4wd System Operation & Help Thread

cleaned up pretty good. Don’t see any issues that would tell me it’s the traces here. Hoping that giving it that good clean and put some dielectric grease will do it.

 

Looks better than expected.
Make sure to clean those fingers on the gear.
I think the real name for them are “wipers”.

 

Just wiped off the playdoh and splashed with some isopropyl. Gonna go inside and dielectric grease the cover and then put it back together


When dabbing the traces with dielectric, just put it over the contact points within the housing? And over the rotating spring that moves the gear?

 

You may want to tweak those contacts out a bit so they are touching the plate good, that outside one looks like it's in slightly.

 

Will do!

Any tips to dielectric grease amount to inside the black cover? Or just send it

 

I think the reason Toyota uses that thick paste is to use it as a grease on the gear teeth too.

Personally, I’d just use the dielectric grease on all of it.
I’m not using 2 different type greases.
I’m not sure dielectric grease is “ideal” for the gears. But what works, works?

 

Just a smear on the traces and a dab on the contacts should be all it needs.

 

So there is still a fat coat of that yellow grease still in the gears so that may work still. Full send

 

OP, you can disregard this.

Let’s say one wanted to confirm trace to pin integrity.
Would probing the contacts on the inside of the actuator to the corresponding pins be worth it?
You know, to be thorough

 

Full send.

 

I mean you could but I think it would be unlikely for those to break as they are solid strips of stamped metal.

 

Boys.



You’ve done it!!

Made sure to cycle it several times moving forward, backwards reverse and even inverted.

I can’t believe it. Thank you to both of you for the time and patience in walking me through this and narrowing down what exactly was the issue. I love learning from dudes that have a wealth of knowledge in this site.

TnShooter, thank you for explaining everything for me so I could draw it out with crayons over here. thank you. Thank you.

 

Excellent news.
Good to hear.

Now you have a better understanding of how the system works too

 

Glad you stuck it out till the end and got it fixed, so many people dissapear mid diagnosis or fail to diagnose at all.
Now don't forget to cycle the 4wd regularly and keep an eye on the actuator vent hoses to keep those contacts clean

 

the OEM yeller is called “body grease”, not sure whose body it goes on but I guess anybody will do.

 

So if we’re all being honest here, I got hired at my new job last October and before that hadn’t cycled the 4Wd in months. Well, the truck turned into an every other weekend truck with the new commenter car I got since gas prices were outrageous. You can probably imagine how all the gunk built up in that actuator housing lol. Never. Again.

 

Yea the majority of 4wd problems on these are from the system not being used or cracked/disconnected vent hoses on the actuators.
Don't forget the ADD Actuator and Rear Diff Lock Actuator (if equipped) also have vent hoses on them.

 

If it’s like superglue or anti-seize. It goes all over mine.

Thanks for the info.
I would have never figured it out.
Never even seen it mentioned before.

 

Also since I have you all here. I swear to god when I initially jacked up the truck the wheels spun opposite and driveshaft rotated when moving forward backward.
Is it possible that it might have thunked back into 2H if it was like half engaged while sitting on the driveway?

 

@TacoZim ’s success has me excited to work into the night!

@Dm93 & @TnShooter I removed the cover from the transfer case actuator. No blue/green corrosion but I’m assuming I should get everything cleaned up and apply dielectric greased based on all the previous right up.

Your ongoing guidance is welcomed and appreciated, and it started snowing so I’m more motivated now too…