Bits of metal from Transfer Case

[hole]

Mine has a threaded stud on the top hole. Yours could be suffering from PO syndrome or worse, Bubba

 

[simple man]

Well I have begun disassembling the Transfer Case and have immediately run into a problem.

I cannot remove the rear bearing cap from the rear output shaft. The bearing cap comes about 3/4 inch away from the transfer case put will not come off the shaft,

I have tried striking the end of the shaft to knock it away from the cap, I have tried using and air impact hammer (as suggested by Moses in his Rebuilding Jeep book) and I have tried using moderate force from an hydraulic press, all to no avail.

Any ideas about what is causing the hangup? A friend suggested a spun bearing race. Does that make sense?

Any suggestions on what to try next? Should I just try to put more pressure from the press?

 

[mriplaybass]

Did you remove the snap ring? If you remove the snap ring, try gently driving the housing back toward the Transfer Case after soaking things in penetrating oil. Once you do this, the bearing should be free of the housing. Then, try more penetrating oil to further loosen the bearing on the shaft. You may have to soak the bearing for a few days adding more penetrating oil several times a day, but I have gotten some pretty stubborn bearings out this way. Brute force is not a good idea!

 

[simple man]

No, I didn't see a snap ring on the rear output shaft. All I can see, when looking at the rear bearing cap is the oil seal, and then the bearing beyond that.

Where is the snap ring located?

Thanks

 

[mriplaybass]

Sorry, I misunderstood! I was thinking of a different bearing. I need to read more carefully. There is no snap ring in the rear housing, but the same procedure applies. Try to tap the housing back against the Transfer Case after soaking the bearing in penetrating oil. Hopefully the bearing stays put, and the housing moves back thereby freeing the bearing from the housing. Now there is better access to soak the bearing with the housing separated from the bearing. Have you been able to remove the seal yet? If you use an oil like Deep Creep (won't ignite while heating) you can apply some heat to the bearing if it is stuck on the shaft. I assume that you are trying a jaw puller with the jaws behind the housing flange? Be very careful, housings crack easily that way.

 

[simple man]

SUCCESS. Well after 24+ hours of PB Blaster, judicial application of a BFH, and a couple of trip to the hydraulic press we finally got the Rear output shaft rear bearing separated from the shaft. From the picture you can see the rust that had built up on the inside of the bearing. Also, attached is picture of the cause for all of this aggravation, the rear output shaft front bearing. (It seems to me that the descriptors front and rear bearing for these two should be reversed.)

In looking at the condition of all of the bearings in the case it looks like the "front bearing" had failed and the previous owners had gone into the case and ended up replacing all of the bearings on the input shaft, front output shaft and rear output shaft, with the exception of the front bearing. You can also tell that somebody had worked on the case because some have the bolts had blue thread sealer while others had a yellowish sealant, which I assume was what was used at the time of manufacture.

Luckily for me the previous mechanic did not remove all of the debris from the original bearing and that trash came out when I went to change the fluid in the case.

So, I figure my next steps are to remove the failed bearing and then finish the disassembly followed by a rebuild.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Dang, how could that have been missed in any so called rebuild?
LG