Attention: TDR Forum Junkies New to this forum, but own a 2000 2500 4x4 w/AOD. It's used as a DD and for occasionally towing my 16' flatbed trailer and '69 Ford Bronco rock crawler. Recently while driving empty on the interstate, it seemed as if the t-case went into neutral without moving the 4WD shift lever. Didn't take long to figure out that the t-case had a major problem. After trailering it home and dropping the t-case, here's what I found. Upon removing the t-case drain plug, it was empty - not good at all. :{
The first pic is of the tailshaft bearing housing. Obviously it cracked, which allowed the oil to drain from the case.
Upon further inspection, (second pic) here's the mode shift fork; no wonder it wouldn't shift properly.
Lots of metal shavings inside the case (4th pic)
That's not the worst unfortunately. Here's what the back of the transmission overdrive unit where the t-case mounts up looks like (3rd pic)
The truck has never been wrecked or four wheeled hard. I have no idea what the root cause of this is... After a very thorough search, I can't find a used OD unit as salvage yards aren't willing to separate it from the trans, which I can understand. Dodge wants $1000 for a new complete OD unit and $400 for a new OD unit casing, so that's out of the question. A local trans shop has found a used OD unit case for $150, into which they're going to swap the OD unit guts into from my broken one.
Final tally:
- Rebuilt t-case w/warranty = $750
- Used OD unit case = $150
- Labor = $400
TOTAL = $1300
It could have been much worse since I was able to trailer it home on my trailer using my son's Powersmoke truck (which, incidentally, didn't pull the very heavy load too well through the Colorado mountains) so I didn't have a towing bill to pay.
Anyone seen or heard of anything like this happening? Any guesses as to the root cause of this?
The first pic is of the tailshaft bearing housing. Obviously it cracked, which allowed the oil to drain from the case.
Upon further inspection, (second pic) here's the mode shift fork; no wonder it wouldn't shift properly.
Lots of metal shavings inside the case (4th pic)
That's not the worst unfortunately. Here's what the back of the transmission overdrive unit where the t-case mounts up looks like (3rd pic)
The truck has never been wrecked or four wheeled hard. I have no idea what the root cause of this is... After a very thorough search, I can't find a used OD unit as salvage yards aren't willing to separate it from the trans, which I can understand. Dodge wants $1000 for a new complete OD unit
and $400 for a new OD unit casing, so that's out of the question. A local trans shop has found a used OD unit case for $150, into which they're going to swap the OD unit guts into from my broken one. Final tally:
- Rebuilt t-case w/warranty = $750
- Used OD unit case = $150
- Labor = $400
TOTAL = $1300
It could have been much worse since I was able to trailer it home on my trailer using my son's Powersmoke truck (which, incidentally, didn't pull the very heavy load too well through the Colorado mountains) so I didn't have a towing bill to pay.
Anyone seen or heard of anything like this happening? Any guesses as to the root cause of this?
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