pizzabob

Hey, Folks -- Got a '96 4Runner V6 4WD manual 5-speed, will hit 300K this week.

Last fall, while going 70 miles per hour on an interstate, the transfer locked up and we went from 70 to zero in about five seconds without me touching the brake. After it cooled for awhile we were able to crawl to an O'Reilly store, where they lent me a wrench and I discovered the transfer had almost no oil. I had changed it out about 100K before but neglected to change on schedule. My bad. But anyway, after squirting a quart or so in we were on our way. Incredibly, it gave us no problems on the trip except for two or three loud groaning crunching noises (which I did not like). No subsequent noises heard since.

When we arrived home 1000 miles later, I drained it and installed Lucas oil and Lucas oil treatment mixed 50/50, and it has run like a champ since. The oil smelled burnt as I expected it would. I changed it again 25K miles later, and it didn't look half bad and not nearly as smelly. However, I have had to top it off a couple times as seals are obviously leaking, which is what I presume caused the trouble in the first place. The only malfunction I notice is that although it switches to 4WD flawlessly, it hesitates several seconds to go back to 2WD. But I can live with that.

Other than repairing the seals, which I will do as soon as financially possible, do you gurus have any other advice? Should I change oil more frequently than normally scheduled? It is amazing to me that the transfer could recover from such trauma as it went through, towing a loaded trailer all that way with essentially no lubrication. Toyota rocks!

kennyb3030

did you notice any vibration from the 4r before it locked up ?

pizzabob

Thanks for reply -- no, it just recently developed. I have actually thought it was coming from elsewhere in the drive train. You can feel it through the shift levers most of all. Also, it is present when running over 50 mph or so, whether or not the vehicle is in gear... and seems to go away some when I apply a bit of torque.

evolve23

My transfer case dropped out at about 15 miles of speed. I couldn't get home in 2wd, I had to put it in 4wd and limp home at 5 mi an hour. thankfuly i was only about a mile from the house. Had it replaced for about a grand.

pizzabob

Hey, Evolve --

Did you find that all the oil had leaked out of your transfer case?

That was what caused my problem. Also, where did you get your replacement from? The ones for 5-speeds are kinda scarce, I've discovered.