Transfer Case Actuator

I would be willing to bet that 80% + of all 2016+ Tacoma owners have not tried 4 Low as there are specific reasons for using 4 low. I bet there would be a bunch more reported failures if everyone who had a new Tacoma tried 4 L

 

These actuators are not just a Tacoma thing. Most modern 4x4's are push button anymore. Our work F350 diesels are even that way. We have had way more issues with those things having problems then I have read about with Tacomas. Just part of the electronics age.

 

I understand the majority of people that think they need 4wd, a button is better. It's just unfortunate that for the people who originally needed trucks and 4wd for work or lifestyle now suffer because the masses are well, for lack of a better description stupid.

If you don't need 4wd drive buy an awd then those of us who do need 4wd can benefit from simpler mechanical operations where the operator still needs to be competent.

Idiocracy is upon us
https://time.com/4327424/idiocracy/

 

HUGE fan of the movie... the point is well made. The issue is that we have quit letting Darwin claim his victims... "CAUTION: Stove may be HOT!" "DANGER: Standing near edge may result in a fall/death." There was a time when you didn't have to outrun the bear... just someone slower / less intelligent than you.

 

2 months maybe 3 now I bought a 6 x auto 6 4x4 Sr5. In the owner's manual I read to drive in 4x4 modes for so many miles I think I recall 12 miles, each month to lube the transfer case. I had run a few local dirt roads like this and trued 4 Lo, which was hesitant to shift into 4 Lo. Over the 4th I was in a more rural and remote place where 4 Hio was almost needed and so used 4 Lo a lot. There is something to this use it or loose it, as the 4 Lo began to engage better the more I used it. I have no idea what the lease owner before me ever did, other than bash a head lamp which was listed on the report at the dealer. Being an X foreign car tech I found minor things I could live with to tattle tail on the light fix .

But I am curious about what is getting lubed and if 4 Hi does all the lubing you need to do. At this point I don't think it does.

 

With solid hubs and the ADD locking in the front axles, the spiders are always spinning but the ring, pinion, and shaft are not. The monthly exercise gets lube splashed through the diff and bearings as it is the ring the dips into the lube for splashing.

There is a good YouTube series by Banks, who did studies on rear diff covers, that goes into this in great detail for other reasons.

The T case has dog gears, just like a manual transmission. They get broken in over use and time, which would agree with what you are seeing.

Also on the use it or lose it side, giving the actuators (ADD and T case Hi and Lo) a run at least once a month ensures they stay free and not bound up.

All in all, it is a very small effort that ensures the driveline is happy. Of course, there will be folks who never do this and don't have problems, sort of like the previous owner of your Taco.

 

Thanks I will look up Banks to understand better . This truck had 26,000 miles on it when I bought it, but with no clue to any working history. The bottom is so clean I kind of doubt it ever went on a sand mud road. I bought it because in NH USA we get SNOW. It's rural here and some places are dirt roads I use anyway.

At my friends camp he has a road 4/10ths from his cabin to his shooting range, which is covered and a pole barn covered too, and that road you might use 4 hi on some times of the year. That was where 4Lo got a work out every day. That turned out to be a good thing as the Transfer case began to work better. I needed 4Lo on a back road coming home out of Byron Maine LOL . Sure am glad I met no oncoming traffic there. That road went smack thru a logging wangon . The road had just nasty sharp broken ledge here and there too . I am not a off roader at all it just happens

I wish we could go back to real trucks with real frames, like say 1968 with real extra heavy duty parts , hard bumpers that didn't rust out in the first 3 years, and things like that. I saw a oem 48 Dodge Power Wagon made into a woods wrecker on my way home too. A little rough maybe, but you don't have to worry about a little branch scratching the paint . The bad part there is probably getting 6 MPG on a good day LOL

 

Here you go:


Pretty much the basics of what is going on in there. Just insert the ADD in your mind, but there are videos about the Toyota driveline also on other channels.

I got into light offroading with my last sidecar motorcycle. I wanted something small and reliable with similar capabilities. The Taco has been doing that for me. It was a beast in the near record snows that we had here last winter. Nothing like Maine, but we do have some decent hills.

Yeah, I would like less computers and such, but we got some good power and a pretty light truck, which is good considering all the stuff jammed into it. Manual hubs and transfer case would be killer, but this is what we got. It could be much worse though.

 

Nice video. The temp he calls out is probably in the ball park. He didn't mention over filling these cases which are on some bikes these days and have been since 81 must never be overfilled and sometimes the factory spec is wrong and over full from the book . I agree this will leat up the oil, and more over the amount of a qt heated will increase fluid level by no less than 1 inch in heated volume. When that happens seals not meant to be submerged are submerged, and will 'drown' Once a seal has been drowned it will remain leaking until it has been removed and cleaned or removed and replaced.

I am 100 % sure Kawasaki Vulcan Bike have an incorrect fluid amount in the first place by a little bit, which causes the seals to leak. And then we have owners that kill them by kindness, thinking more is better. The amount without looking in a book is like 6 .3 OZ and if you go with just 6 ox things are better . I helped out a lot of people that had these leaks, with altered info from 'book spec'.

LOL I liked that air dead zone thing. Yup there is ........

How I know a qt of oil will increase that 1/2 inch is because I run glass antique Aladdin Lamps for a little light and a lot of heat in my house where the room these 4 lamps are is off the main heat for the rest of the house. If you fill them and light them full they will leak like mad.... Leaving them an inch from full is the way to go there... Inside 20 minutes they come up that 1.2 inch + ...

 

I think it was 3oz in the rear of my bike. If overfilled, it would simply come out the vent when running. You quickly learn the correct amount to add.

More being better is usually left for things that are not mechanical. Haha!

 

Yeah and that reminds me of something I had meant to say before. Ma Kawi says that measly 6 oz of gear oil is good for 24,000 miles LOL No way ... I change mine out every other engine oil change and I run full synthetic in both, respectively speaking. 10w-40 in the engine and 75/90 in the gear set. I am wicked old and so old fashion. I still change my engine oil on the bike at 3,000 miles on the clock.

I am not sure about the taco yet. There was a sticker on the windshield that said June 27th and OD reading of 33,380. A maintenance light came on and said maintenance was going to be needed soon, so I did the oil and filter. The dealer would have done it free as there is a 2 year warranty on this purchase, but they are 2 hours away one way. I had to buy the filter wrench, and the filter, having a case of that oil for the old Gen 2 I just sold at that time of purchase . I haven't search the oil change interval, but read here it's 10,000 miles between.. That's not gonna happen It will get oil and filter around 5,000 possibly 7,000, but nothing more . Not sure if the gear boxes is sealed.. I guess the tranny is is sort of . No stick, no filler in the engine compartment LOL . Before the Gen 2 I had a Gen 1, but that rusted out bad . Gen 2 was good no rust when it was sold. No Rust in NH is a very big deal .

 

Yeah, I swapped FD lube every oil change, but the ring and pinion still wore out. It just wasn't meant to be a commuter.

Although, have no fear about the Taco intervals. There is a thread with UOAs for the engine oil. There is still life in it at 10k. We have had three cars now with 10k intervals and one with 7,500mi. Never any doubts or problems.

The bike that I still have has 112k. I got it at 21k in 2008. 6k intervals on it and all that I use is M1 synthetic or Rotella T6 diesel oil. I did loose a motor at 83k, but I completely feel that was due to a timing belt snap 4k earlier. In the end, doing my own work paid for the replacement engine after two services.

The Taco AT is sealed. There are instructions posted about how to check it. Considering some of the low levels posted, it is worth checking, IMHO.

I'm originally from PA. The rust sucked! I am still shocked that rust is non-existent out here.

 

I miss getting out to lock the hubs, too. Why did I sell that ‘85? Oh yeah, cause we had a kid

... and loving every day of it ( if wifey reads this ).

 

Ugh! Kids!

They leave this kid of shit on my phone:



Trade you her for the manual hub kit?

 

Is that little angel one of yours?

Tacoma 3rd gen has a manual hub kit?
Naw, I better not. If I get out of the truck, my now 13-year-old will probably lock me out and crank her weird music really loud! But I can’t complain, she likes doing long camping road trips with us still and boys haven’t entered the picture yet.

 

I worked for GE and they are obsessed with toyotas approach to manufacturing. Lean, six sigma, black belt, etc. In my experience, though, these methods are implemented by young inexperienced manufacturing engineers and ultimately lead to a cheaper product and a disgruntled and disinterested assembly team.

 

Hahaha! Yeah. That is my 14yr old. She's a little shit.

Sorry, but:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/free-wheel-hub-conversion-3rd-gen.513930/

That is pure sex.

Oh yeah. Some of the methods were great for a shop environment, but the gains were minimal when it was forced on office staff. My conspiracy theory is that they did have some good ideas, but I think it was an opportunity to get into proprietary spaces and learn even more. Who knows?

 

Wow hub lockers just like the good ‘ol days! Now we just have to figure out a way to clear the trails back to like they used to be...