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So you’re not concerned about WHY the bolt broke?
'72 FJ40 t-case scary situation...need help. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TeeTodd
- Start date
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If you took a sample of Mark’s blood ^^^^ you’d likely find he has Cruiser DNA mixed into it. I believe you’ve got lucky. If you don’t find the cause, you’ll be the one having it grenadine at 60 mph.
Dig deeper.
- Thread starter
- #23
My apologies for not being more clear in the initial message. I didn’t want to bore everybody on the forum with the details but you do bring up a good point so here are the boring details: As mentioned, this is a recent purchase, and there is much to work on as the previous owner wasn’t mechanically inclined. When I noticed the shaft sticking out the other day, I later attempted to drill out the bolt only to realize there was an end of an EZ-out embedded in the bolt. It also appears the bolt head and plate were held on by way of epoxy or some other bonding agent. Given the amount of rust, the suspicious residue of epoxy, the EZ out head, and the good shape the gears are in, the lack of sediment in the bottom of the case and the lack of issue/ noise/ vibration driving, my best guess is the bolt head was snapped off some time ago and glued on. However, you mentioned in your previous post there are forces that can shear that bolt and I’m all ears. I didn’t mean to disregard your initial post. What should I be looking for to verify I don’t have a larger problem than someone operating without a torque wrench?
- Thread starter
- #24
Agreed 100%. I should’ve responded to his initial post but didn’t in an effort to spare everybody the long winded story. Backfire. Let me know if my assumptions sound reasonable. If not, I will conduct a more thorough inspection of the T case and maybe even consider rebuilding it.
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You are the proud owner of a chain looking for it’s weakest link. Unless you know the history of the case, there is no reason to assume anything good. And a glued on bolt head should be a 
- Thread starter
- #26
You are the proud owner of a chain looking for it’s weakest link. Unless you know the history of the case, there is no reason to assume anything good. And a glued on bolt head should be a
Makes sense. Given all of your experience, do you have any insight regarding what signs, inside the t-case case, I should be looking out for? Like I mentioned earlier, to my untrained eye, all seemed to be well. You mentioned in your earlier post that lateral load on the shaft ends up snapping off the bolt In question... And that: torque over time also slowly wallows out the hole in the case that the shaft sits in, compromising the fit of the shaft. The shaft firmly sits in the holes on either side of the case. No vibration, sound or perceivable movement. What am I missing? If you don't mind: please give me a hint as to the expert diagnosis process with this problem.
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You should disassemble the case and inspect not only the shaft, but the inside facing of the idler gear for pitting. These are not things that you can see without taking the case apart, but are things you SHOULD know about your ‘chain’.
By the time you’re there, you will have exposed all the other standard wear points.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #28
You should disassemble the case and inspect not only the shaft, but the inside facing of the gear for pitting. These are not things that you can see without taking the case apart, but are things you SHOULD know about your ‘chain’.
By the time you’re there, you will have exposed all the other standard wear points.
Thanks
reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
If it will make you feel any better, years ago I was on the Fordyce trail and the guy behind me said I was leaking gear oil. Pulled over and sure enough, gear oil all over the place. The end of the idler shaft where the retainer sits had broken off and the shaft moved forward, pushing the plug part way out. The only reason it couldn't move more was it hit the Downey 700R4 adapter plate. We were able to pull the side cover and use two bars to manipulate (coax) the shaft back into position. We used a bolt in the end of the shaft, washers and the OEM retainer and bolt to keep the shaft in position and get home.
Moral of the story? The thrust washer dropped out, but we made it out, at the cost of a chewed up t-case. It's worth the piece of mind to make sure everything is where it belongs. A garage is a much better place to check than on the trail.
Moral of the story? The thrust washer dropped out, but we made it out, at the cost of a chewed up t-case. It's worth the piece of mind to make sure everything is where it belongs. A garage is a much better place to check than on the trail.
- Thread starter
- #30
Much appreciated!! That certainly puts things in perspective.
