Steve's '94 Toyota x-cab mild build

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
A HUGE thanks to Addiction for helping me tonight. It was really great to meet you, and you gave me hope for making it to moab.


As I got everything ready to go to the driveline shop, I experienced an entirely new set of problems. I think my truck is cursed.

Here's what happened (any diagnostic help would be appreciated)
- I backed out of the garage just fine in 4wd low (front wheel drive only since my rear ds isn't the right length yet)
- I shifted into high, and it backed out just fine.
- it was a little tough to steer, which seemed weird
- Then I drove about 50 feet, and it felt like it was in low. I was doing 10 MPH in 3rd.
- So I stopped it and shifted the levers to see if I was in low in any of the t-cases.
- Then I go to move forward, and it doesn't move. It's acting like there's no clutch. I can't go forward or back, in low or hi.

Here are a few other things to help the diagnosis.
1) If I put it in reverse, I can hear the tranny turning, so I assume it's not the clutch.
2) there were no weird noises or odors of any kind

Any ideas out there? The only thing I can imagine is that I somehow didn't do the duals or 4.7 install correctly. I've done 6 of these now, and I feel like this install went really well.

Another thing, the t-case may be a bit low on oil. I was going to turn the truck around, get it on level ground, then check the gear oil in the t-cases, but I didn't get a chance to before it quit on me. It has at least a quart in it right now (I'm guessing closer to 2 quarts). 3 quarts is ideal.

Honestly, the thought of pulling the t-cases is beyond overwhelming and I'm at the point where I'm ready to pay someone to do it all for me. Any ideas what the issue may be? Suffice it to say I am a bit disheartened, especially when I thought I'd make it to Moab next weekend.
 
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Goose

aToYoTa-fREak
Location
A.F. UT.
No need to pull the cases. If youve done a few cases, then I doubt you did anything wrong.
I had a similar issue last year & I didnt even touch my cases.
A) the shifter may not be positioned in the shift fork correctly.
B} it may be in correctly, but you may have a problem with your body obstructing
Your shifter. I know it seems to simple. But thats all my issue was. (when I built my suspension.
I shifted the cab a little).
Bad news is all you need to do to check it. Is pull the shifter back out.
C) did you get the detent balls reinstalled, so that the shift rails stay in the correct position?
 

iamsparticus

Take your Rig to the Edge
Location
Ogden,Ut
Sounds like your transfer case is stuck in Neutral and your levers arent moving the shift fork, it happens but like goose said just pull your shifters and check
 

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
The detent balls are in, with heavy duty springs. The 4wd/2wd shifter is rubbing the body a bit. I need to make the hole for the rear shifter a little wider. Maybe that's it.
 
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sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
That's easy enough, assuming its the rear case (4wd/2wd). I can definitely feel the shifters engaging and clicking in and out with the detent ball.
 

Addiction

Life is Good!!
Location
Highland
When we put your belly plate on we moved it was not quite centered and hanging almost 2 inches to the driver side. We pushed it to the passenger side almost an inch. That could be the problem.
 
steve, your sounding like me and thats not a good thing. i have faith in you buddy you can make it. i really wish i was closer, i would be there making sure you make it for your trip. you deserve it.

as with everyone else seems like yout t case shifters aren't working right. its probably the body/ shifter contact. good luck man.
 

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I shifted the skid. The shifters are centered in the hump, and they're not touching any part of the body. And it still doesn't move forward. It's acting like the t-case isn't even connected to the tranny output. What's really weird to me is that it drove 50 feet down the road before it just stopped working.
 
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sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
you and me both. I'm guessing it's something inside the t-case, probably the crawlbox. I can't imagine what else it could be. I dont' even want to touch this truck for a month. I just want to drop it off at a shop, get the stuff fixed, and not have to deal with it. I know it sounds dramatic, but the thought of pulling the t-case again is just too overwhelming right now.
 
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Max Power

Bryce
Location
Sandy
Have someone get under your truck and see if your slave cylinder for your clutch is moving in and out while you push on the clutch. It sounds like your clutch is not working properly. Is it harder to shift it into gear? The fact that you could drive it and it got progressively worse tells me that it was not a mechanical failure in your t-case. If something in your t-case had broken you would not have been able to drive down the road in 3rd gear even if you were going 10mph.
 

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I just realized that I could shift into all gears with the clutch out. That should normally make a grinding noise in the tranny, even if the drivelines weren't connected. I think you might be right Bryce. What would have caused my clutch to stop working? I didn't remove the tranny.

When I installed the duals, I let the drivetrain down a few inches, and it pivoted on the motor mounts. I wonder if that pulled something loose, or made the clutch fork pop out or something like that.
 

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
a few more things:

- the engine won't start with the clutch pedal up (that's a good thing)
- The engine will start if I press the clutch pedal down, or if I engage the clutch start cancel switch.
- i can run through all the gears in the tranny without touching the clutch pedal. It's not difficult to shift

I'm guessing the clutch release fork is binding, or my linkages are messed up somehwere. It's gotta be something related to dropping the rear cases a few inches down, and how that tweaked something in the engine bay.
 
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chans

Registered User
Location
Sandy
a few more things:

- the engine won't start with the clutch pedal up (that's a good thing)
- The engine will start if I press the clutch pedal down, or if I engage the clutch start cancel switch.
- i can run through all the gears in the tranny without touching the clutch pedal. It's not difficult to shift

I'm guessing the clutch release fork is binding, or my linkages are messed up somehwere. It's gotta be something related to dropping the rear cases a few inches down, and how that tweaked something in the engine bay.

I can stop by tomorrow anytime if you need help seeing if the clutch is working.
 

iamsparticus

Take your Rig to the Edge
Location
Ogden,Ut
your linkage could be the culprit but thats if its not a hydro clutch i cant remember if your year is a hydralic clutch or not, i highly doubt the fork is binding
 
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