Transfer Case Fluid Plugs

[David13]

I opened the transfer case today and started drainng the fluid.

In removing both the top and lower plugs, I see a reddish or orange sealer or rtv sealer.

Is that necessary? It looks like maybe over the years the two plugs may have leaked a bit and thus the last time it was done they put some rtv compound on it.

It doesn't appear to be anti seize. As far as I know anti seize is not orange and rubber like.

Who can tell me what you do on the transfer case plugs?

Thanks
dc

 

[MarksmanAkula]

I opened the transfer case today and started drainng the fluid.

In removing both the top and lower plugs, I see a reddish or orange sealer or rtv sealer.

Is that necessary? It looks like maybe over the years the two plugs may have leaked a bit and thus the last time it was done they put some rtv compound on it.

It doesn't appear to be anti seize. As far as I know anti seize is not orange and rubber like.

Who can tell me what you do on the transfer case plugs?

Thanks
dc

Ive had my transfer case out 4 times on my own, drained and refilled each time. NO its not needed at all, but i just use some plumbing tape on the threads. That will seal it up just fine.

 

[turblediesel]

Orange silicon is Permatex high temp gasket sealer/maker. It has more gluey stickiness than the blue silicon sealer but not as much as the black/grey silicon sealer.

Fill plugs are usually tapered pipe plugs that shouldn't need any sealer at all. The threads do the sealing. If you see a tiny drip it's probably from the threads on the outside. Anyway it's only going to leak to the level it's supposed to be at if it leaks at all. Drain plugs usually have straight threads with a copper or aluminum sealing washer, sometimes an o-ring, and sometimes a tapered pipe thread plug. I'm not sure what our Jeeps have. O-rings and sealing washers eventually need replacing. Sometimes copper and aluminum sealing washers can be cleaned up with a file or sandpaper. The only reason to use any goopy sealer is if something isn't right or someone's paranoid about water getting in. The goop can make some plugs impossible to get out or cause damage to the plug or sealing surface in the removal process.

I had to drill out a bunch of fill and drain plugs on a chevy tracker because someone used plumbers putty and their strongest arm to put them in. Removal was only possible because everything was removed from the vehicle for clutch work. Total PITB and I had to get new plugs.

Always remove the fill plug first so you can know oil can be put in.

 

[David13]

Thanks for the replies.

I checked the Haynes and Chiltons books and found nothing, but they both have teh torque specs.

It occurred to me that there may be an o ring that goes in behind those plugs, so I checked moparwholesaleparts catalog to see. No o ring, but they have the plugs whch come with an orange sealer on the threads.

So I put in the drain and will fill and put in the fill plug.

Then I opened the front diff. The drain has an o ring. Moparpartswholesale says ... discontinued. No longer available for sale. It shows a green o ring but mine appears to have some black sealer on it or something. Also, the drain plug (front diff) was extremely loose. Basically ot even hand tight.

The torque spec on it is 15 ftlb.

I'll do that on it. Then fill.
Thanks
dc

 

[Big Al]

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I put a couple of these 1/2 npt pipe thread Bulls eyes on the front diff and the transfer case for the fill plug.
Parked the jeep on a bit of a slope facing down and filled the transfer case up a bit more than the usual. Put the bulls eye on and now I can see the color of it without removing the fill plug on level ground. Also easy to check the level on flat ground.
Had to use a bit of Teflon pipe tape to get them to seal.
To check the front diff, I park on a slight slope downward or put the right hand side up on a soft curb to check the level and color of the gear oil.

 

[turblediesel]

I didn't know those existed. They look well made.

 

[Kj/toy]

I didn't know those existed. They look well made.

I was assuming the threads would be metric.

 

[David13]

My belief, as I had heard it before from someone I felt knew, is that the oil or fluid color doesn't matter much. That shortly after putting in the oil it turns black.

Further, even if it does turn black, I'm not going to change it. The recommended on it is 30,000 miles. I may well change it all again at 15,000 or 20,000 because I won't be putting that many miles on it in several years, at least. I'll be lucky if I get 3 or 4000 miles a year on this Jeep.

I had to go out for a minute. I heard the tractor starting in my back yard. I borrowed from a neighbor a tractor as my other neighbor is going to spread out a pile of gravel back there so I have more parking for the Jeep and an atv trailer. And the atv.

I have a motorcycle in the shed back there and one of these bulls eyes are how the oil is checked. They are press fitted in, tho' and ... plastic. They cloud up and some have been known to break. BMW R1200RT.

Unless there is a leak on the Jeep t case or diff, the oil won't go any place. It isn't burned or anything. So I probably won't check the level very often. Just change the fluid more often than recommended.

I got it all done. All the snow is gone, except for mountain tops. It was nice and sunny yesterday and sunnier today, but still cool, 33 degrees at 10 a.m. but it will get warmer. And warmer yet is scheduled for the upcoming weekend.

This is central Utah, very low population and hundreds of miles of mountain trails. So I hope to be out there soon.

Thanks for the replies.
dc

 

[tommudd]

Not driving a vehicle much is even more reason to change way more often
and those site glasses are worthless after a few miles as they cloud up , wouldn't waste money on them
My 03 gets driven about 25,000 a year and I change diff fluids and transfer case twice a year at least
05 gets about 10-12,000 a year and it also gets changed twice a year as well
Cheap and easy to do so no reason not to