4Low Issue (Not a Linkage Issue)

Slim

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Central Valley, CA
Went to install tcase cable shifter today, and ran into a fun issue...wondering if tcase is borked.

I have 2H, and can shift into 4H (both by the cable and by hand, manually, at the tcase), but I cannot move the selector, even by hand at the tcase into neutral or 4L.

I've tried it rolling (on jack stands) and at a standstill.

Sure I could throw a big mf crescent wrench on there and see what brute force gets me, but I don't know what it'd be stuck on that I could wind up busting.

Thoughts?
 
I’m assuming you didn’t shift it before you disassembled it? So no way to know if it was working prior?

You’re “rolling” the wheels by hand or engine running and turning the wheels? If you didn’t put it in gear and roll forward and back with engine power, I would do that before goinf deeper.

If you don’t have an SYE, might be time to go for it. You’ll have to pull it apart for that.
 
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Have SYE.

The linkage was pretty cocked up, and I assumed it was a linkage issue keeping me from 4L, so never bothered to push it into gear before. BUT, I wheeled it in 4L and then more or less parked it (did some minimal around-town driving, and that was all in 2H).

I was both turning by hand and rolling under engine power. If I really yard on the handle to the point where I'm almost bending it, then I can hear it trying to get out of 4H and into neutral, but there's no pop out of gear.

Pulled a schematic and I'm eyeballing the detent (12 & 13 here) messing with the fork.

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Detent looked fine, wasn't all gummed up or anything. Some glitter around it wasn't encouraging. Guessing the forks are messed up, so I either have a rebuild or a new transfer case in my future.
 
Still battling this — I'll save the long story where I rebuilt the original tcase 3x before I said "fuck it" and bought a used one.

Swapped the SYE over, also had to swap the input shaft (the donor tcase came from being mated with an AX5, I have an AX15), and put the whole output shaft assembly from the original into the new one.

It shifted fine once assembled yesterday, shifted fine before I bolted it in this morning, but once I got it in, I'm having the same freaking problem. I can go from 2 to 4H, but I'm stuck past that. Tried it while driving. Tried it manually turning shafts while the jeep was up on blocks, etc.

I am confident it's not linkage, since I have a shifter cable installed.

Anyone have any ideas?

There's this video, but it's not terribly enlightening. And I don't necessarily see how I'd have the same issue between two cases (unless it's something related to my input...bad bearing in the input?)


I'll take any thoughts at this point. If it wasn't 2 months to wait for an atlas I'd just pony up the cash already...this is driving me nuts.
 
Had a similar story with 4low not cable related. Mine would pop out of 4low and then my trans would leak. Long story short I missed the snap ring on the input shaft causing both things.
That being said can you said you were able to click it in 4 low before installing it, when installed could you click it to 4low without the cable this time? Just strait from the lever on the case?
 
Had a similar story with 4low not cable related. Mine would pop out of 4low and then my trans would leak. Long story short I missed the snap ring on the input shaft causing both things.
That being said can you said you were able to click it in 4 low before installing it, when installed could you click it to 4low without the cable this time? Just strait from the lever on the case?

Can't manually (by hand) shift past 4H on the case.

Which snap ring on the input shaft?
 
Can't manually (by hand) shift past 4H on the case.

Which snap ring on the input shaft?

My issue is different than yours bc I could pop into 4low, it would just slip out bc the input shaft that does the planetary gear would push out of the gears making it a neutral but the shifter and fork were still in 4low. Then my tcase would dump fluid bc the shaft sucked in the case so much it was past the trans seal. I just had my case out 5 time trying to find the issue so I figured maybe I can shoot ya somewhere to look. You should be able to just push on the lever on the case to get in 4low( it’s a little hard but should move) so Sid also agree it’s no a cable shifter issue. What’s the current state of the case right now? Disassembled on a table?

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My issue is different than yours bc I could pop into 4low, it would just slip out bc the input shaft that does the planetary gear would push out of the gears making it a neutral but the shifter and fork were still in 4low. Then my tcase would dump fluid bc the shaft sucked in the case so much it was past the trans seal. I just had my case out 5 time trying to find the issue so I figured maybe I can shoot ya somewhere to look. You should be able to just push on the lever on the case to get in 4low( it’s a little hard but should move) so Sid also agree it’s no a cable shifter issue. What’s the current state of the case right now? Disassembled on a table?

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Gotcha. Yeah, I’m confident that’s not my issue. No play in the input shaft and I’m 100% sure the snap ring went back on.

It’s totally unable to be forced to shift past 4H (not even into neutral) by hand at the case.

Current status is installed on the Jeep with everything bolted up. It’s gonna have to come back off at some point.
 
Gotcha. Yeah, I’m confident that’s not my issue. No play in the input shaft and I’m 100% sure the snap ring went back on.

It’s totally unable to be forced to shift past 4H (not even into neutral) by hand at the case.

Current status is installed on the Jeep with everything bolted up. It’s gonna have to come back off at some point.

Ya I’d pull it one last time and take videos of the case split and it shifting through with the view from inside to see if the fork is binding. Being that the new “used” case that you swapped the sye over is still with the same issue I’d definitely double check the snap rings and gears on the main shaft that is swapped out for the sye. Since that’s the only internal similarity from the 2.
 
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I hope you figure it out. XJ buddy had the exact same thing, it simply would not shift after having no problem shifting. We ended up opening up the case, looking at it intensely, and then re-assembling it. Problem went away. Which probably means it's just waiting to crop back up, but so far so good.