Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Transfer case may have gone south!

[ESwartzer]

My wife and I just finished a 3452 mile two week trip to Glacier national park which was worth every minute. We had no trouble until our return trip through Oregon when I parked the truck and later when trying to back up found I had no reverse gear, just a loud ratcheting sound from underneath. I put it back in drive and moved forward a little but when I tried to back up again it just made the same noise but wouldn't move at all. Sooooo what to do? Well on a wild hair I put it in 4x4 low put it back in reverse and walked right out of my predicament, no ratcheting no noise at all just a smooth reverse gear. I made sure to park where I wouldn't need reverse for the remainder of my trip and got home safely and without incident. After I disconnected the 5er I found a lonely road and tried reverse again in 2hi, 4hi and 4low and it works flawlessly in all but 2 hi where it wont engage at all and now it doesn't even ratchet anymore. Am I on the right track in thinking that my transfer case is the problem?
Thanks: Earl

 

[GQuigley]

Read my post "2001 CTD DTT Automatic". I finally got my problem solved and I would suggest that you contact Fred Swanson in Arizona. I think he may be the person you wish to contact.
His phone number is 623-910-9575 and he is extremely knowledgeable on your trans. Good luck!
Gary

 

[ESwartzer]

I read your other post and I do have a dtt transmission but I don't believe there is anything wrong with it. What I'm trying to determine is whether it's the Tcase that's causing the issue. My transmission shifts smoothly in all gears but reverse only works in 4 wheel drive which leads me to believe its my transfer case. I do have 176k on the truck and close to 100k miles of heavy towing on it so I wouldn't be surprised that it would have to be rebuilt. I just need some confirmation from you guys before I go tearing into my truck.

 

[GQuigley]

Opps! I opened my mouth in ignorance! I was so excited about getting my transmission working correctly again that I jumped in without knowing what the problem was! Hope you get it working correctly again. You got the right truck and transmission to do the things you want to do so I hope someone out there can give you better help!
Gary

 

[SAndreasen]

If it won't work in reverse but will in forward without being in 4wd I'd suspect transmission

 

[DWeaver]

While not your complete problem, when my 271DHD started doing the ratcheting sound, the sun gear is what was giving out on mine from "reverse torque" from to much weight on the pick-up with the exhaust brake. It would affect reverse first and then move onto the forward gears.

I am not saying that, that is what is up with your vehicle. Just sounds close to me.

 

[ESwartzer]

Finally I have some answers to a very difficult problem. I went to four transmission shops in the area and they told me that what I was experiencing " could not happen" so I was pretty much on my own to figure this out. I started by pulling the transfer case and disassembled the whole thing right to the last bearing before I found anything wrong. The planet gear had five broken welds out of six for the shafts that hold the small gears in place. They are welded to the gear on one side and staked on the other side of the assembly, so with the welds broken the shafts were sliding forward and had eaten almost through the front of the case at the input shaft. So I bought a remanufactured unit and installed it and thought I had the problem solved, but after starting it and trying to drive it I soon realized that nothing had changed, I still had no reverse and it still ground when I tried to put it in park so I figured that it had to be a transmission problem after all. So I d

 

[SnoKing]

Well you fixed a problem that was about to bite you! Have you pulled the rear diff cover? I would do that before tearing into the transmission. SNOKING

 

[NIsaacs]

Have you pulled the rear diff cover? I would do that before tearing into the transmission. SNOKING

I agree. When you are in reverse check and see if your drive line is turning. The fact that when you go to park and it grinds tells me the drive train (transmission, transfer case and drive shaft) is turning. Why it goes forward but not reverse I can't figure, but strange things can happen.

Nick