Montero Sport hole in transfer case. Still Drivable?

[mires]

Hey guys. In a bit of a pickle here and I hope you have the answers I want to hear. Long story short....I was working on the transfer case shifter on my 2001 Montero Sport and must have unknowingly dropped something down in the transfer case upon reassembly. As soon as I put it in reverse to test drive it, I heard a loud clunk and got out to look. There was a huge puddle of oil and a large hole in the bottom of the case. This is my only vehicle and do NOT have the money to have it repaired at the time so I am hoping I can continue to drive it and just not have 4wd obviously? Or does this mean I can not drive the vehicle at all? I know the tranny and transfer case are obviously connected but do they share fluid? My guess is no but I just can't seem to find the information I am looking for out there. Thank you in advance guys!

 

[Toasty]

It's done dude, you can drive it but you won't get far. Bummer dude

 

[Toasty]

They don't share fluid but the T-case does turn in 2WD

 

[jeeps4fun]

Jb weld the hole up and start looking for a replacement and StAT

 

[mires]

Well that confirms what I feared. Now I will have to do some research to see if I can maybe at least do the job myself. I'm sure I could source the transfer case itself pretty cheap but I bet paying someone labor to swap it would be a little pricey.

 

[off-roader]

Well that confirms what I feared. Now I will have to do some research to see if I can maybe at least do the job myself. I'm sure I could source the transfer case itself pretty cheap but I bet paying someone labor to swap it would be a little pricey.

Agree on doing the JB weld, or you can probably also pay someone to weld the hole closed assuming you've removed the broken part(s). That's what I did when I 'developed' a hole in my S4's oil pan. Although they'll need to remove the x-case to weld it (will need to drain fluid, etc.) it might be cheaper than buying a replacement to put in.

 

[mires]

Agree on doing the JB weld, or you can probably also pay someone to weld the hole closed assuming you've removed the broken part(s). That's what I did when I 'developed' a hole in my S4's oil pan. Although they'll need to remove the x-case to weld it (will need to drain fluid, etc.) it might be cheaper than buying a replacement to put in.

Yeah I am fine with not replacing it honestly. I am up for welding it or even JB weld but I need to remove it regardless to find and remove the "culprit" and pray to god nothing else inside is damaged. Do you have any idea how labor intensive it is to remove the transfer case?

 

[off-roader]

Carlos (cap510) and I have done it before. It's heavy but pretty straight forward. I can't see it taking more than an hour to do just the R&R. Opening and looking for the broken part will probably take longer though since the dis-assembly although straight forward can be a bit of a pain since you have to carefully drive out retaining pins for the shift rods, etc.

Adam (AKA Sneaky Ninja) do you think it would be a big issue to weld up the hole in the case? Assuming the welder is knowledgeable I would expect it to be straight forward once it's all disassembled and ready for him to weld up.

mires, if you do the r&r and disassembly/re-assembly work yourself, you could save yourself a ton of $$ on this repair.

On the otherhand if you're not comfortable doing that, it may be quicker and cheaper to just swap in a used xcase. You can easily find them on car-part.com. For ex. I just did a search for an 01 Sport w/ a 3.0L and found them available for as little as $75 (plus shipping).

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Post a picture of the hole with good lighting on it so we can see what is going on, there are a few parts on the case than cannot be welded due to seals and other sensitive parts. Cases for these are pretty easy to come by and very easy to swap.

 

[Toasty]

Yeah i'd need to see the hole BUT i think the easiest least expensive thing to do is swap it out. First timer should be able to do it in 5 hours or so. The Sport non AWD case should go quicker and not be as heavy.

 

[mires]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts guys. I already sourced a used case for $350 which seems reasonable but if I can get by welding it or even using JB weld on it, then I will. Like so many others at this time, money is not great The determining factor I guess will be whether or not I will be able to get the part out that caused the damage in the first place. I will definitely post a pic a little later when I get the chance. Again, thanks so much for your help so far. You guys are awesome!

 

[Toasty]

You should be able to find one under $100, i can't go out and do the legwork for you but here's a start.

Liberty Auto Parts USA-MO(St.-Louis) 1-800-952-8514 They have one for $150 with 105k miles on it for a 3.0 sport, not sure what engine you have but it does make a difference (yoke size)


If you can wait for it to go through shipping ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WORLD USA-WI(Milwaukee) has them for $50 dollars

 

[quickfarms]

JB welding is a trail fix. Your success is dependent on weather you can clean the case so it is spotless.

The problem with both the JB weld and welding plans are two fold. The first issue is the transfer case must be disassembled and reassembled and this will require a full seal and gasket kit, I would guess this could cost $100. The second issue is you have to inspect the parts inside for any damage. In my experience with this type of failure is you find damage inside.

In the long run it will probably be cheaper, faster and less work just to replace the transfer case with a good used one.

 

[off-roader]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts guys. I already sourced a used case for $350 which seems reasonable

I give you a source for a $75 xcase and you respond saying you found one for $350 which you decide to go with since its 'reasonable'? No use trying to lead a horse to water here...

 

[mires]

I give you a source for a $75 xcase and you respond saying you found one for $350 which you decide to go with since its 'reasonable'? No use trying to lead a horse to water here...

Sorry off-roader. I just went back and looked because I never caught that you found one for $75. The one I found for $350 is the only one I found local to me and stopped looking after that to research just repairing it. Trust me, I would shop around more to find a cheaper one if I decide to just replace it. The $350 just seemed reasonable to me at the time considering how much a new one is. I am listening to what you guys are saying and appreciate your input. Don't think I would go out and spend that kind of money on one if I don't have to. I do have the 3.5 and not the 3.0 for what it's worth. Again, thanks for your help.