Transfer case carnage (1 Viewer)

[Godwin]

Had some trouble with the transfer case recently in that it would not shift into 4WD and pulled it apart today. I found a pile of shredded metal, the oil slinger on the rear of the idler gear was missing, along with the inner thrust washer. The outer thrust washer was still present. Also one of the roller bearings that ride on the input shaft was falling apart. A new case along with a new tranny are going back in.

Carnage pics and what the input gear oil slinger should look like.

 

[mattressking]

This isn't the first time I've seen this exact failure. I wonder what is causing it - are the bolts present for the oil slinger?

 

[OSS]

My guess- insufficient oiling.
Take a look at all the black carbon coating the inside of godwins transfer case. It looks like an old frying pan.

For comparison, here’s a picture of the inside of my transfer case after 230,000 miles and 27 years — all shiny clean aluminum. Not a spec of black carbon anywhere.

 

[Godwin]

This isn't the first time I've seen this exact failure. I wonder what is causing it - are the bolts present for the oil slinger?

My guess- insufficient oiling.
Take a look at all the black carbon coating the inside of godwins transfer case. It looks like an old frying pan.

For comparison, here’s a picture of the inside of my transfer case after 230,000 miles and 27 years — all shiny clean aluminum. Not a spec of black carbon anywhere.

View attachment 3180343

I haven't checked on the bolts yet.

This case has >200k on it and I have had a couple of low oil episodes. The boot and oil seal on the 4WD shaft slipped loose once leading to an oil leak, and also a slower oil leak over time. In thinking about the oil slinger failure, the idler shaft hold down tab came loose allowing the idler shaft to slip out. I think this damaged the oil slinger and initiated this failure. The dropped idler shaft was ca. 40k miles ago. A few months ago I felt a jolt in the case and that must have been the oil slinger making its journey through the gears.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, Agreed low oil at some point. We have only destroyed one of ours and it was low oil.I put a brand new unit in.

 

[Tennessee80]

Wow. From what I have seen on this forum, @Godwin uses his 4wd quite a bit, which would definitely change the dynamic of maintenance needed on the transfer case, year over year? I'm always stoked to see someone use their 4wd that much, but it does come at a cost. Hope you get it back together and rolling, man!

 

[Godwin]

This isn't the first time I've seen this exact failure. I wonder what is causing it - are the bolts present for the oil slinger?

Bolts still present. I think when the idler shaft slipped out the alignment of the idler gear and the input gear was shifted and damaged the oil slinger that set up the process of it eventually shearing.

 

[Godwin]

Along with the transmission and t-case swap I'm fixing an oil leak that emanates from the rear plug behind the bellhousing. I've sealed this before with black Permatex and this worked for a few years. The rear motor was original, 36 years and ca. 500k miles, but oil soaked and when I dropped the transmission I found that the passenger side was completely separated.