wow ok a couple probably crappy discoverys. first off the front drive shaft is spinning. so i decided to really give the cable a good yank and pulling pretty much as hard as i could get a grip on nothing happened. the thing does not want to engage. but while i was doing that i accidentally ripped the actuator open and what looked like tranny fluid came out and as far as i can tell it was filled up from the vacuum line. what the heck is up with that? looks like i may have more than one problem. plus when i went under the truck i realised that someone else had removed the skid plate, maybe to get at where the cable connects? they left the plate bolts loose. this is depressing cause it tells me the previous owner knew about the problem and was unable to figure it out. ideas please??

 

That is typically caused by a combination of things, a failed input seal on the front of the transfer case and a bad vacuum switch on the transfer case.

I would start by first removing the fill plug on the back of the transfer case. It will be the plug half way up the back of the case. Be prepared because if the input seal is bad, the transfer case will be full of transmission fluid and it will flow out of the fill plug. If transmission fluid pours out, you need to remove the transfer case and replace the front seal.

You will then need to replace the vacuum switch on the transfer case. This can be somewhat fun. It is located above the encoder motor on the driver side of the transfer case.

Once you have that removed, you need to clean the vacuum lines. This is the most problematic and time consuming step in the whole process as the stuff can get into the HVAC system and clog up the works. Not fun at all.

 

ok hope you're still up, now just assuming i need to replace that seal and switch, what about the fact that i yanked pretty good on the cable and the front wheels wouldn't spin. is that another problem, or probably solved by fixing the seal and switch?

 

You should be able to engage it by pulling on it. If you cannot, then there is something that is restricting the engagement at the axle. You will have to open up the axle where the actuator cable connects and see if you can engage it there.

 

great. back to the garage..... hope to return with some time of good news soon. but i'm not banking on it.

 

ok another question, how big is this plug? i think i'm going after the right thing. it's at the back of the transfer case. but it's pretty big. i don't have a socket big enough and it's sort of protected but the case so i can't get a crescent on it. am i after the right bolt? there is another identical plug below it.

 

Sounds like you are describing the drain (lower) and fill (upper) plugs properly.

 

ok i got the drain plug off and sure enough it was a gusher. are there any good diy posts on changing the seal? with pics hopefully.
also i went as far as unbolting the three bolts that hold the plate on where the cable goes into the , is it front diff? anyways from there i could tell i was pulling the cable to it's engagement point and still nothing happened with the front wheels. might not have been the safest thing to be under there with the truck running pulling on that cable but i wanted to be sure.

so i need to change the seal, the vacuum switch, clean out or replace the vacuum lines and then do what with front end?
this sucks.

 

Yeah, it sounds like your wheels are locking then, but your transfer case is not engaging.

No engagement means no marriage. heehee