Transfer Case Oil "Looks burnt" (1 Viewer)

[Tbay LX]

Hey guys,
I had the LX at Mr. Lube for an oil change, and they informed me that the transfer case oil "looks burnt" and that they should change it. Is this something you would let the kids at Mr. Lube handle, or should I bring it into the dealership?

 

[hkeller]

How many miles since last changed. Lube places are infamous for recommending unnecessary services.

I'd find a trusted independent shop to check it out or change it yourself. It is a one banana job.

 

[Tbay LX]

Yeah, I know they love to up sell. Unfortunately, I have no clue when it would of been changed. I'm the 4th owner, I got the truck at the beginning of the year, so I've never changed it. Unfortunately, I have to leave for a trip in 2 days, and am too busy trying to get ready to find myself a shop I trust (I'm pretty new to this city) Is it something you would be worried about a lube shop messing up, or is it pretty foolproof?

 

[hkeller]

It is a pretty easy job. The fill and drain plug each use a metal crush gasket. I always replace these when I do a change, but I don't know whether that is necessary. As far as I know, those gaskets are dealer parts. Maybe you can pick up a couple of those and have the lube place change it.

 

[hankinid]

Hey guys,
I had the LX at Mr. Lube for an oil change, and they informed me that the transfer case oil "looks burnt" and that they should change it. Is this something you would let the kids at Mr. Lube handle, or should I bring it into the dealership?

Mobil 1 gear oil. Definitely replace the crush washers. I'd watch the garage monkey torque the plugs correctly to 27 ft-.b as it's an aluminum case.

I used a quick-lube place once... and I were on a backpacking trip in Montana...had a new company-sponsored 2500 'burb that needed an oil change. Stopped in Billings to get it done. Walked out into the shop and noticed fng kid getting ready to install the drain plug with an impact wrench like one you'd use to remove wheels. I yelled, manager turned around and 'educated' kid. That soured me forever on quick-lube shops.

If you diy, it's < than a job...remove the xfer case skid plate, remove fill and drain plugs. Add oil until it's at the bottom of the fill plug, fsm says 1.4 qts.

I went into overkill-ocd mode and added a dime-sized rare earth magnet to the drain plug.

I'd also check the front and rear diff's.

hth

Steve

 

[OregonLC]

The center and front tend to get dirty quickly in mine. Rear stays nicely clear. I change annually or when submerged. YMMV.

 

[Tbay LX]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys! It sounds like something I should try to do myself, I'm trying to learn as much as I can. What is the purpose of the rare earth magnet hankinid mentioned?

 

[Gottagetone]

Do the diffs and tcase every 30k and you dont have to worry about some tool telling you your fluid is burnt. M1 or Valvoline full synthetic is the way to go. Front diff is fill is the trickiest so get a pump. Make sure to loosen the fill plug before you drain any of them. Ive seen people drain em and not be able to get the fill plug loose....not good.

The magnet will collect any metal fragments that are floating around in there. The rear diff drain plug has one built into so dont be surprised when you see sludge stuck to it.

 

[hankinid]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys! It sounds like something I should try to do myself, I'm trying to learn as much as I can. What is the purpose of the rare earth magnet hankinid mentioned?

To keep steel shavings, if there were any, from circulating in the oil...similar to what you see in an automatic trans mission pan.

The magnet gets dirty with very fine powdered metal, which is normal.

Steve

 

[rusty_tlc]

Yeah, I know they love to up sell. Unfortunately, I have no clue when it would of been changed. I'm the 4th owner, I got the truck at the beginning of the year, so I've never changed it. Unfortunately, I have to leave for a trip in 2 days, and am too busy trying to get ready to find myself a shop I trust (I'm pretty new to this city) Is it something you would be worried about a lube shop messing up, or is it pretty foolproof?

At this point one more trip won't be a deal breaker. "Looks Burnt" is not a phrase a transmission shop would use, gear lube "looks burnt" after a few hundred miles. It washes all the crud out and turns dark, no big deal. You could get all anal about clean gear lube, but at the end of the day you can abuse the hell out of a t-case and it will still work.

If you elect to do the change go to a transmission shop not a quick oil change shop or do it yourself. If you elect to do it yourself make sure you can get the fill plug out BEFORE you drain the t-case. It really sucks to drain the t-case then find out you can't fill it. It also speeds draining the t-case if the fill plug is removed.

 

[2000UZJ]

170K on my original fluids. They were pretty dark. They had a hint of burnt smell, but I went synthetic and now I'm happy.

 

[2001LC]

The transfer case needs changing the most often, followed by front Differential, then rear diff.

After a few gear lub changes with M1 synthetic 75W-90, I've noticed it looks better (not as dark) each time with almost no metal on magnets.

I'm pushing out to 30K miles on transfer case for the next change, 30K on front diff and 40K on rear.

Oh and I do my propeller shafts and U joints ever 5K or sooner.