Chasing 231J leaks

[macleanflood]

When you last touched the yoke, did you use a new rubber star washer? Those things are finicky and usually start to shred up after use one time. Wonder if you were leaking there.

Rubber star washer? I've just been coating the splines with Great Stuff, a smear of ATV on the seal portion and torquing it down and in.

Case fully assembled and bolts torqued. Yokes installed. Even moved over the vent tube. Murderous amount of work. Passed all bench test shift tests.

Tomorrow night move over the studs, reassemble and...why do I feel like I could reassemble one of these blindfolded while a drill instructor screamed at me...

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

Rubber star washer? I've just been coating the splines with Great Stuff, a smear of ATV on the seal portion and torquing it down and in.

Case fully assembled and bolts torqued. Yokes installed. Even moved over the vent tube. Murderous amount of work. Passed all bench test shift tests.

Tomorrow night move over the studs, reassemble and...why do I feel like I could reassemble one of these blindfolded while a drill instructor screamed at me...

View attachment 630352View attachment 630353View attachment 630354View attachment 630355View attachment 630356View attachment 630357

-Mac

Factory uses a star washer that I feel might be a better fit than silicone. But maybe it doesn’t matter.

4446487

 

[macleanflood]

Studs moved over and everything reinstalled.

I have such low confidence in this working I pumped the fluid I drained out right back in plus a quart of fresh ATF. It's not as bad as it sounds...the funnel I used to drain the ATF has a filter screen on it for the big chunks.

One explanation for my high transfer case temps might be the front flange... there's a hole in the case and the flange needs to be clocked accordingly. I noticed tell tale RTV marks showing I probably failed to do that correctly when I installed the SYE.

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

One explanation for my high transfer case temps might be the front flange... there's a hole in the case and the flange needs to be clocked accordingly. I noticed tell tale RTV marks showing I probably failed to do that correctly when I installed the SYE.

Are you talking about the front bearing cover? If so, that can only go on one way.

 

[macleanflood]

Are you talking about the front bearing cover? If so, that can only go on one way.

Seems pretty possible to clock it accidentally in three wrong ways. Pretty sure I'd done that.

Lined up properly now.

Going to give it a couple of hours and see if it leaks...then slam the skid on and run into the carwash in town.

The only thing worse than the entire back half being liberally coated in ATF is the 1/4" of dust that congealed over it. It's thicc.

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

Seems pretty possible to clock it accidentally in three wrong ways. Pretty sure I'd done that.

I highly doubt it, the 4 bolts only line up one way in my experience.

 

[Wildman]

Seems pretty possible to clock it accidentally in three wrong ways. Pretty sure I'd done that.

Lined up properly now.

Going to give it a couple of hours and see if it leaks...then slam the skid on and run into the carwash in town.

The only thing worse than the entire back half being liberally coated in ATF is the 1/4" of dust that congealed over it. It's thicc.

-Mac

I'm not looking forward to trying to work around all the dust/dirt coating mine... And while some of it blew off on the drive home it's still a MESS... Once I can shift it again it's coming outside for a bath & to get blown out as much as I can...

 

[JMT]

I still have a front case if you want it Mac.

 

[macleanflood]

Ok...after an hour or so no leaks.

Reinstalled the skid. Test drive on the gravel driveway. 2 and 4 high work. No 4 low.

Hoping I need to adjust the cable shifter but I'm guessing the extra slip ring I have is responsible. I swore that was a YJ part...but ya know.

No leaks.

Drove to town...carwash...35 minute drive.

No leaks.

13 minutes of engine degreaser and soap and rinsing.

Stopped for gas. 12.4 MPG...not bad.

All the way home.

No leaks.

Going to disconnect the cable shifter tomorrow and see if I can massage the lever into 4 low.

Otherwise...out it comes again. At least I know I can probably fix it.

Oh and the front yoke seal is whatever was on the case. Didn't bother to replace it. Figured an old ass seal was probably better than anything new. Maybe I'm right.

Waved to this Jeep hauling the wood on the way home.

-Mac

 

[NashvilleTJ]

And T-Case oil stocks fall 30%...



Great news, Mac.

 

[machoheadgames]

Ok...after an hour or so no leaks.

Reinstalled the skid. Test drive on the gravel driveway. 2 and 4 high work. No 4 low.

Hoping I need to adjust the cable shifter but I'm guessing the extra slip ring I have is responsible. I swore that was a YJ part...but ya know.

No leaks.

Drove to town...carwash...35 minute drive.

No leaks.

13 minutes of engine degreaser and soap and rinsing.

Stopped for gas. 12.4 MPG...not bad.

All the way home.

No leaks.

Going to disconnect the cable shifter tomorrow and see if I can massage the lever into 4 low.

Otherwise...out it comes again. At least I know I can probably fix it.

Oh and the front yoke seal is whatever was on the case. Didn't bother to replace it. Figured an old ass seal was probably better than anything new. Maybe I'm right.

Waved to this Jeep hauling the wood on the way home.

View attachment 630603View attachment 630604View attachment 630605

-Mac

You probably forgot the snap ring that holds the input gear into the front bearing. Don’t take apart the whole t-case, start by removing that 4 bolt front cover and see if the snap ring is there.

Likely what is happening is the planetary is moving rearwards and following the low range collar, so you’re not able to engage 4L since the planetary moved.

 

[macleanflood]

Start by removing that 4 bolt front cover and see if the snap ring is there.

Pretty sure that one is there...but everything is up for grabs.

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

Pretty sure that one is there...but everything is up for grabs.

-Mac

That's the only explanation I can come up with for losing 4LO, as nothing else really can cause losing 4Lo like that. Plus that snap ring looks like the one for that location. Find out tomorrow I suppose. I'd pop the 4 bolt cover off first before tearing the whole thing apart.

 

[macleanflood]

That's the only explanation I can come up with for losing 4LO, as nothing else really can cause losing 4Lo like that. Plus that snap ring looks like the one for that location. Find out tomorrow I suppose. I'd pop the 4 bolt cover off first before tearing the whole thing apart.

Pretty sure that was the YJ shaft ring. Pretty sure I just need to adjust the shifter.

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

Pretty sure that was the YJ shaft ring. Pretty sure I just need to adjust the shifter.

-Mac

Maybe so…just assumed it was already in adjustment from before so didn’t see why that would change with just a new case.

 

[macleanflood]

So does this ring go here?

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

So does this ring go here?

View attachment 630755

-Mac

Yes, it’s easy to mix up with the one on the main shaft sprocket. But one that looks like that definitely goes there.

Was a snap ring in that slot?

 

[macleanflood]

Nope.

Yes, it’s easy to mix up with the one on the main shaft sprocket. But one that looks like that definitely goes there.

Was a snap ring in that slot?

There's a lower position too. The position in the picture the sun gear is half out of the annulus.

I think it goes here...

-Mac

 

[machoheadgames]

Nope.

There's a lower position too. The position in the picture the sun gear is half out of the annulus.

I think it goes here...

View attachment 630758

-Mac

No, the bearing is between the snap ring and the shoulder.

 

[macleanflood]

Here's another perspective and why I don't think this ring goes on the sun gear shaft...this is how things sit sans ring.

With the ring in the closest to transmission point the sun gear is an 1/8" out of the annulus.

With the ring in that middle position it's an inch out of the annulus.

I don't think the ring belongs here.

-Mac