Rear End... Transfercase?
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Spokane WA
Rear End... Transfercase?
I was driving to work on the freeway. I was in 4th accelerating and I heard a loud bang. Shifted to 5th to get revs down and it happened again when I accelerated.
It was very loud and made the whole truck jump. It was like a backfire x10. Where should I start to troubleshoot? I think it is in the chassis, not motor related because it felt mechanical I just had the rear end apart last week and topped it off with new fluid and everything. When I had it apart though I noticed some notchs on the spider gears.
I can't get it to happen again at low speeds and don't want to have it happen again on the freeway. It still drives with no noticeable noise or binding at regular speed.
What are the signs of a blown rear end or transfercase?
It was very loud and made the whole truck jump. It was like a backfire x10. Where should I start to troubleshoot? I think it is in the chassis, not motor related because it felt mechanical I just had the rear end apart last week and topped it off with new fluid and everything. When I had it apart though I noticed some notchs on the spider gears.
I can't get it to happen again at low speeds and don't want to have it happen again on the freeway. It still drives with no noticeable noise or binding at regular speed.
What are the signs of a blown rear end or transfercase?
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Spokane WA
Well opened up the differential and you can see a couple of teeth are chipped but that's all I can find there. Everything else seems normal, couldn't find any metal shavings or completely broken teeth. I don't really think this is the problem because it's not making any noise or binding in corners. Should I switch out that gear now though? Or will it be okay for a while longer.
I did open the transfer case and noticed that the fluid is pink... I'm wondering if the water ate a bearing and the chain is skipping under hard load. I have also noticed a grinding sound when engine breaking and some slop in the drive train since I got this transfer case a few months ago, could that be because of a loose chain. I can feel about 3/4" of slop just turning the drive line with my hand.
How did the water get in though? I can't see a vent or any way for water to seep in. It is from a Ford junkyard and they keep telling me that it was just fine, even when I had them drive it to listen to that noise and slop.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Spokane WA
Found the vent. I probably filled that up with water last weekend... The shop that put the transfer case in used about 6" of line for the vent with no valve or anything on it to keep water out. I brimmed the damn thing with water. lol.
Lesson learned.
How do you get the linkage off the transfer case. Should I pull the whole plate or is there a way to get that arm off?
Lesson learned.
How do you get the linkage off the transfer case. Should I pull the whole plate or is there a way to get that arm off?
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Sand Lake, MI
TC fluid is pink because its Mercon auto trans fluid, a fyi in case you're thinking maybe water caused it to turn that color?
If you have water in it yea change it, the fluid would float on the water causing it to be over full (if it was full to start with).
If its not over full you're probably ok unless it needs changed anyway.
Run the air vent tubing up high under the hood, then loop back down toward the ground a ways. Prevents siphon action doing so.
As far as the chipped teeth on the spiders, you should look for any cracks in the carrier. Any that may allow the carrier to expand out creating an amount of excess space under load / heavy load allowing the two gears, spider/axle to climb up on each other and then attempting to collide tooth on tooth.
Or any other reason they can move outward, say for example as simple as due to excessive wear.
Looking at the damage that could very well be what is happening, the "bangs" you heard.
.
If you have water in it yea change it, the fluid would float on the water causing it to be over full (if it was full to start with).
If its not over full you're probably ok unless it needs changed anyway.
Run the air vent tubing up high under the hood, then loop back down toward the ground a ways. Prevents siphon action doing so.
As far as the chipped teeth on the spiders, you should look for any cracks in the carrier. Any that may allow the carrier to expand out creating an amount of excess space under load / heavy load allowing the two gears, spider/axle to climb up on each other and then attempting to collide tooth on tooth.
Or any other reason they can move outward, say for example as simple as due to excessive wear.
Looking at the damage that could very well be what is happening, the "bangs" you heard.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Spokane WA
Well when I had to pull an axle a couple of weeks ago I noticed the chips and they are the same as they were then and I never had this problem before.
Also when I pulled the fill plug on the transfer case, fluid started pouring out. It has only been in the truck a couple of months and it was filled by the shop that did the work. I don't think they would have overfilled it that much. When I drained the TC I ran a small magnet around through the drain and found quite a bit of mud and metal shavings.
Good point on the fluid though, I was always under the assumption that all pink "milkshake" ATF was contaminated with water.
Also when I pulled the fill plug on the transfer case, fluid started pouring out. It has only been in the truck a couple of months and it was filled by the shop that did the work. I don't think they would have overfilled it that much. When I drained the TC I ran a small magnet around through the drain and found quite a bit of mud and metal shavings.
Good point on the fluid though, I was always under the assumption that all pink "milkshake" ATF was contaminated with water.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,670
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From: Sand Lake, MI
Yea I guess it depends on what ya consider "pink", should be a redish pink but no not light pink and foamy milkshake like no. Yea way over full, recently serviced so you know it was up to the mark or very near it, you got some water in there.
More likely to be a tad low or even a tad high after service depending on who did it. The lazy "close enough" type or the squirt a little extra in there and cap it quick type but no not way over full.
Hard to say on the chipped teeth, you got something wrong there or it wouldn't be chipping them.
Who knows might have been a missed leftover chunk of gear floating around in there from a past repair that got it? Couple ground into dust and gone now?
More likely to be a tad low or even a tad high after service depending on who did it. The lazy "close enough" type or the squirt a little extra in there and cap it quick type but no not way over full.
Hard to say on the chipped teeth, you got something wrong there or it wouldn't be chipping them.
Who knows might have been a missed leftover chunk of gear floating around in there from a past repair that got it? Couple ground into dust and gone now?
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From: Spokane WA
Yea I have receipts that say that the 5.13 gears in there are only about 6K old. I checked the carrier and everything else and there were no signs of cracking or damage. The guy that built this thing definitely did it on a ****ing budget.
I must say, I'm never going back to the shop that did the transmission and transfer case last time.
They bent one of my doors, didn't tighten the shifter or the TC shifter... both pulled out while driving, didn't notice that my master cylinder was bad, stripped the heads on the driveline bolts in the back, finger tightened the u-bolts for the front driveline... the list continues.
They charged me $600 to install a m5odr2 and this transfer case, neither of which I bought through them, and it took them over a week. I just didn't have the time to do it then, now I'm going back to doing all my own work.
Just to add, now that I have the drive shafts off, when I rotate the transfer case it makes a lot of clattering sounds... it's totally broke this time. lol
How much slop should I expect in the rear end while turning the drive shaft by the way?
I must say, I'm never going back to the shop that did the transmission and transfer case last time.
They bent one of my doors, didn't tighten the shifter or the TC shifter... both pulled out while driving, didn't notice that my master cylinder was bad, stripped the heads on the driveline bolts in the back, finger tightened the u-bolts for the front driveline... the list continues.
They charged me $600 to install a m5odr2 and this transfer case, neither of which I bought through them, and it took them over a week. I just didn't have the time to do it then, now I'm going back to doing all my own work.
Just to add, now that I have the drive shafts off, when I rotate the transfer case it makes a lot of clattering sounds... it's totally broke this time. lol
How much slop should I expect in the rear end while turning the drive shaft by the way?
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You might have more than one problem, but the last time that happened to me(vehicle jumped when I heard a bang), it was the rear end that let go. Not a Ford truck, but the bolt that holds the spider shaft broke and the shaft came out and jamed. That will really wake you up. After that, it drove home, but the rear was junk. It looks like you def have something floating around in there.
Joe
Joe
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Spokane WA
Well after all was said and done it was the transfer case that was the issue. Just got it all hooked up again and it also cured another noise I have noticed. Right after I got my last transfer case I had a grinding sound when I engine braked in high gears. All the shops said not to worry about it but now it's fixed as well.
Now to move on to replacing the Krap n Nasty , k&n, with the stock airbox and I might hit the ORV park tonight! Thanks guys for the help.
Now to move on to replacing the Krap n Nasty , k&n, with the stock airbox and I might hit the ORV park tonight! Thanks guys for the help.