No 4WD?

Please Gentlemen...This thread was started to help my Son fix his truck .

Anyway...problem found. It was the front diff actuator as you can see by the attached photos. Also tested bad...no power up. He reassembled and reinstalled the old one...and topped off so he can drive until Tuesday when new part comes in.

Thank you all very much for helping me help him long distance!

 

Glad you traced it to the ADD actuator. Those typically are the problem before the tcase actuator and the repair is pretty well figured out.

For future reference, here is how you properly replace the tcase shift actuator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak2jDzVQIdU Splitting the case really isn't that bad and the worst part of the job is going to be removing the tcase. Though I will say not the end of the world and the chain drive cases are definitely easier to muscle around than the old gear drive tcases.

I still believe it's possible to replace the actuator by disassembling it instead of the tcase. There's a picture around here somewhere. Simply leave the shift rail in the tcase and split the housing of the actuator to get the pinion gear off the rack teeth. I'm still trying to track down another tcase with the actuator included so if I can get one I'll try it out.

 

Glad you got it figured out! That is a lot of corrosion for a 2018 IMO.

 

Excellent...and big thanks for that as well ShimStack. I did find reference for doing a "top overhaul" as you mentioned for said actuator on a Tundra (not sure which gen/unit), but did not verify if it's the same procedure for a 3rd Gen Tacoma as priority was to T/S what his problem actually was...first.

 

Thought he might have gone swimming at first, but the case is dry. Will Instruct him to use contact cleaner, DC4 (dielectric grease) and F4 tape on the connectors. Will also instruct him to wipe a small bead of RTV around the "cover plate" of the new actuator as an additional preventative measure...in case he does goes swimming ...to back up the seal. MIL-SPEC actually has meaning for some of us.

 

Thanks Shimstack. A little more complicated than my old F150!!

 

Where I live (northern IL) that is what parts look like after about 1 winter. The de-icers they use on the roads are super corrosive!

 

it's a common problem for the 4wd actuators to be leaking or go down on tacoma poorly built actuators but buying from a dealership is stupid you're gonna pay 300 more plus labor buy aftermarket they're usually better

 

Care to link "better built" A.D.D. actuators as it applies specifically a 2018 Tacoma OR?

 

Bump. I'm all ears, but have found no better replacement part than factory as it specifically applies.

 

Just to follow up. He R&R'ed said actuator ops checked good. Thanks to those that helped.

 

So how waterproof are the components, if you go in water above the axel??

 

If you run a rear axle breather line to where your fuel door pocket is your good about up to the top of the firewall or to the gas cap area . The front differential has a breather on the firewall so that’s fine the rear needs to be extended.

 

So basically they did the bare minimum and left an old soda bottle full of dip spit in the cup holder.