P38A Transfer box removal

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Grrrrrr said:
@jamesmartin: sorry to bother you but why would it suggest a special tool is required? Any tips? Going to have a go on Saturday.

Cheers,

J
Click to expand...
you dont need a special tool a socket or similar thats a good fit to seal size,position seal a 1mm or 2 below outer edge, fill rear side with grease or vaseline to stop garter spring popping of when seal is tapped home,a smear of loctite ie stud lock on the outer edge helps keep it sealed and fixed in position:)
 
jamesmartin said:
you dont need a special tool a socket or similar thats a good fit to seal size,position seal a 1mm or 2 below outer edge, fill rear side with grease or vaseline to stop garter spring popping of when seal is tapped home,a smear of loctite ie stud lock on the outer edge helps keep it sealed and fixed in position:)
Click to expand...

Thanks, James. I'll print that off!
 
Transfer box back in. For the record masking tape is almost the perfect size to bang the seal back in.

QUESTION: the old radio motor (to move between high and low range) had sealant on. Nothing about sealant in RAVE but it is clean as new in there and dry so seems like a good idea?
 
Grrrrrr said:
Transfer box back in. For the record masking tape is almost the perfect size to bang the seal back in.

QUESTION: the old radio motor (to move between high and low range) had sealant on. Nothing about sealant in RAVE but it is clean as new in there and dry so seems like a good idea?
Click to expand...
What sort of signal do you get on the motor, if its digital you need sealer:D:D. None required.;)
 
New viscous (refurbed by Ashcroft Transmissions) takes 140 nm to turn the lifted near side front wheel. The old one turned but only with a 2' breaker bar bending like a banana.
 
Incidentally, the front prop attachment on the refurbed transfer box took about 70 nm to turn whereas the old one took about 115 nm. So the rest of the drivetrain takes about 70 nm to turn.
 
Just for the record in case anyone else has to do this job!

Get the vehicle up as high as you safely can on axle stands of whatever so you have room to work underneath. I had 8 axle stands (4 backup) because if this thing drops you're dead.

There is no need to remove the centre console or drop the gearbox or even the centre cross-member, regardless of what RAVE says. Not for the manual box anyway.

  • Props off.
  • Exhaust front and centre section off (might not be necessary but takes minutes and makes space).
  • Drain main gearbox and transfer box (I did the diffs too while I was about it).
  • Handbrake drum off.
  • 4 bolts and handbrake assembly off (tie aside), thanks @tomcatalan for that tip.
  • For me the handbrake cable went behind the "radio" motor or what I would call the ratio motor that moves between high and low ratio so that had to come off.
  • Make sure all cables are disconnected.
  • Back round the front of the transfer box and take the gearbox oil cooler pipes off and tie aside. Just makes space.
  • Breather pipe off and tie aside.
  • Jack under the transfer box and support it. Make sure it is well strapped in.
  • 6 bolts to undo the transfer box. It sits on 2 dowels (top left and bottom right as you look towards the back of the car when undoing the bolts).
  • Pull the transfer box off the dowels and get ready to catch it. At this stage that heap of cr@p of a transmission jack adapter I got off the Bay showed its true worth. I can confirm that the box is reasonably heavy (I still have a bruise on my leg where I couldn't take all the weight with my arms) but you can lower it to the ground with a bit of swearing. F*ck lifting it back up there though, not in an 18" gap.
  • Replace gearbox output shaft seal. I found a puller yanked it out fine and a roll of masking tape and a mallet was just right for tapping the new one very gently in.
  • To get the transfer box back up it actually balances rather well on the end of a trolley jack. I had to get a friend over to push the jack forward while I steadied it and turned the rear prop output to line up with the gearbox output shaft splines and slide it home.
  • 6 transfer box bolts back in.
  • New o-rings on gearbox cooler pipes and washers for the breather pipe.
  • Grease the props while they're off.
  • Refitting is reversal of removal for the rest of the stuff. Remember the handbrake cable goes behind the ratio motor otherwise you'll have to take the motor off again. Ahem.
  • I put some sealant around where the "radio" motor mates because there was some before and it looked like new under there so it must have worked!
  • You may have to rotate the triangular shaft on the transfer box to get it to line up with the radio motor. All the way clockwise is HIGH.
  • Refill the fluids in transfer box (ATF3) and main gearbox (MTF94) and for me the diffs too (EP90). For me this was the nastiest part of the job. My Laser oil pump was leaking and more went up my arm and on the floor than in the box. Good job I had plenty to spare ... and plenty of sawdust afterwards for the clearup.
All in all you can do it in a day or a lazy weekend with tidying up etc.

With the refurbed transfer box in place (new viscous coupling, new morse chain and bearing) and just the front passenger wheel off the ground (gearbox in neutral) it is possible to turn the 32 mm hub-nut very slowly with 140 nm set on the torque wrench.
 
Grrrrrr said:
Just for the record in case anyone else has to do this job!

Get the vehicle up as high as you safely can on axle stands of whatever so you have room to work underneath. I had 8 axle stands (4 backup) because if this thing drops you're dead.

There is no need to remove the centre console or drop the gearbox or even the centre cross-member, regardless of what RAVE says. Not for the manual box anyway.

  • Props off.
  • Exhaust front and centre section off (might not be necessary but takes minutes and makes space).
  • Drain main gearbox and transfer box (I did the diffs too while I was about it).
  • Handbrake drum off.
  • 4 bolts and handbrake assembly off (tie aside), thanks @tomcatalan for that tip.
  • For me the handbrake cable went behind the "radio" motor or what I would call the ratio motor that moves between high and low ratio so that had to come off.
  • Make sure all cables are disconnected.
  • Back round the front of the transfer box and take the gearbox oil cooler pipes off and tie aside. Just makes space.
  • Breather pipe off and tie aside.
  • Jack under the transfer box and support it. Make sure it is well strapped in.
  • 6 bolts to undo the transfer box. It sits on 2 dowels (top left and bottom right as you look towards the back of the car when undoing the bolts).
  • Pull the transfer box off the dowels and get ready to catch it. At this stage that heap of cr@p of a transmission jack adapter I got off the Bay showed its true worth. I can confirm that the box is reasonably heavy (I still have a bruise on my leg where I couldn't take all the weight with my arms) but you can lower it to the ground with a bit of swearing. F*ck lifting it back up there though, not in an 18" gap.
  • Replace gearbox output shaft seal. I found a puller yanked it out fine and a roll of masking tape and a mallet was just right for tapping the new one very gently in.
  • To get the transfer box back up it actually balances rather well on the end of a trolley jack. I had to get a friend over to push the jack forward while I steadied it and turned the rear prop output to line up with the gearbox output shaft splines and slide it home.
  • 6 transfer box bolts back in.
  • New o-rings on gearbox cooler pipes and washers for the breather pipe.
  • Grease the props while they're off.
  • Refitting is reversal of removal for the rest of the stuff. Remember the handbrake cable goes behind the ratio motor otherwise you'll have to take the motor off again. Ahem.
  • I put some sealant around where the "radio" motor mates because there was some before and it looked like new under there so it must have worked!
  • You may have to rotate the triangular shaft on the transfer box to get it to line up with the radio motor. All the way clockwise is HIGH.
  • Refill the fluids in transfer box (ATF3) and main gearbox (MTF94) and for me the diffs too (EP90). For me this was the nastiest part of the job. My Laser oil pump was leaking and more went up my arm and on the floor than in the box. Good job I had plenty to spare ... and plenty of sawdust afterwards for the clearup.
All in all you can do it in a day or a lazy weekend with tidying up etc.

With the refurbed transfer box in place (new viscous coupling, new morse chain and bearing) and just the front passenger wheel off the ground (gearbox in neutral) it is possible to turn the 32 mm hub-nut very slowly with 140 nm set on the torque wrench.
Click to expand...
There's a write up for the how too section if ever I saw one!! Well done that man:cool:



Bugger off Alan!!!​
 
Last edited:
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