I have a 4x4 93 5-speed.  Currently sitting on 30.5 tall tires.

I need to remove the transmission and transfer case, so I can replace the transfer case with a new one.

If I drive the Tracker on top of four car ramps.  Will it be high enough for me to pull the the transmission and transfer case out from underneath it?  Will it clear the frame?

Please keep in mind, the transmiision and transfer case will be on a transmission floor jack.

If not, has anybody lifted the rear end of the Tracker with a cherry picker?  I assume a 2000lb minimum setting on cherry picker will be required.  I might be able to get it high enough to pull out from behind.

Thanks,
Ryan

I take the tcase out first then the trans. They are not that heavy if removed seperately. You do not need a floor jack. I can carry a tcase with one hand. Id say as long as you have enough room to work you will be fine. The hardest part is finding the top bolt on the t case. Its under the trans shifter mechanism that is held on by 5 bolts.

I have the new transfercase on the floor, it's light like you said.  I was told that the top bolts the secure the transfercase to the transmission can not be accessed with no body lift. 

That was why I was under the impression that they had to be removed as a unit, then seperated.

But if you say it's possible, then I will just remove the transfer case.  It would be less work.

The top bolt is a bit of a bugger. But if you remove the cross member and lower the rear down a bit you should be able to get it!

My experience has been that even with the Tracker on four ramps, I had to take the tranny/case assembly off the tranny jack in order to get it out from under the car.  The tranny jack was still handy though.  Separating the two components is fine too.

Here is an update on what I did. Tracker was on 4 metal car ramps, plenty of room under the vehicle for Bullet Proof Tansfercase vs. Crazed Mechanic wrestling match.

There was no way in hell I was going to get to the top two bolts, even with the rear transfercase crossmember removed.  My gorillia  hands just did not fit, and I have the scabs to prove it.

If you have a 3 inch body lift I imagine it could be done, but I have no body lift.

I started to remove the transmission, when I discovered the possiblity of stripped threads in the transmission for the 2 bolts that secure some kind of bracket to the transmission (passenger side).

So I found another solution, I got out the cutting wheel and created two access panels on both sides of the tunnel hull.  Worked like a charm!  I now have to create access plates out of them, that will be RTVed in place. When I get the mod done I'll post some pics.  End result, the transfercase can now be removed from the transmission while the transmission stays mounted to the engine.

Floor jack was only used to support the transfercase when connected to transmission.  Otherwise, I just wrestled the transfer case off and on the transmission.

I do have a couple of questions:

Question 1:
The wire harness that plugs into the top of the transfer case, and runs along the top of the transfercase and transmission, what does the other end plug into (2 pulgs)?  When I removed the old transfercase, these plugs were not plugged into anything, and I can not seem to find the plugs that they would plug into.

Question 2:
What year did the transfercase spline count on the rear output shaft change?  I have a 93, bought a rear drive shaft out of 96 (I believe?) and the splines on the 96 were larger diameter and fewer spline count.  My 93 driveshaft where smaller in diameter, and higher spline count.

EDIT< I just read that the newer Transfercase output shafts are 16 spline and the older are 26 spline, still do not know what years they made the switch? >EDIT

I could have fixed the problem by swapping the slip yokes, but my slip yoke is all boogered up from the rear driveshaft falling off at 60+ mph.

Question 3:
Is there anything I should salvage out of the bad transfercase for spares?  The rear housing is cracked.  I'm thinking the bolts, since it's hard to find automotive grade bolts. 

Ryan


 

I can only answer the first question:  the tranny plug goes to the backup light circuit, and the transfer case plug goes to the 4WD dash light.

I can only answer the first question:  the tranny plug goes to the backup light circuit, and the transfer case plug goes to the 4WD dash light.

I was under the impression that the 2 plugs connected to the transfercase 2 plugs, and there is a third plug on the top front of the transmission?

some tcases only have one "switch" (canadian models I believe)

one tcase switch is for "4wd", the other (if equipped) is for "-L" (aka "lo range").
the canadian models with DRL don't have the "-L" indicator and hence no switch.
my canadian tcase did have the connector in the wiring harness going back to the tcase, just no switch mounted to the tcase to plug it into.

under the hood, the tranny+tcase wiring runs to a 6 (8? or 10?) pin white plug. not all of the pins are used. For example, a manual only has the reverse switch and the tcase switchs (so 4 pins used), where an auto also has wiring for park and neutral (so 6 pins). An auto also has another plug for starter disable (big guage round plug with 2 wires that switch in either park or neutral) and another plug that goes to the TCC on 3spds. (I dunno 4spd auto trannies).

96 is the year they went to the coarse spline output shaft on the tcase (may be some oddballs out there, but that is the general "rule").
What I have done before on the tcases......any time I have had the tranny and tcase out, I seperate the tcase, then when I put it back on the tranny, I leave the upper bolt out of the tcase (the one that is under the shifter housing)....makes it much easier to remove the tcase from the tranny with the tranny still attached to the engine.  I have also had to slightly grind on each side of the tranny case "flange" (where all the bolts go that attach the tranny and tcase together) to get the shifter housing to clear when assembling/disassembling the tcase from the tranny......it's hard to explain, but if you ever do it, you'll know what I mean.