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4 wheel drive is (finally) fixed

January 3rd, 2008 at 07:19 am

My fiance has been struggling in the snow and mud for the past month without a 4 wheel drive pickup...well a 4 wheel drive pickup who's 4 wheel drive doesn't work. Trying to feed cows, haul them water, even just drive down the rock roads has been terrible! Caused quite a few fights between the two of us, along the lines of:

"VROOM VROOM VROOM"

"Stop it! You're going towards the ditch!"

"VROOM VROOM VROOM (drive / reverse / drive / reverse / drive / cuss / cuss / cuss / reverse / drive ... / get the chains out / cuss / cuss / cuss) PEEL OUT"

We were at the last straw. 4 wheel drive is almost a necessity with this weather. I guess chains were working, but much less convenient and took a lot more time.

He talked to a few people who knew their way around a 4 wheel drive, and they decided there was something wrong with the transfer case. (You pull a lever in the cab, and the other end of the lever is in the transfer case. The gears in the transfer case is what makes it go from two wheel drive to four wheel drive.) So last week we finally tore into it. My dad had a transfer case that had one of the bearings out of it, but the rest of it was good (he had fixed his last year, and this was the leftovers), and told us to come pick it up and use it for parts, because their pickups are both early 90's Ford 3/4 ton pickups.

In two afternoons, we tore ours apart, tore Dad's apart, and found what was wrong...a plate that moves when you shift wasn't moving like it should (sorry if my terminology is wrong...I call it like I see it) because the snap ring had came off. We think the snap ring had come off because on the end of the lever was a star shaped "male" end, and on the plate was a star shaped "female" end, and one of the fingers of the star had worn off and it couldn't get the plate to move.

So we looked at Dad's, and no more star! They must have decided that was a bad design, because his lever and plate had a half circle on each component that fit together, which seemed much sturdier. Put his plate and lever in our transfer case, put it all together, lots of gasket making goo, lots of bolts, both of us on the cold concrete trying to put it back up under the pickup. Got it installed, backed it up, he started testing it (of course by driving off into the snow...I was smart and stayed in the other pickup) and IT DIDN'T WORK. Stuck in the snow.

We left it there for 4 days.

Finally, he decided today to look at it again (this time without my help). Pulled it out, took it apart, and discovered that the plate was on backwards! When he told me that, I didn't remind him that I had questioned which way the plate should go. Wink For the record, I didn't tell him it should go the other way, I just asked which way it should go. So maybe both of our faults. Anyway, he got it off, opened, switched around, more gasket goo, more bolts, more cold concrete floor, but this time IT WORKED!

This is awesome. He was looking for a new transfer case or even a used one at a junkyard, but all he could find was 3 hours away for $950! Yeah! Only had to buy more gasket goo! And extra diesel because he tore around the pastures through any snow banks he could find Smile

3 Responses to “4 wheel drive is (finally) fixed”

  1. denisentexas Says:
    1199362046

    Woohoo, glad it's working now! No more ditch time, right? lol

  2. luxliving Says:
    1199385746

    $950 saved and you didn't HAVE TO say "I told ya' so!!"

    PRICELESS!!!


    Great job and a test of the old 'for better, for worst' parts, heh???

  3. baselle Says:
    1199586888

    At least it works. DH was installing a sound card for someone and he also installed it upside down. Much cursing, and thoughts of calling and "cursing" customer service. I suggested that he turn it around just in case before he called. Try it all before you curse!

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