Transfer case oil change

I just removed the fill plug form the transfer case on my 2011 Tacoma, a significant amount of fluid started coming out, so, I aborted the operation, don't know why this would be. I had the transmission rebuilt a couple years ago, could it have been done wrong?

 

How significant?
If it’s just a trickle, that’s normal.
It would be really hard to over fill it to where it would gush out.

Either way, you need to drain it. Maybe you got water in the transfer case?
Water is heavier than gear oil. So that would make the fluid sit above the fill plug.

Drain it. And refill it. That’s the best advice I can give you.

 

Check your transmission fluid, it's possible for the seal between the transmission and transfer case to leak and allow transmission fluid to leak into the transfer case.
If the transmission is low with no other obvious leaks and the transfer case is overfull then odds are that is what is happening.

 

I drained about a half liter before it stopped, I wasn't sure if it was possible to get fluid from the transmission into the T case?

 

So, now I'm scared to remove the TC drain plug if it's possible the transmission will drain also,

 

Sealed transmission, no way to check the level

 

Transmission fluid would only be able to get in when it's running, stopped the level would be below the seal.

It can be checked it just doesn't have a dipstick.
Just note the specified check temperature was changed to 95-115F
How to Drain/Refill Automatic Transmission | Tacoma World

 

Tranny oil is red, xfer case oil is yellow/gold (when new).

If the oil coming out of xfer is not red tinted in any way, probably not tranny oil.

Are you parked on an incline while draining? Or did your tranny shop have the truck on a decline while filling?

 

It's probably water. I'd drain and refill the t-case just to be sure you know what's in there

There's actually an empty cavity between where the fluid is in the transmission case and the fluid in the t-case. If the transmission output seal was leaking it would fill up the cavity and drip out at the seam where the t-case bolts to the transmission.

I had a leak at my t-case input seal and that same cavity was full of gear oil

*assuming you have a 4.0 v6 like I do

 

Thanks for clarifying this, I wasn't sure. I know on some vehicles there's only one seal between them.

 

I changed mine today. Ya it gushed out when I pulled the plug. Oil was hot. At first it seemed like too much

If there was tranny fluid in there it should be pretty obvious

 

I replaced my tcase last week. Here are some pics. Helps illustrate what b_r_o above was describing. There is no gasket between the transmission case and tcase case, so any fluid that fills up that space is leaking out of the bottom.

 

If you're on even a slight incline you'll have a decent bit of fluid come out of the fill.