Please help! Transfer case actuator!

I have been all over this site and perhaps I'm not understanding.
To make a long story short.
I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma 3.4 automatic transmission 4 wheel drive.
Like an idiot I took the Black cover off the top of my transfer case actuator.
To my surprise as I was working the face of it off it was spring loaded.
I have heard some horror stories on here that you have to separate the transfer case to get this back on , I don't see why you would have to do that however being the mechanical genius that I am, I'm at where I'm at now.
Is there any way to get this actuator back on and time correctly?

 

Any updates on this?

 

Any updates also?

I am on the same boat as you... I was trying to diagnose the actuators since I could not place them in 4wd. I took the Tcase actuator black cover, it all sprang out... so. is there a way to place it back (pushing rod in?) in order to time it correctly without having to change it? I know for a fact the Tcase works.

Thanks!


(Image from the forum of "supposed" position of 3 prongs and their correspondent gear position)



(Continuity diagram for the prongs)


(From this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmuEVv1neVQ&ab_channel=ThePracticalMechanic)



Thanks!