New here on this forum. Have had Samurai's for about six years.

This is an '87 tintop. I just got done installing a new bushing for the transmission shifter and went to road test it. The driveway to my workshop is a steep hill with gravel so to prevent wheel spin I usually put the truck in 4WD. Backed up fine to the top of the hill and the transfer case got stuck in Neutral.

This transfer case has a tendency to pop out of 4 low. It doesn't get used for off-road but does get used around the farm, usually pulling a trailer - usually in 4 low or 4 high.

Truck is now back at the bottom of the hill. (Gravity, its a wonderful thing). Got one rear wheel off the ground. Front hubs unlocked. Spin the rear wheel and the front driveshaft turns. I don't know if neutral locks the front and rear driveshafts together but they seem to be.

So, before I go ripping the transfer case out - anyone have any suggestions?

   

Quick search on this forum points to the "shifter sheet" - so I ordered one.. Meanwhile, if anyone has any other suggestions, fire away!

Cheers
Mike

Pull out the shifter from the inside of the cab. Then make sure both shift rails are free and the notches line up and put it back together. It will probably get stuck again when you try to shift the t-case again until you get the new shift sheet though.

Thanks! Shift lever is out.

There was a flat rubber washer below the ball of the shifter and a bunch of ground up bits of something.

Shift rail on the right is (I think) all the way forward. Rail on the left is about halfway. Arrows on the photo point to the rear edge of the cutouts in the shift rails. For Neutral, both rails should be forward, right?

I ran out of time earlier to fiddle any more with it tonight.



Cheers
Mike

Clean out as much as you can and replace that rubber thing with a new shift sheet. use the shifter and make sure both rails move freely. You might have to pry them. Usually when then shift sheet gets bad, the shifterend slips out of the notch on the rail and one rail gets jammed. When they're free, line up the notches and put it back together (hopefully with a new shift sheet.).

So, Sunday - I could not get either shift rail to move. No way.

On Monday? The left side one went "click" and moved right into neutral.  No effort at all.
I dropped the lever back in and it all shifts fine.

 

Cleaned it out, put it all back together. New shifter sheet is on the way.

Thanks for all the help!

Cheers
Mike

I had that issue for a while.  You can get really used to taking the shifter out and using a large screw drive to get it back into the correct gear.