reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
Run the tube to someplace you expect to stay dry. My t-case, trans and front axle breathers are in the engine compartment. Rear axle tube through the deck.
O R I O N
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FWIW: I built and installed my Orion, with AA twin stick almost a year ago now. Right from the start it was popping out of HI and LO under deceleration. Clearanced the tunnel cowl and went back to the stock detent spring bolt/grub screw with a little more tension and that helped but didn't solve the problem. As a temp fix I built a little spring loaded arm to hold it in gear (see pic. PS: After that pic was taken I pre-stretched the spring to allow a little back/forth movement and added a curved hard-drive magenet to each nut half so it wouldnt walk its way down the shaft and create tension). Couple trips later I pulled the shift fork out and noticed uneven wear like the shift fork wasnt quite manufactured perfectly straight (see pics). I carefully clearanced these areas of wear and reinstalled with on extra turn of tension on the detent spring once again. Now it only pops out of full low on really long steep downhills. I'll give it some more wear in and pull the fork again to see if it still needs more grinding....
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I picked up a 40 a few months ago with an Orion in it. It popped out coasting downhill on my way home from purchasing it. Didn’t think much of it because it went back in and I got home. Fast forward to this weekend: took it to the mountains and voila, it was popping out like nobody’s business. I was worried I wouldn’t make it back up the mountain to get home. I was hoping to find some solid answers here on a “how to fix” this issue. Reading other posts dated 2005 up to the most recent one here and everyone seems to still have the same issue. It’s disheartening, to say the least.
Yes sir. I will read orange45’s last post. Thanks!
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
Compression breaking on long downgrades in any range.
I’m curious if anyone has put a link to this issue and having a rear locker vs not having a rear locker. I skimmed through the pages so I apologize if I missed a previous conversation involving lockers. I have a Detroit locker in the rear and wonder if it might exaggerate this issue.
*peesalot - I couldn’t find orange45’s post you referred to. If you can give me a quick link, I’d appreciate it. Looking to tackle this during the winter. Thanks!
*peesalot - I couldn’t find orange45’s post you referred to. If you can give me a quick link, I’d appreciate it. Looking to tackle this during the winter. Thanks!
It’s a page or two back - look for the picture of several splined shafts. Seems that the “pinched” splines Georg refers to hold a more positive engagement that the straight splines.
unfortunately I don’t think pinched splines for an Orion are an answer (yet? Ever?) so it’s not really as much a solution as an identification of a problem.
Now, on the flip side, all of our regular old 40 series transfer cases have the same high range and straight splines and they seem to stay in gear ok - but maybe there’s just enough extra “play” in the Orion design or
Machining that it’s a problem on some cases?
I’m as far from an expert as you can get and don’t have an Orion (yet) so as always this is gross speculation on my part. Georg’s theory definitely has merit, just wish there was a definite fix on the horizon.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
It is so hit or miss. I have an Orion I bought used. Installed behind an SM420. It popped out one time (on the Rubicon going downhill in Big Sluice). Since then, @orangefj45 rebuilt for me and added twin sticks and it has not popped out since. It is such a desirable product that I hope AA fixes the issue. But based on this issue, I think in the future, I would look to split case options.
Page 40 of this thread, post#787, no, the locker does not seem to effect the issue. I have tries new shaft, shift collar, and gear , and the modified/updated shift rail, and adjusting the spring pressure on the detent ball, it was really good after putting the 6.0 liter in and rebuilding the case with a new bushing in the high speed gear, achieved a .001 clearance bewteen the output OD and bushing ID, it has since hourglassed the bushing which compunds the decel issue. Had to rebuild due to a bolt droppimg and destroying alot of gears, since that rebuild it pops out but I was not able to check the clearance this time so don't know what it was. even with mild pressure to hold it in i have never seen major ridiculous wear on the shift fork, i have also learned over 18 years of driving this set up i dont let it ride a long decel and i can see the lever when it starts to move and gettin on the brakes more, sometimes you just dont catch it tho.
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Never has there been a truer example of the saying: you pays your money, and you takes your chances.
I do, sometimes, I also like to & can fix my junk. I can drive my 40 from Tahoma, down 89, thru Southlake, down 50, back up Icehouse to Loon without it popping out, just gotta know when it's gonna happen, you can hear the rpm on decel and it becomes second nature that you start to brake before it pops, it's when the 4x4 pops out that is more violent , I put a 1.5 mm spacer under the spring to tighten it up and replaced the s*** rubber I used on the wing mount with proper urethane and it hasn't done that again, thank Jesus. Have you been spending time with your granddaughter ?
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I haven’t seen my grandchildren since my mother’s memorial. My wife is scheduled to accompany my daughter and grandson to Tennessee in a few weeks as they continue planning their exit strategy from California.
Your turn for the sad face.
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My daughter just bought in Hohenwald, TN and I am in contract on a 5 acre place there too, been lookin around Lawrenceberg, Loretto area for awhile, got 3 on my list but I aint rich so it's one at a time and we have been outbid 33 times so far. I got you covered old man, like I said carry on, you got this, never quite, no matter what comes around the corner, you have had and will have struggles, otherwise, whats the point. Hope to see you on a trail somewhere, sometime, with a quitar, until then my friend 
rusty_tlc
Dain Bramaged Member
Agreed, In general not as annoying as the Detroit lockers I had on my 60 unloading at random times.
Good to know that it’s normal for my Detroit locker to unload randomly. It’s hard to get used to that.
Cdaniel
Undocumented Mechanic-I Am Not CDAN
Equal tire pressure (diameter) can have an effect on that.
Give me more good news! Haha.
