Transfer Case Maintenance/shifter problems

[Moondog]

I was up in Gorman yesterday and when I went to leave the transfer case wouldn't go back into 2wd. Finally after a little persuasion with a long screwdriver underneath I got it in 2wd. So today I figured I would investigate. The fluid inside looked like coffee with a bunch of creamer in it, not milky like water but just really used. After 241k miles I guess the PO never maintained it. Any ideas to make the transfer case shifter work smoother?[attachment=0]IMAG1370.jpg[/attachment]

[Desert Dog]

You have a 92 XJ, so luckily no stupid actuator.

Your shift linkage probably needs some adjustment or has a bad bushing, very common issue on Jeeps that old. When this happens, the shift lever hits the front spot before it completely goes out of 4hi. Also, the shift linkage often pops out of the grommet and wont work at all.

Are you a new Jeep owner? If so, try shifting back to 2wd on loose dirt, NOT on pavement.
* Get it on loose dirt or sand
* roll forward at about 5mph
* then QUICKLY put the trans in neutral while the jeep is moving and shift the TC into 2wd.
* If that doesn't work, try the same thing in reverse - reverse often works better than going forward.

And yes, that diff fluid looks like lots of water and dirt has entered the breather!

[Moondog]

[quote="Desert Dog"]You have a 92 XJ, so luckily no stupid actuator.
Are you a new Jeep owner? If so, try shifting back to 2wd on loose dirt, NOT on pavement.
* Get it on loose dirt or sand
* roll forward at about 5mph
* then QUICKLY put the trans in neutral while the jeep is moving and shift the TC into 2wd.
* If that doesn't work, try the same thing in reverse - reverse often works better than going forward.[/quote]

New in that it's my first Jeep, but I've had it a few years now.

I've tried that trick and it usually works, it just hasn't worked lately. I'll try adjusting it and take a look at the bushings too.

Thanks!