Quote:
Originally Posted by mercury68
Thanks for info there JamesLaugesen it has help me understand some of the problems I have read about but not exactly what to look out for but just some questions from the above.
So if ATF is in the transfer case I presume it's a pull out of vehicle and a clean/replace parts job so therefore expensive? If it was just put in at the dealers and only driven say less that 50km (so still that bright clear red), could a few drains, refill with correct oil, drive for a few days and repeat a couple times, could that prevent the damage or it's just total stuffed once the ATF is in? I'm just thinking that the ATF is "sticky" and clogs everything up once heated up enough.
With the cross-axle, am I looking for the tyres off the ground to be rotating at a similar rate to the grounded ones?
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No worries.
I haven't seen any reports of transfer-case problems after short-term use of ATF.
It's usually more that someone starts have confusing TC problems, goes through the usual troubleshooting process, and eventually finds out that it's had ATF for a long time.
So only ~50km (done at the dealer.) would almost certainly be fine to just drain a few times and change.
Probably even ~10kkm would still be ok... there's too many variables.
I haven't seen an explanation about why (exactly) ATF isn't good, so everyone's just going off the chrysler service spec and (strong) anecdotes.
The general symptoms seem to be excessive wear of the centre differential clutch pack (which is within the TC.) and excessive wear of the chain and a few other bits.
Where-as the guys with heavily modified WH's who drive them hard (like Valpacer on here.) don't have these problems.
ATF would have a higher concentration detergent pack than a hydraulic tractor fluid (like mobil 424.) which could have something to do with it, but any hydraulic tractor fluid is also just made from higher quality base stocks, so who knows.
Re; cross-axled.
The video is pretty lame but it shows shows what I meant;
Put it in 4-Lo and somehow get crossed like that. The lifted wheels will spin a bit, then once enough pressure has built up in the diffs, they'll start to "lock" (clutch pack inside the diff engages.) and all wheels will start turning at the same speed.
If you spin the wheels reasonably fast (like ~2000rpm.) it should "lock" fast enough to give you a bit of a jolt as the car starts moving. It's smoother than a mechanical locker, but still not a gradual slip like a normal LSD.
If anything isn't working properly the wheels will just spin, maybe with a little bit of drive to the other wheels.
The system is basically an oil pump inside the diff, which pressurises a clutch pack regulated by a solenoid (controlled by one of the computers.). So a problem could be worn pump (never heard of that.), worn clutch plates, leaking seals, solenoid not activating / computer issue, or excessively slick oil (excess friction modifiers, someone dumping a moly additive in, etc.).