Installing Transfer Case on a DD (1 Viewer)

[77 Mike]

Feel like I searched all the threads that had anything to do with transfer cases and still couldn't find an answer. Maybe this is just such a ridiculous question nobody has asked it:

Is it possible to install a stock transfer case onto a stock transmission while leaving the transmission in place? I'm working on a '77 but it has the frame of a '72 (I think) if that's relevant.

I was able to take the old case off because it was broken and I jiggled what remained past the crossmember. It's not looking good for the installation as far as clearance.

Assuming no, what are my options? Unbolt the engine at the mounts and try to tilt the engine/transmission so the transmission is lowered? Leave the engine in place and drop the transmission? Cut off the crossmember and get it welded back later?

This is my DD, so the easier and quicker the better.

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Possible, but not much fun. Unbolting and tilting the tranny down is probably your easiest solution, but it can still be a PITA. The bolts going into the bell housing are not fun to remove or reinstall.

If you have a full shop and some help it may be easier to remove the radiator and pull the engine/tranny as a unit, install the case and reinstall the whole thing.

 

[shelfboy1]

its pretty simple to unbolt the mounts from the engine and lower it down so you can install the transfer case. thats the only way i do it and its quick and simple the t case is 75 lbs and can be managed by 1 person .why cut into the truck or remove the motor when their is a simple easy way to do it ?

 

[77 Mike]

Are you talking about unbolting the engine/transmission combo from the frame and lowering the whole thing down with a hoist? That's a pretty good idea.

Fast Eddy, the pilot bearing and seperation/mating of the transmission still gives me nightmares. I'd like to avoid that at all cost. And unfortunately, no shop.

Thanks for your ideas, I'll follow-up with what happens.

 

[Living in the Past]

Removing the rear motor mounts and lowering the back of the engine is probably the easiest way. Check everything involved that could be effected. Everything in front of the front motor mounts with rise. Make sure the fan doesn't bind on the fan shroud. Carb on a 77 uses linkage. Watch that as well since this location will drop.

 

[StaleAle]

Removing the rear motor mounts and lowering the back of the engine is probably the easiest way. Check everything involved that could be effected. Everything in front of the front motor mounts with rise. Make sure the fan doesn't bind on the fan shroud. Carb on a 77 uses linkage. Watch that as well since this location will drop.

BE SURE TO LOOSEN THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS FIRST and support the engine with a jack under the rear of the motor/bell housing/tranny. If you unbolt and lower the rear of the engine without loosening the front motor mounts, you risk breaking a front motor mount and then you are in deep doodoo. Leave the front mounts bolted, just loosen them enough to relieve stress on the mounting points. This helped keep the engine from "drifting" while pushing and pulling on the tranny/transfer. If you lose one or both front motor mounts, the engine could drop or tilt sideways and cause all sorts of collateral damage to you and your vehicle. An engine hoist through the tranny hump opening makes handling the transfer case much easier. Use nylon slings and position them carefully to get the t-case oriented properly. It doesn't have to be exact, just close enough that a slight nudge or push from below brings things into alignment without having to support the full weight of the t-case.
Have Fun!

 

[shelfboy1]

if you have a floor jack you can balance the t case and have your helper raise the t case up ,or i set it on my chest and just lift it up and slide it on the shaft after 40 years of working on these i no longer see anything thats hard about fixing them.after working on 6x6 and mosnter trucks i geuss the fj40 starts looking easy .good luck

 

[77 Mike]

So I took care of this issue back in January. I'm just doing this write up for anyone that finds themselves in a similar situation and hopefully it will help. And it is also as a warning to others to not do stupid things with their truck, or at least think before you do.

The whole thing started with me getting cocky. I had adjusted the valves and the thing was running great. So I thought I would try to spin the tires one night. It had rained earlier so the wet pavement should make it easy, right? I had installed a tach a month or two prior so I can tell you I was up to about 3,000 RPM... Dropped the clutch, and went nowhere. The engine didn't quit, it was idling just fine. But I couldn't shift, the clutch was useless, and I wasn't rolling anywhere either. I get out and see the mayhem. Oh fuuuuuuuu...

 

[77 Mike]

So that's how the thread started.

I got it towed home (unbolted the rear driveshaft and dragged it). The tow truck driver thought the whole thing was awesome and insisted the case must've been cracked prior to my shenanigans.

I shopped around for a new case, and considered upgrading to an Atlas or Orion. Unfortunately the budget did not allow for that. I consider myself really lucky to have found this newly rebuilt case that was listed on eBay. It was rebuilt by BTB Products, and after looking at the cost of a used case, rebuild kit, etc, I think this was a steal at $600 + shipping.

Then came time to install it. I'll go ahead and admit that plenty of mistakes were made. But I'll be damned if I didn't learn a ton from them. So the first one was trying to lift the front of the engine up, basically pivoting around the mounts at the bellhousing. That got me some clearance, but nowhere near enough. Oh, I also had to go out and get a hydraulic jack. Great piece of equipment. I got a little excited at first and tried to lift the engine from the front of the oil pan. That was a major mistake and you'll see why soon.

The first picture shows the position of the engine with the first method. It never hit the firewall but got very close.

So then I took off the mounts on the bellhousing (honestly, not that difficult or time-consuming) and dropped it that way. I was sure to loosen the front motor mounts which would be key. The second and third pictures show how far I dropped the engine/transmission. I think you're only limited by the bottom of the fan hitting the radiator. And if you're going to do this be sure to disconnect, and maybe remove, the throttle linkage.

 

[77 Mike]

So I got the new transfercase mounted and then realized I put the seal for the transmission output shaft on backwards. So the first picture below shows my new method of removing transfercases. The tool is a Powerbuilt Gear Puller that I "borrowed" from Advance Auto. The thing is so poorly designed I'm amazed it has any use at all. That said, it was basically my only option since my tools are limited and I couldn't fabricate a cool puller like some of you guys have. What I had to do to make it work was to cut a pry bar in half with a grinder, put a hole in it a few inches away from the other hole used for pulling nails, and then use the transfercase bolts to attach it at the position shown. PITA, but it worked. Twice. So I got the seal positioned correctly and slapped the case back on.

The second picture is the inside of the transfercase if anybody wondered what it looks like.

The third picture is the transfercase shifter linkage. It got totally mangled. I was able to straighten it out with heavy duty ratchet straps and brute force using the front bumper/frame.

From there it was basically just reassembling everything. I forgot the little C-Clip on the parking brake cable so I got to do that part again. Easy to take apart the parking brake the second time around.

So once I got everything back together I started it up and, of course, there is a ticking sound.

 

[77 Mike]

So the truck had developed a ticking sound. I checked the timing, the carb, everything under the valve cover. I even took off the side cover to look at the pushrods. I didn't stop there either. It sounded like it was coming from the bottom end of the engine so I pulled all the lifters to have a look at them. All were in great condition so I was stumped. I ran the engine again and decided to put my hand on the oil pan. I could feel something hitting it. Especially at the front. And then I noticed the dent in the oil pan from where I tried to lift the engine up. I took the oil pan off and sure enough, there was scoring from where the crankshaft was hitting it. I banged the oil pan back into shape with a hammer but that broke the metal where it had been scored. So high-temp RTV to the rescue. Those are my last two pictures. The truck has been running pretty good since I reassembled it.

If you're reading this and you're in a similar predicament and have questions, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

Last picture is just to give you an idea of what I was working on.

 

[shelfboy1]

you did way to much work all you need to do is lower the back of the engine tranny down to pull the case geuss after 20 or 30 it gets easier .good job though

 

[FJ40Jim]

I would NOT count on that RTV to stay put forever. It stays put when it's captured between parts, but when used like that, the oil slowly works it's way under the patch and lifts it off. Get a good new/used pan & one piece gasket and swap the pans when the weather gets mo bettah.

 

[77 Mike]

Thanks for the tip! Will do.