This is my first post, so bear with me. I have a '95 F-250 7.3 auto 4X4. The transfer case linkage has been floppy and prone to coming apart since I've had it, but that's been fine for me. I let my brother use the truck last weekend, and now it does the following: When you put the transmission in reverse, or when the truck overruns the engine (compression braking) it grinds badly like the transfer case isn't quite engaged. Only does it in 2 or 4 Hi, and everything's normal otherwise.
Could the transfer case have jumped out of gear while he was driving it, and he didn't know to either push it into gear or pull it into neutral before it did damage?
I really don't want to pull a transfer case in my driveway in December in New England, but give it to me straight. Any advice?

 

You still have a couple days before dec! I dont think anything external could cause that. You should have a borg-warner 1356 case, I just replaced the one in my dad's 95 f350. His ran out of fluid and toastd, you could check to see if there's a bunch of metal in the fluid.

 

Yeah. Today I tore apart the linkage, fixed it, and put it back together. ...and that ain't it! I thought maybe the linkage was holding it from completely engaging - nope. Still does it, and I figured out that it also doesn't have 4WD-Hi. Looking bad for Mr. Warner.
If you don't mind me asking, where'd you get the one you installed, what'd it cost, and how long did it take to swap? Or more simply, what did it rate on the 1-10 PITA scale?

 

The grinding in only reverse (mashing of gears), would tell me it was probably a transmission problem especially if it occurred after off road because the synco has been toasted. Drain the tranny fluid into a clean pan, filter the fluid through a latex paint strainer so you can look for pieces, refill and see if that helps.

 

Yea, even in neutral if its grinding from reving the engine, that would tell me Tranny, not T-Case.

I think i'd rather it be the t-case then the tranny though. =\

 

local salvage wanted 500, found one in fte classifieds for 250 or so shipped. Ebay had a couple for 200 or so. I inquired about one that I got a response to after I already got one. I dont want to post his email, but I'll send him a link to this thread.. Not a hard job, but I've done a bunch over the years

 

If noises like this ever came out of an automatic transmission, I'd just get out and walk away! No, tranny's fine; 4-low is fine; 4-hi is just gone; the thing with reverse is just in 2-hi, and it's not just in reverse gear in the transmission, but whenever it's in an overrun situation: as if the power face of the hi-range gears are fine, but the "overrun" or "coast" sides are rounded over.

I know that when it happened, my brother was coming down a long, steep hill towing an empty car-hauler, probably at 50 mph, and it started grinding. I think the transfer case popped out of gear because of the floppy linkage, and grinded (ground?) all the way down the hill - not quite in and not quite out of 2-hi. By the time he stopped at the bottom of the hill, the "coast" side of the gears were nicely rounded over. So, now if you apply any real torque in reverse or compression-braking, the rounded gears push themselves out of engagement. This is all theory, but I found yesterday that I could back-up on level ground by pushing the transfer shift hard forward (2-hi) with my foot, but trying to back up a hill it still disengaged and ground.

Can you imagine telling your wife that she can take your truck, but she'll have to keep one foot on the t-case lever applying 50# of pressure at all times?

You are right, though: thinking that it could have been the transmission makes me feel lucky that it's just the transfer case! Also, there's the fact that the previous owner bought a factory re-man 7.3 TDI from NaviStar just before selling me the truck for less than he paid for the engine! I've just gotta keep a truck wrapped around this awesome engine that has about 6,000 miles on it.

While I have guys who know something - it's a B-W 13-56 Manual-Shift non-PTO t-case, right? Seems like these were in every full-size Ford 4X4 for a while - from Broncos to F-350s. So, there seem to be a lot of them around. What IS the PTO version? A power take-off for a winch, or a hydraulic pump for a tow-truck or dump-truck? Are the two cases otherwise interchangable, and could I do anything cool with the PTO?

Great forum, guys; and thanks for your help!

 

The non pto version and the pto will interchange, I think the bronco's had a flange for the rear driveshaft, you should have a slip yoke. The one I got had a spot for the speed sensor and speedo cable, but the old one didnt(the comp gets its info from the speed sensor in the rear end). I left the speed sensor in to plug the hole, and it's been working fine, so unless yours has a spot for the speedo (rear left top near rear driveshaft) you can use either one.

 

I've got two 1356's left IIRC. I think I had them listed for $50 each + shipping. Let me know if you're interested. I'd much rather sell them than scrap them. Can't seem to sell the things around here (locally)...

 

Im about to do one too, I'm pretty sure its the transfer case because in 2 wheel reverse works fine, just not in 4 high my shifters so stiff not sure i can get it into low at all to try that ,but it just happened today when i was backing up and it started grinding

lucky if i change it regardless of make or model if "kenny u pull" near ottawa have one on the lot, sell them for $100 with a $30 core charge Price list - Kenny U-PULL
dont want to put much more than that into a $500 barn plow truck