I have been working on getting the transmission ready to swap out of the 95 F350 and into my 90 F350. I was looking at the transfer case and I noticed some alarming pitting corrosion on the aluminum case and I wanted to share it with all of you and ask for your opinions. I really don't like the way the aluminum is corroding away like it is and I really don't want to have problems in the middle of winter. Should I not use this case? I do have another case ready to go.

 

I'd scrub it with a wire brush and if it's only surface pitting I'd take por 15 or a heavy duty automotive enamel coat over it and be done with it

 

You call that corrosion?

That is MINOR. it is 20+ years old and just on the surface

 

where ya from Cali or Arizona or something? here on the east coast,that's what a new t-case will look like after a winter or two lol.that's pristine!

 

The case is magnesium, and it's very hard to stop corrosion. Clean it up with a wire brush and paint will help.

 

Ok, cool. Thanks I really do appreciate your assistance. I hope to have it pulled out here in the next day or so and I will treat it with some por 15 or the heavy duty automotive enamel. The way it looked concerned me, now I am good. Thanks again!

 

So you can TIG weld magnesium with aluminum?

 

Trick question?

Not that I know. Mag has a lot lower melting temp than alum.

 

as far as i know the cases are all aluminum.
some f350's came with t-cases with an optional PTO output.those ones had half a case which was magnesium.no welding was done Brad.the half which housed the pto output was magnesium.

nothing needs to be done here.this t-case will burn up and fail.........long,long,long before she'll corrode away.by like several decades lol.

 

BW1356 Transfer Case Specs

 

Ok, just checking. Then these are NOT magnesium cases. They are aluminum.

I have had two of them tig welded with aluminum rod

 

Odd. Like the link Briansshop posted, everything I'm finding says the 1356 is magnesium.

 

They are and if the cases have been repaired with a tig the welder is probably using an AZ101 magnesium filler rod.

 

Patiently waiting on my pulling truck t-case to snap in half.........again

 

Here is an update... My 1990 F350 project truck for Wisconsin winter use, has its transmission and t-case removed. It was a minor challenge doing it on my own, but it is out. Now I have to get the ZF5 out of the 95 (pictured above) so I can swap it in. BTW, now I know why the clutch slipped so badly! It was completely wore, even the tops of the bolts that hold the flywheel on were damaged by the springs riding over it. Some of the pads are completely off the disk, and the flywheel looks like a mirror! I am surprised the truck even moved!