4X4...Towing...50+ miles...!!

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:13 pm

I really screwed up. I was towing my camper back from playing in Eglin AFB. Nature called in a rather rude way so I pulled over to use the facilities in the camper. The road side was real muddy so I put the KJ in 4 wheel drive to get back on the road. The problem is that I forgot to take it out of 4 wheel drive. I was driving 60mph for 50 to 75 miles and decided to stop in a rest area for coffee and get rid of coffee! When I pulled into the parking spot smoke came rolling out from under the hood. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and slowing opened the hood. LOTS OF SMOKE. No flames. The smoke was coming from between the fire wall and the motor. I could tell by the smell it was oil. I was going to check for codes when I noticed the selector was in 4 wheel drive.

I sat there for about 1/2 hour so it could cool down then hit the road. I haven't checked the fluid in the transfer case yet. I'll do the tomorrow. Any ideas if I toasted the thing? I haven't tried it yet and I won't until the fluid is changed.

Terry

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:23 pm

probably burnt the snot of the the fluid.....and the smoke was probably coming from the breather tube...

change out the oil and see what happens........... any strange noises?

dgeist · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:28 pm

Not that I'm an expect, but my vote is from overheating the xfer case and spewing out smoke from the vent line (and/or melting/burning any other oil residue around the transmission/xfer case area). What did the smoke smell like?

I'd check the xfer case oil with a magnet once you drain it. If anything sheared/shredded itself inside, there would probably be a LOT more bits than normal in the fluid.

All in all, you're probably lucky to have been running on a highway with MTs. if you had road tires and/or were making frequent turns, you'd probably have a new t-case in the budget....

valvestem · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 222

Another thought is the T-case fluid actually became so hot, it boiled out of
case and spewed out through the vent onto the exhaust, and created the smoke. What viscosity is the oil in the T-case? Interesting situation.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:53 pm

Very interesting! The breather tube goes to the top of the firewall. I have a hunch I'll need to replace the tube. It must have melted. When I was driving I couldn't smell or see any smoke. It just smelled kind of like motor oil burning I guess. What ever the book calls for is what the fluid was in the case.

Terry

dgeist · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:58 pm

valvestem wrote:

Another thought is the T-case fluid actually became so hot, it boiled out of
case and spewed out through the vent onto the exhaust, and created the smoke. What viscosity is the oil in the T-case? Interesting situation.

Terry, you have an auto, don't use? That makes it ATF+4 (same in the x-fer case, too, right).

I'm guessing unless there was some serious heat transfer going down, the transmission is okay. It's isolated from the 4x4 system anyway: one input; one output. There might have been a little extra load on the tranny, but no more than carrying a little heavier trailer. The diff in the t-case had to be what is the source of the heat.

I wonder which is designed to be stronger, the diff in the case or the ones in the axles....?

<edit> Sorry, I'm stupid and unless you have the Full-time system, there is no diff. Do you have the 231HD or the 242?</edit>
<edit> I knew I wasn't crazy, your sig says selectrac, so that's the NV242

</edit>

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:18 pm

I think it was last year that there was a discussion about how fast and far you could go in 4 wheel drive. Well, I know if your towing a camper it ain't fast and it ain't far! :lol:

Your right it is ATF+4. The only thing I'm concerned about are seals and bearings. The gears should be fine. I think I might be adding a temperature gauge to the transfer case soon. No indication at all that anything was wrong!

Terry

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:22 pm

Well, if you are not leaking any thing after you refill it, you are probably good seal wise. Now, the ATF should burn off before the bearings weld themselves together..... no sounds are a good thing right now.....

Am sure TJKJ will jump in soon as he is the one of the KJ master's :wink:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:43 pm

Your lucky your t-case didn't end up looking like the one below.

That t-case above was driven about 70 miles at 75mph on the highway in a ZJ in part time 4wd.

Drain the t-case,watch for/look for metal chucks and shavings in any ATF that drains out.If there is alot your t-case is toast.I'm sure the chain is very stretched and will slap the housing walls.You may get lucky,at least for awhile by just changing the fluid,not a bad idea to change the fluid every 100 miles or so a few times if it still works and is noise free just to make sure all the metal is flushed out.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:02 pm

tjkj2002: Thanks for the info! I'll baby her and change her diapers...er..oil as stated! I don't want what is in the picture that is for sure! :shock:

Terry

FreedomKJ · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:55 pm

The important question is did you have it in full time or part time?

If you were in full time there shouldn't have been an issue running it on the freeway…

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:30 am

FreedomKJ wrote:

The important question is did you have it in full time or part time?

If you were in full time there shouldn't have been an issue running it on the freeway…

100% sure it was Fulltime. :wink:

Glad you made it home Terry.Change that fluid and you should be good.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:54 am

It was in fulltime. I know it would have been toasted if it was in partime. Just like the picture above.

Terry

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 1:07 am

I have driven a few miles on the highway when its been raining hard or trying to snow in full-time. I have gone as fast as maybe 65. I was not towing. IS that not good?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 1:17 am

Fulltimer wrote:

It was in fulltime. I know it would have been toasted if it was in partime. Just like the picture above.

Terry

If you where in fulltime you got a whole another issue that may not be t-case related.I was under the impression you where in part time.You can drive at over 100mph in full time without any harm.

jeepskate · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:15 am

Wow, yeah, I assumed it was part time. This is suddenly VERY interesting.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:28 am

Okay, what other issue?

Terry

jeepskate · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:35 am

Beats me. That's why it's interesting. But like Troy said, you're supposed to be able to drive as fast as you like in full-time.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:10 am

I've driven for hours at 65 - 70 in 4hi and never smoked anything.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:38 pm

You should be able to use full time.. well, all the time.. Thats why its called 'full time.'

Not sure why it was smoking. You sure it wasnt the tranny?

Id go ahead and change the oil in the tcase and tranny to see which is burnt. If it was hot enough to be smoking you may be able to smell it in the oil when you drain it.

4X4...Towing...50+ miles...!!

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