T-case is grinding?

[Car RamRod]

hows it goin guys?

I have an 86 mj, with the 2.8l v6 and a 3 speed auto. The T-case worked perfect when I put the truck away last spring, but I went to put it in 4 low the other day (while in nuetral), and she just started grinding. What could cause this......I'm not too familiar with transfer cases though I assume theyre pretty straight foward.

 

thanks.

[pingpong]

It sounds as if you didnt engage it all the way....

[Bounty Hunter]

Any amount of moisture in the transfer case fluid will corrode parts while in storage, causing the grinding. I'd take it apart and clean it up.

[Oizarod115]

check the linkage to make sure its not rusty and is operating right

[500 MJ]

My dad had a T-case in his TJ that had no fluid. This made the chain loose and eventually it ground a hold through the case. Hopefully this doesnt happen to you. He had bought the TJ from a repo yard that pulled it out of a river. Evidently when they changed the fluids in the Jeep they forgot to refill the T-case and it had drove countless miles since then. After a new chain and some Tig welding we were back on the road.

[Car RamRod]

ill check it out tomorow, thanks.

[aemsee]

Did it grind as you tried to engage 4 low, or after you started moving?

[Car RamRod]

tryin to engage.

[pingpong]

If it was grinding when you were trying to engage.. either the tranny wasn't in nuetral/park, or the tranny hadnt stopped moving

[Car RamRod]

ok, so should I just put her in nuetral and wait a few seconds, then go for it? If I'm at a dead stop, and in nuetral I don't see how it could spin at the t-case point of the driveline.

[aemsee]

You would think that everything would be stopped when in neutral. But as someone who has had countless number of vehicles on a lift running in neutral, there is enough viscosity in tranny fluid to get things spinning as long as there isn't any real resistance. If you hesitated in the neutral position of the t-case while shifting it may have been enough to let things start moving in the drive train. A little noise while shifting in to 4 low is not really a big deal.

[Oizarod115]

you're really supposed to be rolling SLOWLY in nuetral wehn you shift into 4lo..