Changed Transfer Case Oil Early (Photos)

[Maximus Gladius]

This is strictly for information purposes. Photo evidence of metals in the oil at just 10k kms (6200 miles).

We are either in the camp of changing the fluids when the manufacturer recommends it or we do it earlier because there’s no filter in there and metal bits, no matter how small, doesn’t make oil more slippery.

I decided to change mine out at just 10k since the last one (I’ve done 3 in 49k kms (30,447 miles) because we’ve experienced more than normal icy road conditions since post October that required 4H to get around.

I ran an earth magnet around in the oil and non of this was magnetic.

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[22EcoDs]

Implying the shavings are aluminum ? Wouldn't anything important be steel / iron based ?

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I think mostly aluminum, yes. It’s all gritty and promotes wear. If I was to be someone more “normal” (and I’m not suggesting that) and just wait to change it out, I would fall over in shock to see a whole lot more of this in the oil and I’d wonder what extra wear did I cause by doing nothing.

 

[Lunentucker]

Probably just some fine materials left in the case from machining and
assembly.

 

[Chestnut]

Is the T case oil pretty easy to change?

 

[JTR178]

Is the T case oil pretty easy to change?

Other than the hassle of removing the skid plate it's very easy.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Is the T case oil pretty easy to change?

Yes, super easy. I get underneath with the impact gun to zip off the 4 bolts and one small nut. The skid plate won’t fall on you because you’re using your legs and other body parts to hold it up. Then manoeuvre it over and place it on the ground and you now have full access to the fill/drain plugs

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Probably just some fine materials left in the case from machining and
assembly.

The pics are since changing the oil 2 times before. The oil here is from 39k to 49k.

 

[Chestnut]

Sweet, I'll have 30k on mine come spring so i figured it's probably time to do that change, probably replace the MT fluid while i'm under there. I see that axle fluid is recommended to be changed at 40k for more severe use. That seems excessive, but i do tow fairly frequently in the summer.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Would

Sweet, I'll have 30k on mine come spring so i figured it's probably time to do that change, probably replace the MT fluid while i'm under there. I see that axle fluid is recommended to be changed at 40k for more severe use. That seems excessive, but i do tow fairly frequently in the summer.

please take photos of all the shiny glitter and post it with the mileage.

 

[Lunentucker]

The pics are since changing the oil 2 times before. The oil here is from 39k to 49k.

Ooooh. Yeah. That's probably not good then.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Metals will drop to the bottom and usually stay there. Aluminum isn't something I'm too concerned about.
I've not changed transfer case fluid in anything I've owned yet save for one - my 82, and it had 160,000 on the clock when I changed it and the problem was due to a blown silicone viscous coupling. STINK, wow.
So I found a NOS transfer case still in the crate and installed that (you can't buy the couplings for the NP transfer cases like the 119, etc.)
I'll likely break my "habit" on this truck because of the towing and plowing (if it ever snows here - I've jinxed us by buying a plow and fixing up my Snapper snow blower, it will never again snow over 2" here)
Towing is in 2H yes but "all things go through" the transfer case, engaged or not.
Plowing will be in 4, no speed, but a bit of load at times and a lot of back and forth, forward/reverse.
Even then I'll wait until there are some miles on it.

Now back on your example - I expect what you show in the first change and wouldn't even think about it as being an issue - but if it's the 2nd change, I'd be doing a 3rd change in less time and track that. Maybe send a sample of this out.
Each subsequent change should see less and less of that - that's "first change" worth there, IMO.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Metals will drop to the bottom and usually stay there. Aluminum isn't something I'm too concerned about.
I've not changed transfer case fluid in anything I've owned yet save for one - my 82, and it had 160,000 on the clock when I changed it and the problem was due to a blown silicone viscous coupling. STINK, wow.
So I found a NOS transfer case still in the crate and installed that (you can't buy the couplings for the NP transfer cases like the 119, etc.)
I'll likely break my "habit" on this truck because of the towing and plowing (if it ever snows here - I've jinxed us by buying a plow and fixing up my Snapper snow blower, it will never again snow over 2" here)
Towing is in 2H yes but "all things go through" the transfer case, engaged or not.
Plowing will be in 4, no speed, but a bit of load at times and a lot of back and forth, forward/reverse.
Even then I'll wait until there are some miles on it.

Now back on your example - I expect what you show in the first change and wouldn't even think about it as being an issue - but if it's the 2nd change, I'd be doing a 3rd change in less time and track that. Maybe send a sample of this out.
Each subsequent change should see less and less of that - that's "first change" worth there, IMO.

This is the 3rd change but only 10k kms old

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This is the 3rd change but only 10k kms old

I must have misread - I thought that was the 2nd showing in the pics.
3rd change that's even worse.
I can accept and even expect for the 1st, and the second may well have some as frankly unless you open it up and wash it out, there will be some residue and some more wear, but that's too much even for the 2nd, let alone 3rd. Ugh. 3rd should be pretty clean looking, and I'd expect almost new looking fluid coming out of later changes.
1st will be looking like the pics, 2nd shouldn't be very bad - minor metallic look, 3rd the fluid should look pretty new.
The full tine transfer cases with their clutch packs and all will likely show some shedding of friction material - MINOR, not flakes, as they wear in, maybe some minor flecks from the plates between, but minor - I'd expect them to look a bit worse than a part time only.
That's because these operate with the disks partially applied much of the time it's in 4H auto.
On the other hand - if the part time cases are used on solid surfaces, there's going to be aggressive wear in them due to the binding and extreme forces as the outputs fight against each other - one trying to turn faster than the other in a turn, for example. So when people say "I just leave it in 4H and deal with the jumping" this is what they should expect. Slippery surfaces only, even if you have to shift 5 times in a mile.
I had a Ford t-case so wound up one time it took several minutes to get it out of 4 wheel drive, a learning experience...................I was stubborn and figured I could get by, it was hard to shift in and out. Imagine the forces against those gears inside - I had to get into mud and go back and forth a few times before it would let go.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

There’s nothing, operational wise, that would suggest something is wrong. It shifts into and out of 4H and L with ease.

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