Transfer Case Solution (Post #519) 11/28/2014

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Manual

 

There it was in black and white. Knocking or rattling noise. It doesn’t get more obvious than that. The picture above is from the RAVE CD. It clearly describes the problem I was having.

So here’s the logic of my situation….

I had the drive train clunking. I incorrectly attributed it to failing universal joints. As you all are aware I had installed the Terrafirma medium duty springs. I believed that due to the increased ride height (approximately 2-3 iches) I was wearing out my u-joints.

The transmission has been behaving like it was slipping since late summer. I’m pretty sure it is time for a rebuild. Knowing this I decided I would let the clunks go until I could get the money together for the transmission repair. I had already gotten a ballpark price from Sports and Classics for the repair. I thought that when they pulled the transmission that I’d have new u-joints installed.

The clunking turned out to be the transfer case. Unfortunately I still have the transmission problems.

So I called Rover Cannibal first thing the next day. Ryan answered and said, “Hey Eric, what’s up?” I told him I believed I had a failed transfer case. He asked a couple of affirmative diagnosis questions. I asked if he had any. “Yep, come down and pick one out!” So I did.

You don’t really appreciate the businesses that keep your Land Rover on the road until you need them. Rover Cannibal takes good care of me. It is truly a gold mine of parts.

So I made the trip up to Rover Cannibal and K.C. helped me get a transfer case loaded in the back of Mrs. Okierover’s Honda CR-V. For their size, transfer cases are surprisingly heavy.

The original plan was to do the job myself. So I began by taking the interior apart. I got under her Wednesday and started the process of dropping the exhaust and the drive shafts. I got pretty far when I had a moment of clarity.

How was I to lift the old transfer case off? How would I lift the new one back up? The instructions call for a transmission lift.

It was at that point I called Mickey’s Garage in Norman. I told him my plight and he told me to bring it down on Saturday. He had his team working the weekend before the holiday. Smart. Even better for me it didn’t require another day off from work.

So I had the flatbed-of-shame come by again and haul the Big White Bus to his garage. His team had it ready for me on Tuesday. I put the interior back together myself. The console was once again broken and I didn’t want to risk further damage/I needed to repair it before it was reinstalled.

Putting the console back in is simple. You’ll need a pop rivet tool and some 3/16 rivets.

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You can see the Transfer Case High/Low range shifter.

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Fit the rubber boot and the metal frame.

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Insert a rivet.

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Use the pop rivet tool to compress the rivet and cut the shaft off.

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Finished product.

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Console refitted.

The transfer case swap was a serious job. On the Okierover Difficulty Scale it is a 4. Four because of the logistics of getting the transfer case out and back in. It requires special tools and more than one set of hands. As I told Mr. Fisher, “If I were stuck in the Kalahari Desert and needed to do the job to get out I’m sure I could have got it done.” But I wasn’t in the Kalahari, I am in the middle of Oklahoma with a proper mechanic just two miles from the house and a credit card with enough left on it to pay him to do the work.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.