Ok, well after a lot of messing with both the back and front diff bolts i finally just got out the airgun and like was said above they all came right out! I didn't really think they would but they did fine. Of course i soaked them with PB plaster about 10 times and let it soak for about 6 hours. that i am sure helped. but i did get them all off. i will refill them tomorrow.

So now my only issue is wether i should go ahead and change out the seals on the transfer case or not.

 

If you can get the filler plug out, and don't want to spend the time with the drain plug, just loosen all your third bolts, knock with a rubber mallet, and let her drain.
A lot of folks who shave/clearance their diffs change their oil this way as the norm.

 

Interesting, i have heard about doing it that way but doesn't that mess up the gasket?

Lucky for me the impact gun got them both off first try. I soaked them all each time to make it easier. In fact I now have a big puddle of gear oil in the street in front of my house because the plug came out so fast!

While I am on this underbody subject; I want to get ALL the under body stuff done at once (then move to the eingen bat, then the inside ect...). What else should/can I do under there to help. I am going to grease the drive shafts but other than that what else can I do while I am there?

 

For the record, a 6 point socket will grip better than a 12. The more contact surface you have, the better the grip. You loose contact surface with all the extra grooves cut in the 12 point. The benefit of a 12 point is that it is easier to place since you don't have to rotate it very much to get it to line up.

Before you start replacing seals I would advise that you throughly clean the t-case and then keep an eye on where the leak is originating from. Might save yourself a lot of needless time, effort and money.

 

I might have missed something, but you got the truck a few weeks ago--did you check the transfer case level when you bought the truck?
If not you could be in for a rebuild...fingers are crossed you get lucky...

 

I should have checked it but i knew i was going to be changing it so i didn't ever get under there and check. I had thought i was going to do it a long time ago.

How would i know if it is gone or not? Just not shif into 4WD? lock-up? grind?

 

No, don't do that. Your diff will leak after that.

The proper way to do it is to double nut the bottom diff mounting stud, and replace it with a bolt. Then you can remove the bolt and the fluid will drain out.

Or an even easier way is to buy a small fluid pump, and pump the fluid out and back in at the breather hole. If you get a large enough fluid exchange pump, you can change your engine oil through the dipstick tube as well!

 

First, get under there with a can of brake cleaner, a rag, and a hose. Clean it all up REALLY good. Fill it back up with gear oil. Drive in 4wd (on a STRAIGHT road, don't attempt to do any turns in 4wd) for a while, and then recheck the area you just cleaned. You should be able to find your leak.

If you don't hear or feel anything while in 4wd, your good to go. Make sure you shift into both 4hi and 4lo, and go in all gears, forward and reverse.

 

About the diff fill and drain plugs: I leaner my lesson with the stock plugs. I had to drill one out one time.

Get the Marlin Crawler plugs that use a 10mm allen key and get yourself a 10mm allen key socket. No more stripping them.

The reason they are so hard to get off is people reinstall them with impact drivers and over crush the crush washer, or dont put on one at all.

 

Yeah, i already cleaned it real good. There is a good stright road by my house, i will take a drive there and see what happends. When i was cleaning it look like it is either the front drive shaft seal of(oh, i hope it is not this...) the seal between the T-case and the tranny. I wounder if i should go ahead and change those drive shaft seals before i waist a few quarts of gear oil (and $25).

And i was able to get both plugs out after a lot of PB blaster and an impack gun. I will be tourqing them correctly when i put them back on.

 

Ok, now before ya'll start yelling at me for being stupid just know i have done plenty of that myself.

When i went to refill the T-case i was sticking the oil bottle up to the fill port to see if i could just pour it in or if i would have to use a pump. Well somehow the cap of the bottle came off and is not in the t-case


So what can i do now??? Do i now have to pull the t-case or can i just take the front of it off to get it out (and inspect it while i am there). or will pulling it be the only option?

 

First, the thing you really need to check for damage from lack of lubrication are the output shaft bearings, specifically the rear which is always spinning. Grab the companion flanges where they bolt to the front and rear driveshafts and try to wiggle them up & down, side to side. If they have any play, then they need replaced, if the nut is tight(tighten if not). That would require removing the transfer case from the truck. I ran mine with water and that's almost all that needed replaced, besides all the seals.

Next, that cap should wash out with some oil. It's just hung up on something. Even if you were to leave it in there it probably couldn't do much harm. We're talkin' Toyota transfer case here people. TUFF STUFF!

Idea, turn the front driveshaft a few turns. This will cycle the chain(or gears depending) and might knock that cap loose. May take many attempts. I do realise gear oil isn't cheap, but if you were carefull to keep it clean it could still be used to fill the case. You can check for the leak that way too. If it is that internal seal, input shaft seal, not the front output, it's comin' off the truck to get at that.

 

I had thought the same thing but i started sticking my finger in the drain and i see why it is not coming out with the oil i put through it. Ther bottom gear is Right next to the drain (meaning i can see the teeth and they look good BTW) and i don't know if it will come out that way at all. I will try some more oil though.

And the companion flanges are those round discs that are between the axel and the T-case? (as i said t-cases and these drive shafts are new territory for me, done the front CV’s a few time on other cars…).

 

Yep, that's them.

 

Ok, just messed with the flanges and they are tight as i can tell. I can't make them budge.

I tryed to flush it out agina and it ain't coming so now it is a matter of leaving it in there or pulling the case (which i really don't have time for).

So if i was to just leave it in there and then change the oil again in a few weeks do you think that would kill it??

 

I know that if you have the same case I do, VF1A, that your pretty safe doing that. There's a pump that moves the oil around inside but it has a fine-mesh screen that would keep it out of there. It could possibly get chewed into smaller bits, but not probably small enough. I think it will find it's way out of there eventually. I'm having a hard time imagining any other trouble it could cause. Things are very robustly built inside these units, hardly damageable by some little peice of plastic. If I think of anything more, I'll let you know.

 

Ok, i tryed what you said above some more and there is just no way it is coming out as a whole piece through the drain.

And i have the T-case with the chain. I don't know where to find the model number.

I am hoping it will get chewed into slightly smaller pieces so that in a few weeks when i change it again it will come out that way.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HELP!!!

 

how about one of those flexable grabber tools?

http://toolmonger.com/2006/07/29/flexible-grabber-tool/

 

That would be worth a try. Go in through the fill hole, and dig around in there for it. I've got one of those contraptions, come in handy often. I just figured out that I could hold a magnet in it and use it for that purpose too. Nice cause it's flexible.

 

Yeah, i got one of those. They do work great for a lot of things but in this case it would not bend down into the pan. Just hit the other side.

And they also sell a magnet tool just like that that i got as a set with mine. I have used it to get screws that fell many times.

One use for the grabber tool is to use it to pull wires through the firewall. It works quite well for it.