 
Or introduction of water, which Sequioa's looks like from the pics.

I saved a transfer with the same issue, i had to replace the shift fork and pads. Clean all the bearings well with WD before reassembly... you will have to tear it down.

I wouldnt run it, unless you plan to swap in another transfer.
 
OverlandXJ said:
Or introduction of water, which Sequioa's looks like from the pics.
Click to expand...

Was a bone yard case so I don't know.

I do know that it had a very nice crack in the front half though! (thoe were two different cases there)
 
When I opened it, I first opened the fill plug, and fluid started leaking out from there, so there was no oil starvation it was filled. The fluid was pretty red when it came out, but I've never seen water mixed with Dexron III.

I do have AAA. Out of the 2 times I've called them, I've ended up having to cancel the tow both times. Who knows, 3rd times a charm.

Either way, I need to drive it back to school tomorrow, and I wouldn't have a chance to see whats up or change it for a while.
 
Alright, I just got the Jeep back together, I can't disengage 4wd. I have manual front hubs so that works out.
 
OverlandXJ said:
It's a piece of the shift fork pads. The metal is coming from the fork running on the collar without this/these pads.

I last bought these pads from Quadratec, under $8 IIRC.
Click to expand...
Bingo! Its a very important part!
 
I'd say if you caught it in time, replace the shift fork/pads and put it back together if everything looks good. I cooked my case one time and the aluminum range fork grenaded when the pads wore through. Made a nice bang noise in reverse trying to engage the planetaries.

Pop the case, check everything out, and if you want the spare range / shift forks I have from my old 231s let me know.

Anyone know if they will interchange?
 
MoparManiac said:
Anyone know if they will interchange?
Click to expand...


The shift fork i spoke of earlier was a 231 from an 87 YJ, it was worn where the pads seat. I attempted to remove the rollpin that attaches it to the shift rail without luck. And the shift rail i had from a parts 94 231 was different and unusable.

I ended up buying a shiftrail and fork attached that did match.
 
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