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Chris
April 14th, 2014, 03:57 PM
I think this counts. :frown:

Pete's skids didn't hold up - this is where one of the support bolts was attached. I do have the piece that fits there so I think it's repairable. Reading around the web I find mostly JB Weld fixes.

Opinions? Suggestions? :confused:

The StRanger
April 14th, 2014, 04:09 PM
Ouch !!!!
JB weld or a good TIG ??

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 04:28 PM
The skid should never have been attached there which is one of those things I learned the hard way. There's a small "protector" that bolts on there which I won't need with my new skid plates. Is JB Weld reliable enough? I've used it on less significant parts without any problems and suspect it would be okay since there's nothing bolting on there to stress it.

ExplorerTom
April 14th, 2014, 05:46 PM
While I can't tell what I'm looking at exactly I have a feeling it's cast aluminum. Can you weld in cast aluminum? Obviously I'm not a good enough welder to know.

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 05:53 PM
It's my transfer case Tom. It is cast aluminum which can be welded by someone with the right skills and equipment but tends to be pretty expensive. Oddly enough I used to be the designated aluminum welder when I worked in a sheet metal shop.

I'm going to go with JB Weld and see how it goes. Since there's a part that bolts in there that Toyota calls a "protector" that wraps around the bottom I've decided to use that as a "clamp" to add strength and help support it.

Then I'll put my real skids on and cross my fingers. :lmao:

Jim
April 14th, 2014, 06:21 PM
JB it!

While it is a drivetrain part, it's not a CRITICAL issue if the plug fails. Plus, you can fairly easily perform a visual on it at each stop.

Should the plug fail, 2-High for most of the driving (slowly) and then 4-Lo for those short spots that need it - until you can repair it again.

Hmmm - When you are in 2-Hi does the front driveshaft turn? Do your front wheels unlock? If the front DS always spins, lube is more important.

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 06:32 PM
Yeah, my idea too Jim but it is technically AWD.

Patrolman
April 14th, 2014, 06:58 PM
It appears that the hole is below the fluid level plug? If it is below the plug level, then it will always be at risk for leaking, even if parked. In that case, I wouldn't JB weld. If it is above the fill plug, the JB is probably OK. If you go that route, carry some in the tool box. I already carry some just in case.

Personally, how I would fix it would be to replace the cover. It appears to be the rear cover in the pics. I imagine it is a matter of removing the rear flange to remove the cover. Unsure how/where you would find a replacement though. A long shot would be to find someone who trashed their gearset or did some other damage to the t-case.

Rick
April 14th, 2014, 07:23 PM
Personally, how I would fix it would be to replace the cover.x2,maybe jb weld for temporary till you can find one

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 07:25 PM
Yep, that's my plan but it's not going to sit until I find one which is why I'll patch it tomorrow.

Good point Jeff, it is close to the bottom of the case.

Patrolman
April 14th, 2014, 07:47 PM
I browsed online real quick and found cases as low as $250-300 used. Not a bad investment considering a tow costs a lot more.

If you JB weld it for now, I would drain it first. Hopefully no parts went in the case. Regardless you need to refill it with fluid, so at a minimum make sure it is fresh. Also maybe consider a heavier weight like a 90w. I assume stock is 75w synthetic?

Brad
April 14th, 2014, 07:50 PM
I think tig welding it would be almost impossible as you would have to remove it from the vehicle, tear it all apart to get the case clean enough of impurities to get a decent weld on it. JB below fluid level is a very dicey proposition. As a technician my advice is to find a replacement.

Patrolman
April 14th, 2014, 08:15 PM
What about a Marlin/Inchworm lefty t-case? This guy put one in a similar model 4Runner.
http://www.rocksolidtoys.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19

Patrolman
April 14th, 2014, 08:18 PM
Here is a guy on CL with one for $150. The actuator went bad, which from what I was reading is common. Since all you need is the cover, this could be a good option.
http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/4406712448.html

Oh, and am I ever glad that my t-case is gear driven with a lever and no electronics. :)

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 08:19 PM
Yeah right, did you read his whole build? Solid axle and all? I'm familiar with him from the 4Runner forums - he's got more skills and disposable income than I ever will.

Where did you find the used ones you mentioned Jeff?

Patrolman
April 14th, 2014, 08:27 PM
I think you can swap out just the t-case without doing all the other work. I would just want to confirm that the electronics won't have an issue.

I was looking at car-part.com. It would have to be shipped of course. Here is what I found:

http://car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?userSearch=int&userPID=1000&userLocation=All+States&userIMS=&userInterchange=BBCBD&userSide=&userDate=2005&userDate2=2005&dbModel=73.2.1.1&userModel=Toyota%204Runner&dbPart=412.1&userPart=Transfer%20Case&sessionID=600000000000000000217934812&userPreference=price&userIntSelect=18243&userUID=0&userBroker=&iKey=&userPage=3


Make sure you take a look at the one on CL that I posted.

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 08:49 PM
Whoa, I missed the CL link. I'll try to get hold of him. Thanks!

Brad
April 14th, 2014, 08:53 PM
There's your case! :thumb:

Chris
April 14th, 2014, 09:42 PM
Yep, just finished with him, picking it up Wednesday.

Now to figure out how to swap them. :thumb:

scout man
April 15th, 2014, 09:15 AM
Well, I was going to offer to try to tig it for you, (or let you use my tig, since you were the aluminum welder!) but a replacement is probably a better idea and it looks like you already found one.

Chris
April 15th, 2014, 10:49 AM
Thanks Steve, I hope I'll have one tomorrow which would be best. I do plan on connecting with you to make a simple modification to my spare carrier at some point. I was thinking it would be soon but this popped up so I'll deal with it first.

The important thing about my past as an aluminum welder is that it's in the past, I've probably forgotten more than I ever knew.

That was a long time ago! :brody:

Chris
April 15th, 2014, 03:27 PM
Researching my options I ran across this photo showing I'm not the only one to break this part. Misery loves company :redface:

Patrolman
April 15th, 2014, 06:32 PM
Sounds like between your current case and the new case, you can make a good case. Based on some of the things I briefly read about it, they seem to have some issues. That is why I tossed out the idea of the Inchworm case. Should remedy those issues. They are proud of them though.

gm4x4lover
April 15th, 2014, 06:45 PM
Chris, Jb weld it empty of fluid let it dry and they slather some more on. If it didn't leak it shouldn't be a problem. The t-case is vented and doesn't hold any kinda pressure.

ExplorerTom
April 15th, 2014, 07:12 PM
Or once you get your busted case out, can you weld it and keep it as a spare? Since this seems to be fairly common.....

Chris
April 15th, 2014, 07:46 PM
I haven't heard many people having issues with these Jeff, some actuator issues but not that many from what I hear.

My first attempt failed due to my thinking it was set in place but it wasn't and basically fell off. :mad:

I redid it using a piece of aluminum to cover the hole which should work better. I may need another coat as you said Nick. I doubt I'll bother trying to fix it once I get it off Tom. It'll be nicely protected with my new set of skids.

Damn, I wish I had gotten them on before doing Moab! :erm:

Patrolman
April 15th, 2014, 07:55 PM
Yeah, the biggest problem seemed to be the actuator and the fact that it is inside the case apparently. It seemed to garner a fair number of hits, but nobody ever posts about how good the transfer case is, just the problems. It was hard to tell how frequent the issue was. Hope your repairs go smoothly!

Chris
April 15th, 2014, 08:19 PM
Thanks Jeff, the one you pointed me to was pulled because of a failed actuator which is outrageously expensive. The guy has a friend the pulled his for something else (Inchworm?) so he used it instead of just the actuator which is outside the case. It's the black box that I think is visible in my photo.

I'm not very familiar with the t-case but it looks like I have a few options, maybe just replace the rear cover. Another option is the whole case and use my actuator. I'll have a better idea when I pick up the replacement and can give it a good look over.