Help w/ Possible Trans./4x4 problem

[DitchCruiser]

I was at the beach driving in the sand in 4 wheel drive and my front wheels would slip out leaving me digging a hole with my back tires. I would jiggle the transfer lever a little and it would work again for a while and slip out again. When it slips out i hear a grinding noise. What could possibly be going on? Could it be my clutch, loose gears or what? Thanks for the help.

 

[60wag]

A number of people are reporting their 60s slipping out of 4wd. There doesn't seem to be a solid agreement as to the cause. I think that the dentent that is suposed to hold it in place is probably worn a bit. The rubber boot around the lever is getting old and stiff and may be trying to push it out of gear a bit. Maybe you have a broken engine mount that is allowing the engine to shift a bit and pull it out of gear. You might examine the tcase shift linkage to see if it is properly adjusted. Perhaps adjusting a bit longer to push is further into gear might reduce the chance that it will pop out. Resist the urge to wrap a bungee cord around it because this will cause damage to the shift fork iside the case. HTHs

 

[Extreme_Trans]

The Hi-Low ratio in the transfer is leaver activated but the 4X4 is in fact vacuum controled. I have seen these loose vacuum for some reson or another and cause the 4X4 to not engage. At least I think it's vacuum? I have tested these with compressed air lightly and you can hear them engaging and disengaging. So it's either vacuum controled or compressed air. I would think that it is vacuum and my air test just acts in the revearse.
Regards
Rodney
Wholesale Automatics.

 

[archtimb]

Hi Rodney!
How'd you get to this before me?
Anyway, he did not say whether or not this was a 60 or a 62, but I must assume it is a 60. The 60 has almost the same transfer as our 3FE's, but with a few differences, one of which is a manual shift 4WD rather than the vacume shift. You are right on the 3FE's, vacume shift.
Try 60Wag's suggestions, otherwise it's time for a rebuild on the transfer. Go to the link below for my writeup on the transfer. Re-assembly page is not made yet, but this should give you an idea of where you are headed.

http://www.archtimb.com/transfer.html

To contribute, get on over to the 3FE list on Yahoo.
Ditch, now go wash that salt off your carraige!

Mitch

 

[Landpimp]

actaully.........US spec fj60 are pure mechincal high low and 2 to 4

fj62's are 2x4 vacuume, high to low mechanical

my fj60 did the same deal, it just needed some use, in and out, in and out ect.....when I use low I push over and back.......no issues anymore. If not as simple as that 60wag has all the other possibiltes covered.

 

[DitchCruiser]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yea, it's an '87 fj60 - forgot to tell ya. I just took the trans. protector off and noticed that the trans. and motor mounts all seem to be tight and in place so misplacement doesn't seem to be a problem. Hopefully i won't need a transfer case rebuild. Is their anything else that I might be able to look for while i have the time that might lead me to a solution? 60wag - you recommended checking the t-case shift linkage, is that located right above the t-case or is it fed off of the transmission? After I find the shift linkage, is it a simple turning of a bolt to adjust it? Thanks again, and yea, I got made sure to spray the salt off - I've already had to do a little welding work on it due to the past owner's excursions out around Va. Beach.

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

Ive heard that you can get a conversion kit (pieces) to convert the vacume high range to a mechanical high range?

Any thoughts on that?


TB

 

[brownbear]

I've had this engaging problem on my bj60. I would be in 4 high and the lever would make a kinda clunk sound and pop right forward. Mostly when it was under load climbing a hill. Regardless to what gear I am in. I look forward to hear what others say. DB

 

[landcruiserdude]

I was at the beach driving in the sand in 4 wheel drive and my front wheels would slip out leaving me digging a hole with my back tires. I would jiggle the transfer lever a little and it would work again for a while and slip out again. When it slips out i hear a grinding noise. What could possibly be going on? Could it be my clutch, loose gears or what? Thanks for the help.

I'm betting that your driver side motor mount is broke in half. This exact same symptom happened to me when I was in Colorado last year. When I was really reving the engine, I could hear a grinding noise, and I was having great difficulty going up some trails. When I got back to camp, I inspected my motor mounts, and they looked just fine. However, when I got back home, I jacked my motor up, and sure enough, the driver side mount had cracked clean in half. This is common problem on most FJ60s that have their original mounts. The passenger side is usually in good shape, because the engine torques toward it, compressing it, while, the driver side is being pulled.

 

[dd113]

Even money says it is a motor mount or tranny mount. Might be bound up linkage but if it only pops out during driving such as up a hill, over a bump, around a turn then look to mounts. If it goes in easy and goes out easy but just wont stay in then the linkage is too short or mounts trashed.

I have never seen nor heard of it being a detent ball issue. On the 60 the engage to 4WD is by the lever. Even if there is no ball in place the lever should keep it in 4WD. The ball provides a positive position for the lever.

 

[Matador98]

I have a similar problem. Did you have somebody riding shotgun? I am a big guy, and most of my friends are over 6 feet as well, and with those long legs, my 4WD kept disengaging, in sand as well at the Pismo Dunes. Anyways, I finally figured out that when in 4LO, my buddies legs kept hitting the lever ever so slightly, but enough to put the transfer in neutral. Happens to me all the time because my friends can't keep their legs to themselves.