[dawydiuk]

I drained the oil in my transfer case and when I was tightening the drain plug with my torque wrench set at 27 ft / lbs it seemed like my torque wrench should have clicked already so I backed the bolt out and it looks like my torque wrench failed(never clicked) and I over tightened the drain bolt and cracked the transfer case!!!

Anyone know if there is anything I can do other than have it towed to a mechanic who can replace the cracked part of my transfer case? If towing it to a mechanic is my only option, does anyone have a ballpark how much it will cost to fix and can you recommend a mechanic in east mesa.

Any idea why my torque wrench wouldn't have clicked, could I have done something wrong?

I'll attach some photos showing the damage.

 

[Coldnapalm]

damn you must have really been wrenching on that thing! maybe you could weld it?

 

[dawydiuk]

I'm a newbie when it comes to cars this is one of the first maintence type jobs I've done on my truck. I don't have a welder...:mecry:

 

[dawydiuk]

I'm kinda freaking out as this is my daily driver and I don't have much money to get this fixed. I changed the oil to try to save money as apposed to paying a mechanic, now I'm thinking it would have been cheaper to pay a mechanic.

 

[bandi]

on the torque wrench.... they are not 100%... especially if it's an off brand... I stay away from anythin' china/tiwan/etc.... I use a craftman myself... never an issue, and if you have a name brand one, I would get it warrantied...

Either a weld job would work, or worst case, you would need to buy a new transfercase, since I don't know if it's sold in shell form.... also, someone on here could be selling one if they switched to a inchworm or such... new case is around $2056.... 8-0

wow., just looked... the case portion is $1450 alone and another $450 for the other half...

get it welded.... ! ! !

 

[bandi]

For a temp fix, you could jb weld (epoxy) it and tap it out, and just don't over tighten' it...

I would do this first if it was me... then see if it holds up... if not... then I would keep an eye out for a used case on the forms....

The crack does not go all they way to the structural portion of the case, so I don't think you will have an issue with that...

 

[2010armygreen]

Man that sucks. Just so you know Transfer cases $400-$500 on ebay right now.:mecry:

 

[w5wi]

JB weld should do the trick. That stuff works magic. I always carry it on off-road expeditions.

cheers,

dale

 

[OzarkGuy]

I have that same torque wrench. It's a POS.
I broke a bolt off in my camshaft in a 454 chevy using it.
Never clicked and I thought about it just as the bolt twisted off.
It took hours to get it out.

 

[borpa11]

Gotta tell ya I second the gentlemen above....JB weld will fix this at least until you can figure out what you want to do. I cracked the housing on a Dana I had and used JB weld and drove it for another 6 yrs without a issue......not saying do that with your rig but it will buy you time.

 

[1911]

I would try welding it. You might have to carefully file the face of the drain hole flat again so the washer seats well.

+1 on cheap torque wrenches, they're just not worth it for just this reason - they might be fine for values in the middle of their range, but they're horribly inaccurate near the ends of their range, on the low end particularly.

 

[dawydiuk]

In the morning I'll stop by autozone to pick up some JB weld as a temporary fix. I've heard a lot about JB weld but never used it. Is this the what you would recommend J-B Weld/10 oz. Industro Weld industrial cold weld compound (8280) | Epoxy Compound | AutoZone.com I'm assuming I just mix the two gels and apply to the outside of the cracked transfer case. With regard to retapping the transfer case, what recommendations would you have?

 

[1911]

With regard to retapping the transfer case, what recommendations would you have?

If the threads are good and truly stripped, the best thing is to replace them with a Time-sert or Helicoil.

 

[dawydiuk]

1911 thanks for the input and your other posts, I was actually using some of your posts on this forum as a tutorial on how to change the oil in my front diff and transfer case. Front diff went smoothly and well the transfer case didn't go so well obviously. Anyway you seem very knowledgeable, do you have an opinion on the JB weld recommendation as a temporary fix.

Could using JB weld cause any additional problems or is it just a case of it may or may not work(e.g. oil may leak)?

 

[1911]

... do you have an opinion on the JB weld recommendation as a temporary fix.

Could using JB weld cause any additional problems or is it just a case of it may or may not work(e.g. oil may leak)?

In my opinion, JB Weld is a temporary trail fix not a permanent solution. It won't cause any more problems in a transfer case even if a little gets inside the case - there is not much in there besides a some big sprockets and chains. It will either work or not. Clean the crack really well with brake cleaner and dry it out with compressed air before applying the JB Weld. Press it in the crack (if you can) with a putty knife. Good luck with your repair!

 

[dawydiuk]

Thanks! You guys are awesome.:rocker:

 

[MrBigAxe]

Give us an update on this when you get it fixed.

 

[snafu58]

JB Weld is some pretty amazing stuff and is sure worth the try. We use it as a extreme thread lock. To break it, we heat the connection to about four hundred degrees and it turns to powder.

 

[dawydiuk]

Ok so I'm going to use JB weld to seal the crack, and look into retapping the plug as a short term solution. I drive about 30 miles to work each day, I'm really hoping this will be reliable enough to get me to and from until I cat get this properly fixed.

I'm now looking into a long term fix for the problem. I see on ebay I can pick up a used AT transfer case shipped for about $450. Can someone verify this is the correct transfer case?

07 08 09 FJ CRUISER TRANSFER CASE AT - eBay (item 130435125967 end time Apr-21-11 15:10:56 PDT)

Next I'm going to have to find a mechanic who will install this for me. Can someone give me a ballpark estimate on labor to install this? I know rates will very from mechanic to mechanic, but just so I know what to expect...

 

[Wikid]

If you have an 07-09 A/T , this would be correct.
I'm not sure what's involved in removing the transfer case. I know many forum member have changed to atlas ,inchworm, or marlin and would be able to chime in. I know if it were my truck, I would be doing it myself.
Where do you live? I replied to your post on the AZFJ forum, are you local?

Good news on the transfer case you are looking at. If the mileage is correct and the truck doesn't look like it's been wheeled, you should have one in good shape