kennyyoung

Are the only disadvantages of going with the toggle switch ....1) worse gas mileage 2)more viberation 3) the stubby will always turn......are there others?

kennyyoung

Back in an hour Beto, its lunchtime, time to home for a break....lol. I'm over worked here!!! Back in a bit!!!

Beto

Shift to L4 with the transfer stick (which moves the actuator, actually shifting to N on the transfer triggers the actuator too), and don't let the ADD lock (open your toggle) and voila L2. Maybe useless for an auto, but neat anyways.

Can't see any other disadvantages.

kennyyoung

Ok, I understand what you are saying... it will be in low range but still in 2wd!!! Gotcha!!!

Now, I just went home and back to work.... I'm kind of thinking I dont want to fool with the cap again. The truck it running smooth.... as smooth as can be expected. Right now I know that if I need 4x4, I could crawl under the truck and plug the sensor switch back in......with the mod of a toggle switch .... I flick the toggle in the cab!!! If I remove the cap again, I could end up losing the springs on the brushes, break a copper wire on the brushes or god knows what!!! Like I said before, I am getting rid of the truck in May or June next year.... it should last me until then...right...lol!!! I have a spare stubby shaft in my shed if the u-joints gets worn, so I could just replace it!!! If I go with the toggle switch, I'm gonna change the transfer case oil to make it nice and fresh. Oh and one more very important question, with the addition of a mod switch, will I still be able to shift into and out of 4x4 on the fly?
So whats your input.... I've been hanging on to every word you have posted.... what would you do?

Beto

Shift on the fly- yes. Even over 100km/h - no more annoying buzzer. Just try it slowly first (rolling) and work up speed until you are sure everything is working.

kennyyoung

This evening, I think I'm going to crawl under the truck and have someone push the button and listen to see what sound the actuator is making.... see if it is similiar to the problem with the magnets. But then, if it do disengage, I may not get it to engage again and there goes the toggle switch idea!!! I'm here trying to talk myself out of taking that cap off again!!!! What to do, what to do!!! Theres one other so called glitch with the toggle switch..... if I plan to use the toggle, the 4WD button on the shifter must be left pushed in to keep the t-case engaged.....the problem comes when you go to start the truck.... with the button in, the dash light flashes and a buzzers sounds.... it makes you take the button out. That would be fine, but when you take the button out, the actuator is going to try and disengage every time I do this....what happens if it is successful.....every time I go so start the truck have take the button out and push it back in!!!

Can I unplug the transfer case actuator now that it is engaged, to stop it from trying to move? By unplugging it, does it affect anything else?

Beto

Never experienced that buzzer issue. It won't let you start the truck? Here I was going to suggest you get real slick with your toggle and wire it in to the 4WD pushbutton by disconnecting the wires going to it now and shorting them out. Well, I can't see any harm in trying to disconnect the actuator. I would have been sure it couldn't affect anything else, but now you have at least one symptom (the buzzer) that comes as a complete surprise to me!

kennyyoung

It will let me start the truck, but I must take the button out to stop the buzzer and then push it back in!!!

kennyyoung

If I unplug the t-case actuator and rob the power from it ( well actually I'm not robbing power, I'm robbing the toggle switch), jumping it over to the position sensor switch, the 4wd button on the shifter will be the toggle button for the front actuator...and the t-case actuator would be dead (no power) so it shouldnt disengage....sound good?

Now, just to figure out which wires to use from the actuator connector that I am going to unplug... which ones are the 4wd button switch!!! Looks like wire 2 and 3 to me..... how about you? On page 1010 of the FSM or is it 15 and 8 on page 1011...second last one down, but that is from the ecu terminal... where ever thats located!!!!!! If I mess the wires up, I could blow something else somewhere couldnt I..... maybe I will just run a complete new wire and install a seperate toggle.... unless you know what wires to use!!!

kennyyoung

Well, I never got a chance to work on the truck last night, so I'm here at work now and I just popped out to try something under the truck. I unplugged the main connector to the t-case actuator to see if the position sensor switch will still function without that plugged in.... good sign, it did....I could here the air transfer in the front actuator when I plugged and unplugged the position sensor switch. That being said, there is no power going to the t-case actuator now, so if I get my ohm meter and find out which pins on that connector is for the 4wd button, I will cut the 2 wires and join them into the position sensor switch. Then the 4wd button can stay out when im in 2wd and push it in for 4wd....that will eliminate the buzzer everytime I start the truck and hopefully that will be the end to that!!! How does this sound to you?

I'm still wondering though, if the t-case actuator will stay engaged even without power going to it..... I'm hoping it will. I'm hoping that the only way for it to disengage, is for the actuator to pull it back out electrically!!! Your thoughts???

kennyyoung

The wiring is a little more complicated than expected if I want to tie into the 4WD button. To get the front actuator to engage, the 4wd button must be pushed in, then the new toggle button closed. To get it to disengage, the 4wd button must come out and the toggle button open. The front actuator wants the 4wd button out before it will disengage with the toggle button....with the 4wd button out, it is telling the front actuator that the t-case actuator is disengaged.... even though the t-case actuator isn't plugged in anymore. Oh well, I'll have 2 buttons to put her in 4x4, but at least I will have 4x4 on demand!!! I'll let ya know how I make out after I get it wired!!!

Beto

That's not how it looked like it should work on the schematic. You should need the 4WD button ON, but the toggle should engage and disengage the ADD at will. I'll try and have another look soon but got very occupied and still fighting sickness.

I did mine the "unsafe" way and wired a relay right up to the vacuum actuators on the firewall on a toggle. I recommended the series with the transfer position switch method because I didn't want to take the chance of making you kill your front end - one inattentive flip of that switch in the wrong situation could have bad consequences - kind of like a self-destruct button. It also looked like you could do it with one wire instead of a relay and several wires. Seems like it might not be as easy as I thought especially seeing as you need to turn off your 4WD to start the truck (makes no sense to me). Maybe you should go with the self destruct switch if its easier and just pay close attention, I think you understand how it all works now and the risks...

kennyyoung

I think I confused you there..... I dont need to turn off the 4wd to start the truck.....what I meant was that if I started the truck with the 4wd button in, the buzzer would sound and I would have to push the 4wd button (out) to shut the buzzer off and then repush the button to have it in the engaged position (in).

I also thought that with the 4wd button ON, the toggle would engage and disengage the ADD at will but it wont.....it will engage it , but wont disengage it until the 4wd button is out!!! I guess it waits to hear from the 4wd button to confirm disengagement of the transfer case!!!

So, all I am going to do is cut one wire on the position sensor switch (it doesnt really matter which one does it) and put the toggle right between it ( run to the cab of course). Then I will have to use two buttons to engage and disengage the 4wd!!! I think this is the safest way.... no way of self destruct here I dont think.......right?????

kennyyoung

I just got home from crappy tire and bought Synthetic Gear Oil 75W 90 ($13 a litre) to do an oil change in the transfer case since it will be working full time and a little harder this winter. I bought the liquid White Lithium Grease to spray in the breather hose on the actuator where I sprayed the wd40.....just in case I run into trouble and need the actuator at a later time. Plus I bought a simple toggle switch!!!! Well after all this time and energy, if this toggle works tomorrow, the total cost of repair would be $45.00......not to bad considering I was looking at $2000 a couple weeks ago!!!!

I was also looking at the Mastercraft Mig and Flux welder they have on sale up there this week http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows...x%2BWelder.jsp ..... $249.99 regular $499.99....do you know if these are any good..... I have ZERO experience or knowledge with welding (have no idea what to buy), but would like to learn how to do it and have a decent welder for odd jobs around the house and under the truck of course!!

Beto

I have some idea... got the same one for the same price last year - the sale was over but someone left the sale tag on the demo unit so I lucked out.

It's not bad, a little underpowered but good for the price. You'll not be able to weld 1/2" plate steel or anything like that, but for odd jobs and sticking two pieces of metal together, not bad.

You'll need a 20A breaker and plug as seen in the attached pics. I also made a 1ft adapter extension so I can use an extension cord with it. (yellow plug). Do yourself a favor and get an auto-darkening helmet (I got that one for about $100), it makes all the difference.

The only other issue about it is the feed mechanism is a little inconsistent compared to a miller or high end machine, but workable. Just have to keep the nozzles clean and keep sharp bends out of the feed line going to the handle. I haven't had much luck with the gas feed, but I haven't tried the proper argon mix (only CO2 because I have it). Flux core works OK.

I had problems determining the polarity, the diagram inside tells you where to connect the negative and positive for different welding tasks, but doesn't tell you which lead is which! The one I marked with green tape goes to the ground electrode.

Beto

Rest of the pics

kennyyoung

Hey Beto, thanks for the excellent information on the welder....at least now I know what I would be buying. I may go up tomorrow and pick one up for myself if they have any left.

As for my truck..... I got the toggle switch installed and working properly today...... finally I have 4WD again. You were right, when the 4wd button is in, the toggle will engage and disengage at will with the flick of the toggle......sweet!!!! Its been a long haul and alot of good information tossed around here.... I just want to thank you so much for all your help throughout this whole process... if it wasnt for you, I would have never got it fixed on my own. If you want to PM me with your home address, you will be first on my Christmas card list this year!!!! All your help is greatly appreciated!!!!

Thrashpipe

Hey you guys, Ide like to ressurect an old thread if I may. And I'm hoping beto and Kenny can be of some assistance.
I have very close to the same issue as Kenny where if I try to engage my 4wd, some times it trys , most times it fails and I have to cycle the ignition key or 2h/low shifter to get any responce. If it does engage its when I'm going about 30mph. But the only way I have been able to get it in to 2wd after it finally goes into 4wd is to put the front tires up on ramps and mess with the switch and 2h/low shifter.
I have replaced the position sensors and my front diff has NO sensor, only a vacuum fed actuator.
I too actually filled my TC actuator breather with a fluid but it was on blaster instead. Lol
I'm at wits end with this, also I checked the vsv valves (all three) and the only one that did not respond to a 9v battery was the one by the charcole canister.
also almost every time I try to engage or disengage the system, the indicator light on the dash has a seziure untill the motor stops trying to engage the 4wd.

Any help would rock! Should I run a switch? Mines a little different I feel. Also it is multi mode. Thank you in advance!

Thrashpipe

So I feel like there is some type of short or a bad relay because when it finally goes into 2wd , the next morning I turn on the key and the truck decides it wants to try and go back into 4wd or something because I hear an actuator motor and then the dang light starts to blink again and it doesn't stop untill I try and put it in 4wd then the tires eventually stay solid. But it will do the same thing if it's already in 4wd also. Short or a relay? Or maybe that motor Kenny fixed?