Truck Tech

 

Hi Roger;

I have a small “mystery” leak by the output shaft on the transfer case. It gets slung up onto the floorboard, but the case itself is bone dry & the u-joint by the transfer case is wet. Well... when I had the driveshaft out the other night I found where it is coming from. It is coming from the center of the output flange, like from the nut area. How do I fix that? I checked the flange for play; it is nice and tight. Please help, I hate leaks.  Jason

Hi Jason;

Unstake and remove the nut holding the flange to the transfer case.  Then pull off flange, apply some good silicone sealant to the splines, slide the flange back on and either replace the old not or use a new one if the old one is in bad shape (it is listed as Toyota as a non-reusable part). Torque the nut to ~90 ft-lb., stake it and it should be fine. Why does this work? While there is an oil seal that rides on the outside of the transfer case output flange, there is nothing to keep oil from leaking out along the splines in the center of the output flange. The sealant fills the gaps in the spline and prevents oil from leaking out by that route.

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Roger

 

 

Hi Roger;

I haven’t had to bug you for a while. The old ‘86 4x4 pickup has been running pretty good. But it finally needs brakes and the 4x4 hub bodies are giving me a headache trying to remove them!  Is there some sort of trick to removing those darn conical washers that hold the hub body on? I have the manual-locking wheels, unfortunately. I’ve removed the nuts and washers first, of course, and now the Toyota manual says to make a special punch, which I’ve done. But I just can’t see how pounding this punch into the split of the conical washer will help to remove them! Those darn conical washers are almost all the way through the hub body, so it seems like I could pound on the punch into one of the splits in the conical washers until the cows come home, and nothing’ is going to happen! There is no room for the punch to go anywhere!  Now, if I was pounding from the back side, then it might force the washers out, but pounding from the front, like the picture shows in the manual, sure doesn’t seem to make sense! I thought I’d write you before attempting this, since I really don’t want to wreck anything.  I did notice that there is a threaded hole in between each stud containing the conical washers.... Can I run bolts into each one (6), and tighten each one a little bit at a time to force the hub body off of the disc? I did that recently to remove the rear drums which were stuck on, when I noticed similar holes, and it worked like a champ! They were just rusted too much onto the their hubs!  Well, let me know if you have any ideas. I appreciate your help. Thanks. Jim

Hi Jim;

I describe a few different cone washer removal tips on my web page:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/AxleRebuild.shtml#ConeWasherRemoval

In summary, you can use a brass drift and hammer to hit the end of the hub studs. The shock of the hammer blow will help to loosen the compression in the cone washer and then it can spring free. This is why it is important to keep the nut loosely on the end of the stud, keeps the washer from flying off and getting lost.  However, I have found that sometimes the cone washers are loose on the studs but stuck in place. This usually happens with there is some distortion in the washer that causes it to grab onto the stud very tight. Often caused by a burr at either end of the washer or if the split is somehow twisted. In this case, it is necessary to insert a small flat-bladed screwdriver into the top of the split to force the washer open and release it’s grip on the stud. If you can find the right screwdriver blade, it’ll jam into the split and the washer will hold tight to the blade as you lift it out. You can view an animation of this process on the web page listed above.  I have yet to find out technique that works on each and every cone washer on every hub. So it is important to have an assortment of techniques in your “tool bag” to use as the situation arises. Good luck!

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Roger

 

 

Hi Roger;

Please see if you can help me find the problem.  I have ‘86 truck with a 22R engine and the alternator died.  I found this after the “Charge” and “Brake” light came on one morning.  With the truck running, I pulled the positive battery cable and sure enough the motor died.  I then replaced the alternator, and here is where it gets fun, the lights are still on.  Oh, sometimes they get dim; however, they have yet to go fully out.  I have checked the brake fluid level switch, it checks out OK with my DMM, as does the parking brake switch.

I have checked for shorts to the best of my Mechanical Engineer ability and still cannot find the problem.  All the fuses are OK.  The combination meter appears ok.  After carefully reviewing the electrical schematic in the back of the factory service manual.  The only thing I can figure out is, if maybe the ECU died and is grounding the charge circuit.  Before I spend the money to replace this component, can you please let me know if there is anything else I need to check?

I have seen that you are an EE, can you please lead me down the path of enlightenment.  Thank you in advance, Jon Selzer

Hi Jon;

Brake/Charge lights are due to bad brushes in the alternator, would have cost less than $20 to replace:

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/alternator_brushes/

And don’t assume the “new” alternator is good.  Did you have the old or new alternator load tested?  Most auto parts stores will do that test for you.  Also, ohm out the wires attached to the alternator, power and ground and make sure they are all good.  Not uncommon for a wire to break or corrode beneath the insulation.  It looks good from the outside, but it won’t let sufficient current flow. 

Pulling the “+” wire from the battery may have toasted the ECU, not a wise thing to do on a modern, engine/vehicle.  I would suggest that you follow the Factory Service Manual checks for the ECU or try swapping with someone who has a similar truck.

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Roger

 

 

Note:

If you are searching for, building, modifying, or maintaining a Toyota 4WD mini-truck (Pickup, Hilux, 4Runner, Surf, or Tacoma), send your Truck Tech questions to Roger Brown at <TruckEditor@tlca.org>. I’ll try to answer your questions with authority! And please be sure to provide a valid return address in your e-mail if you want a faster reply.