Possibly messed up T-case. Please help.

Hi all, I'm not sure what I did, but I might have messed up.

I went to replace the front output seal on my Dana 300. Went pretty well. Started to put it back together.
I put the yolk nut on and I read it's supposed to be 120 ft lb of torque. Went to tighten it down, it got really really tight but then all of a sudden got a little easier to turn. Still somewhat tough but turnable. I kept turning it and (judging by how much of the output was sticking out) didn't seem to be getting tighter. The same amount of output shaft was sticking out.

So I went to loosen it. It turns just as easily as the other way, but it's not coming off. It doesn't make sense, but I marked the nut and shaft with white paint to see if the shaft is turning with the nut. It's not.

So the nut turns, the shaft it's on doesn't, and it's not moving either way. Did I just strip the shaft or nut completely? Nothing else makes sense to me. Pretty sure I just fucked up. Any advice?

 

Yup likely strppied it. Weld another nut to the top of that one. Probably have to change the whole shaft now.

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Or get a screwdriver tip under nut and hold pressure on it and zing it of with impact ! Hopefully just the threads in nut is stripped and not the shaft threads !

 

These nuts should be replaced everytime they come off the shaft.

I got a box of 25 at rock auto for under $10.

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Every time they co m e off

 

It was the front output, so I should be okay to still drive around in 2WD, correct?

 

T

Thats a heck of a big set of threads to strip. A grade 3 1" bolt can take around 500ft/lbs. Hopefully the nut was the weak link. If I recall the crush sleeves take like 5 or 6 hundred ft/lb to crush down. But yea, that's what it sounds like you did.

 

Recently working on a t-case and one of the yoke bolts had completely cracked down one side.
Hopefully its the bolt. If the shaft is stripped you can get a repair die that may clean up the threads enough to be usable.



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Nuts are softer than the shaft.

 

What tools were you using to tighten the nut? A manual torque wrench, a large breaker bar and socket, or an (air) impact wrench? How were you keeping the front shaft from turning; just had the TC in 4WD and the transmission in High? Inertia?
Was the proper washer in place and is the yoke still correctly seated, not too deep on the shaft (as from a split yoke)?
Did you happen to look at the nut before reassembling, and notice if it looked normal then (vs possibly was already partly stripped)?
Do you know much history of the vehicle or the TC? Sounds strange for a unit in good condition.

 

I was using a manual torque wrench. I had the TC in 4H. Everything in place and the yoke SEEMS to be seated correctly and securely. I don't know the history and I didn't examine the nut closely. I just wiped it clean and reinstalled, unfortunately.

 

If you can get the jaws of a two-jaw puller on the back of the yoke, you can put just a little pressure on it as you try to back the nut off; keep tightening the puller as the nut moves, (hopefully unscrewing) trying to keep the same 'slight' pressure. If the puller can't grab the yoke, a small flat plate bolted to the yoke through the U-bolt holes and having a central hole for the puller screw to pass through will work. The hole can be threaded to fit the puller screw, or just have a nut under it, or the plate can be wide enough the jaws can grab it.
Some good penetrating fluid or light oil probably can't hurt. Neither can 'Before', 'During', and 'After' (removal) Pictures. Greg, Jeff, Pat or Ed can confirm that...

 

No. The torqued on yolk holds the output bearing and seal in place. No torque, no tighty to hold it in place and not wipe out the seal.

Never let the gears and splines do the hold'in. Use a yoke wrench or pipe wrench to hold the yoke for back-up. Put the torque where it belongs, on the nut.

 

Maybe a previous owner took it off with a torch and ruined the temper.

 

You either stripped the nut or the shaft. You won't know until you diagnose it. No amount of googling will tell you otherwise.

 

If the nut was really really tight before it stripped, shouldn't there be a chance that it might be okay to drive around in 2WD? Obviously I have manual hubs the front output won't be moving. The yoke has no play in it in any direction.

 

I just thought of something. If the nut is stripped, and it's keeping the yoke on, couldn't I use my steering wheel puller to pull on the yoke which will also pull the nut off?

 

Dana suggested using a puller a few posts back , I would do as he suggested in reference to turning the nut in hopes of preserving any "good" threads on the shaft

 

If you can adapt your puller to the yoke, then yes try that.it will keep pressure against the nut while pulling it. BUT, how are you going to unscrew the nut ? That's why I suggested a big screwdriver under/behind the nut to keep it pressured towards you then zip it off with a impact ! ? Make take a helper to hold pressure with screwdriver while you hit it with impact gun ?

 

That's true. Socket wrench is out of the question with the puller on their. Maybe I could awkwardly maneuver a crescent wrench. But yeah... your idea will have to be the way to go. If not then I'll have to just hope it's in their tight enough that it won't leak and I can still drive around in 2WD for now, drop the tcase later.