Help! Low Range But No High Range

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K

KEEJEF

10 Year 15 Year
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Nov 30, 2008
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4
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24
I have a 1992 Landcruiser and am having issues with what I think is a transfer case problem. I can shift into low range and the vehicle drives as it should but when I shift to high range it doesn't go anywhere regardless of being in forward or reverse and you can hear gears spinning and slightly grinding in the transmission and/or transfer case. Any ideas on where to start looking for the culprit? Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give.
Jeff
 
Check the drive flanges. If they strip out, you'll go nowhere in high.


Buck
 
Have you been wheeling lately? I had the exact same symptoms when my birfield busted. You could try putting it in low, pulling the fuse for the center differential lock (30a IIRC), and then shifting back into high. If it drives at that point, you've got an issue with your birfield or drive flange. You can also inspect the drive flange by pulling the center cap on the wheel.
 
^^^ he has a 92 so there is a factory installed center diff lock button. to the OP, just press the center diff lock butt0n in 4 hi and see if that fixes it. try putting it in 4 hi with the car off and make sure its fully engaged and start the car, when you put it into drive it shouldent pop out of gear or move the shifter much.
 
CJF said:
You guys have got it. Almost guaranteed to be a stripped drive flange.
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And this is very, very good news compared with a trans/t-case fix. $50-100 and not a lot of time to fix (unless its the birfs, of course).

Also, KEEJEF, I have a used drive flange off my '93 from when I went to the longer birfs (and taller flanges) if you end up needing one. Shoot me a PM.
 
First, I really appreciate the replys. I just bought this cruiser and don't know much of the history behind it. When I got it the low and high range seemed to work fine but not sure about center diff lock because light on dash doesn't come on. The key had broken off in the tumbler when I got it so I got a new one and installed it. After installing it is when the issues started. I pulled into my garage to fix the key issue and after putting back together i couldn't get transmission out of park without using override button. In looking at some other post I figured out the ignition switch wasn't getting the feed hot to the 30amp fuse. Now it will shift out of park like it should but when you put the transfer case in high it sounds like something is spinning in the transfer case but not quite meshing. when you put the trans in park or neutal and change to low range it will engage and go forward and backward as it should. I know several of the replys point to the drive flanges but It seems to be more in the high/low range part of the transfer case. Not that it is necessarily connected to the issue but I pulled the center diff lock motor and tested with a 9v battery and it seems to be operating as it should. I will try the suggestion of putting in high range with engine off and restarting this evening and see something different happens. Iv'e had several FJ40s in the past but this is my first 80 series. Thanks in advance for the help.
 
I did try pushing the diff lock while in high range and it didn't change the noise coming from the transfer case and didn't move either!
 
That seems more like what is happening. The high/low shifter is really stiff going back and forth. The top of the transfer case is pretty much a pain to get to even with the transfer case dropped as the case when I pulled the center diff lock motor. Any tips on checking this to be the problem? Thanks.
 
KEEJEF said:
That seems more like what is happening. The high/low shifter is really stiff going back and forth. The top of the transfer case is pretty much a pain to get to even with the transfer case dropped as the case when I pulled the center diff lock motor. Any tips on checking this to be the problem? Thanks.
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Pull the cotter pin on the transfer case linkage. You should be able to move the transfer case in and out of gear by hand easily.

The transfer case lever is mounted to the top of the transmission and is accessed from inside the cabin. It is common for the shift lever pin to become corroded over time and cause difficult shifting.
 
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Oh, and if you push the center diff lock button on the dashboard and the truck goes normally, then it has nothing to do with the transfer case.

You may want to try that first as it is the easiest thing to try, as already suggested.

OOPS...Just saw post #9. Sorry about that.
 
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jonheld said:
Pull the cotter pin on the transfer case linkage. You should be able to move the transfer case in and out of gear by hand easily.

The transfer case lever is mounted to the top of the transmission and is accessed from inside the cabin. It is common for the shift lever pin to become corroded over time and cause difficult shifting.
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Yup, try this. Mine was giving me a hard time shifting from 4-high to 4-low, I had to pull on the shifter with both hands to get it to move. I disconnected the linkage underneath then worked the shifter inside the truck (with nothing attached to it) back and forth about 80 times, loosened it up enough that it now shifts nice and smooth.

Have you tried shifting into 4-high while the truck is OFF? Sometimes it's easier that way. (rather than just in N)
 
I think I just verified the first guess at what was wrong is correct. I put it in high and looked underneath and saw the front drive shaft spinning. Must be the drive flanges! Now i just need to pull them and see what all I have to replace. Looks like there are some sort of cone washers under the nuts and lock nuts. Any trick to getting them off and removing the drive flanges? Next step after fixing this will be figuring out why I couldn't just press the center diff lock button and it work in high. First the drive flanges and whatever else is broken in the front axle. Thanks again for the help.
 
KEEJEF said:
Any trick to getting them off and removing the drive flanges?.
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A lot of guys will unscrew the nuts until they are on the very end of the studs, then put a brass drift on each one and give it a good whack. I don't prefer this method. Instead, I use a mallet or hammer and whack the lip of the drive flange itself. Keep the nuts on the studs while you do this so the cone washers don't go flying.
 
Passenger side hub and the outer axle were both stripped out. Got it all apart and got the hub from toyota and ordered aftermarket outer axle. Should have it back together next week. Thanks for all the help on this one.
 
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