Dangit! My QT is in EXCELLENT shape...

[Bob Barry]

Don't you hate when something goes wrong with your truck, you know exactly what is causing the problem, you get the parts lined up to fix it, and then when you start to fix it, it turns out what you thought was broke wasn't the problem at all?

I had diagnosed the severe banging/ratcheting sound coming from under the passenger-side floor on WOT acceleration as the transfer-case chain jumping teeth on one of the drive gears. After all, this is a truck with 195,000 miles on it and an unknown service history. So I pull apart my spare QT case, buy a seal kit and a new chain, and set aside an afternoon to make the swap.

So I pull the drainplug, having to reposition myself to get some leverage on the rusted-on plug, and when I get it off of there, NO FLUID COMES OUT!!! Dang, I think, and I had checked the level not long before. Then I realize that, from the angle I had moved to, I had actually wrenched off the fill-plug for the reduction unit (doh! and yet, you guys still take my advice... ;) ).

So I drain out the black fluid (it was full, after all), and to amuse myself, before I tear the case open, I stick a philips-head through the inspection hole to check out how bad the slop in the chain is.

None. I can barely get the chain to deflect 1/4".

Shoot, that can only mean that the splines in the drive cones are causing problems. So I unhook the rear shaft and put a torque-wrench on the yoke nut with the tranny in neutral and the wheels chocked.

It's tight. It takes about 80 ft/lbs for the yoke to even move, compared to the 15 ft/lbs on my spare case.

So it seems that the PO's rumor that a PO to him had rebuilt the case might actually be true.

I look to the oil-soaked motor-mount, and replace that with an Energy-suspensions poly mount, and shim the rubber donuts to reduce the play in the arm. I also check and lube all U-joints and the double-cardan; they too are all tight.

So basically I'm hoping it was the drivetrain jumping from the worn tranny mount (though it wasn't actually broken, it had a lot of play). I haven't driven it enough to test it out, but if it wasn't the mount, then I'm at a loss as to what might have caused that noise.

The good news, of course, is that the poly tranny mount is $100 cheaper than replacing the chain... smile.gif

[Marvin Gates]

What kind of fluid do you use in the QTrac, should you use the high dollar Jeep stuff? When I bought my wag I pulled the covers off both rear ends and put new oil in both but I wasn't sure what to use in the transfer case.
What do you recommend?

[Bob Barry]

I used 3 qts of genuine Mopar fluid (actually, one was AMC labeled; must have been sitting for a *long* time...) that I got for $9/qt at a local guy who works on Jeeps. If I didn't get that, I'd go for the Crown TCL-1 fluid, which is an exact replacement.

I wonder who makes it for Crown, though, and if it is used for any other applications.

[Hump]

Hope that fixes your problem. I had the same symptoms in my volvo once. (I know, I know, sorry about the volvo stuff)

It actually happened after I was jumping it off a big hill in a sprayed hay field. Everywhere I would drive it, and especially under hard acceleration it would thump right around the tranny. I didn't know what it was, but figured that my driveshaft carrier bearing was going out. To my surprise it my transmission mount was torn clean through. $12 later and it was good as new.

[Brown Bear]

Well, if you're that upset about the qt, then bring it over here, I'll break it for ya. Might give you something to do, you did seem kinda intent on fixing that chain :D

[Langdon]

Bob, if you don't want it I will buy the new chain from you...you did say it was Morse, right?

[Bob Barry]

Langdon,

Sorry, but I returned the chain. I suppose I could go back and buy it again; do you have a hard time finding a chain for your QT? The tranny dealer I went to had no problem getting the chain the next business day.

[Gladi8r]

Man, that must really suck, not having anything broken :eek: If you are looking for things to fix, how about a trip to sunny :cool: South Central PA. Is 70 already today and it is not noon yet! Got lots of things you can help we with :D

[Langdon]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bob Barry:
Langdon,

Sorry, but I returned the chain. I suppose I could go back and buy it again; do you have a hard time finding a chain for your QT? The tranny dealer I went to had no problem getting the chain the next business day.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I am in Nowheresville, so I'll have to order one online...thanks anyway, Bob

[jeepbob]

Bob,
That crunching popping sound is usually the frt cone clutch splines giving up the ghost, so I hope you get lucky and it is just the mount.

[Bob Barry]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jeepbob:
That crunching popping sound is usually the frt cone clutch splines giving up the ghost, so I hope you get lucky and it is just the mount.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was wondering about that, but the cones held to 75 ft/lbs when I tested them out, and I figured that, unlike a stretched chain, the splines are either engaged or not; if they're stripped, wouldn't they give when I was testing the cones? (tranny in neutral, wheels chocked) I imagine once those splines spun under power, like when I was starting out at WOT, they would have sheared off. Or have you experienced them failing gradually? The truck drives fine, and had driven fine, until this incident.