Denali T-case issues

[01DenaliHiker]

So I have a 2001 Denali that I could have sworn just needed some ujoints, so I ordered them, got less busy at work and then the fun happened .

T-case was ran dry, Lord only knows how long it's been dry as I've had the truck two months and the previous owner didn't even know what a fuel sending unit was. So my rear shaft play is not out of the ujoints, but seems to be loose in the T-case itself. I can literally hear it moving inside when I give it a shake. I refilled with two quarts of atf and prayed to all sorts of different deities. Upon taking my kids to school this morning I could smell the trans fluid and wouldn't ya know, it slung what seems to be all of it out of the rear seal.

Would that seal create movement in the shaft? Or would a bad shaft bearing or pilot bearing create that movement and subsequently assassinate the shaft seal?

Both the front shaft and rear shaft have an amount of play inside of the transfer case, which worries me considering this is my DD and it's been a hot minute since I've split a tcase. The leaking however is only coming from the output portion though, and still functions with zero noise or binding .

 

[Erickk120]

I would take it out of the truck and inspect it. You can then inspect the output tail bearing and seal and see what is making that noise and the state of it. There is is a little play in mine, but 0 leaks, I did replace all the seals a while ago as the output seal was leaking badly all under the frame and body floor.

 

[lkrasner]

So I have a 2001 Denali that I could have sworn just needed some ujoints, so I ordered them, got less busy at work and then the fun happened .

T-case was ran dry, Lord only knows how long it's been dry as I've had the truck two months and the previous owner didn't even know what a fuel sending unit was. So my rear shaft play is not out of the ujoints, but seems to be loose in the T-case itself. I can literally hear it moving inside when I give it a shake. I refilled with two quarts of atf and prayed to all sorts of different deities. Upon taking my kids to school this morning I could smell the trans fluid and wouldn't ya know, it slung what seems to be all of it out of the rear seal.

Would that seal create movement in the shaft? Or would a bad shaft bearing or pilot bearing create that movement and subsequently assassinate the shaft seal?

Both the front shaft and rear shaft have an amount of play inside of the transfer case, which worries me considering this is my DD and it's been a hot minute since I've split a tcase. The leaking however is only coming from the output portion though, and still functions with zero noise or binding .

Check that you used the right fluid. The automatic transfer cases (button shift with the auto button) take special autotrack II fluid, and they apparently aren't too happy on normal atf. Fortunately the cases are pretty easy to find in a junkyard and not that bad to replace. Mine went out from the classic pump rot (fluid drained and it ran dry). Got one from a junkyard for like $150, with 150k on it, from the south, probably never touched 4x4. I did it in a couple hours in sub-zero weather on jack stands and my grandfather as extra muscle to get it down.. Shoved the new one in myself, It's possible, I'm not that big. A transmission jack would make it a lot easier. The top couple bolts are a pain in the ass, and you definitely won't get a torque wrench on them, but I haven't had a problem.

you might as well do the u-joints while you have the shafts out. I've pressed them myself with a ball joint press from autozone, but it's kind of a pain. I usually just take the driveshaft to a local mechanic that presses them in for me cheap and quick with the right tools.