Front Differential & Transfer Case Location??

Hey guys, noob to this forum. Little background- I'm not new to the car forum world and just sold my 2010 Jeep Wrangler due to getting married and that was my first toy to go haha. Anyways, picked me up a pretty good shape Tacoma and looking to make the "just bought it" maint.

I have a White 2002 PreRunner V6 Dbl Cab automatic that has 97XXX miles. I've driven a standard for the last 8 years (GTO and Jeep) and now it's time to just cruise lol. I got a pretty good deal on the truck but the bad thing is is that I dont know the history of it, dont have receipts, etc. I'm usually very picky about this but I got a good deal on it so i couldnt pass it up.

Today I switched the oil to synthetic and had planned on doing the rear diff, front diff, and transfer case, with plans of doing the transmission in the very near future. Got underneath after doing the oil (the filter is def much harder than my jeep was, which i could reach up iwth my arm and change the filter. I went through the wheel well and tightened it up from underneath. Oil, check marked.

Went to do the rear diff next and to my surprise, the fill plug is stripped. Looks like someone went to do it before, stripped it, and said screw it. I tried my 24mm socket and pipe wrench for the just in case measure, but no luck. Any Ideas?

Next, went to do the front diff and transfer case, and ill chaulk this one up to being a noob to Tacoma's haha, but I cant find either. I have searched multiple forums for many hours, google'd it, and all i cant find are 2nd gen writeup's. Can anyone show me pics of the locations that would be easy for a noob to see. I hate asking questions on here but as I'm covered in black stuff right now from literally trying to find it for hours earlier, I gave up and now am asking.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Ryan

 

Hate to break it to you but you bought a 2wd.

Prerunner = 2wd with 4x4 suspension.

Sorry.

As for the rear plug, you could weld a nut to it.

 

haha your gonna hate yourself..

but you bought a prerunner..

that means 2wd..no front diff..or transfer case.

 

HAHAHA Thanks guys for the quick response. It makes sense now but in the moment I was so determined to find it I forgot to actually stop and think. Ill just pick my ego up off the floor on the way out of the door.

 

Haha no worries man.

 

As far as the fill plug is concerned, you could still drain and re-fill it if you wanted to (assuming the drain plug is not stripped). It could be filled through the vent fitting. Remove the fitting (without stripping it ) and use a pump with an appropriate size hose. You'll have to trust the specs on how much to put in.

You could try to loosen up that fill plug (move it counter-clockwise) using a hammer and chisel before using the weld-on-nut trick. Replacement plugs are plentiful in the wrecking yards.

 

As for the diff fill plug. Put some heat on it with a propane torch.

 

Sorry bud. But that shit is too good. Did you really but the truck under the impression it was a 4wd? or did i just read it wrong


as for the fill plug...dont use a pipe wrench...grip that sucker with some vice grips as tight as you can get

 

lol I knew it was 2wd, I guess i'm just use to having a 4wd, I dunno, I really have no excuse lol. No shame in the game though, looking to enjoy this forum and the Taco

 

Well Thanks for the good tips. I ended up taking my vice grips and "tapping" it until it finally turned. I was excited (as much as you can be when working on the truck) only until I realized the drain plug was lubed up with rubber cement I think lol. Breaker bar, tapping, pb blaster, nothing worked. There is no way it was tightened to specs. I'm 6'2 210lbs and i couldnt even budge it. Guess i'll try to take it to a shop with air tools to try and get it to budge.

 

I'm surprised that someone coming from a heep doesn't know to use some heat on seized threads...