Getting a grinding when putting the tranny into 4wd. Either the tranny if F'ed or the pin to engage it is not locking in.  Any way to bypass the "button" amd manually engage it? 

Stop completely and try it. Sounds like there is a difference in rotation between the front and rear. You will get a grind if you try to engage it during wheelspin. Pehaps there is a broken rear axle.

 

It can be engaged manually by pulling on the cable that comes from the vacuum diaphragm on the side of the trans. I believe moving it forward is 4wd.

My 4X4 Won't activate either. I too wondered if there was a way to covert to a manual system. 

 

John

Yes, put in a different gearbox, then you'll also get low range.

 

The engagement system relies on square teeth. They need to mesh exactly to engage, which means the 2 halves need to be rotating at exactly the same speed. There is no synchromesh on this like the gears.

My 4X4 Won't activate either. I too wondered if there was a way to covert to a manual system. 

 

John

Just a thought, but if it is push button & just not engaging - it could be the vacuum line & or solenoid.... does your heater work properly? I had a vac line loose on the Firewall which took out the 4wd & my heater would not switch to defrost etc....

I'm thinking it's either a bad canister or solenoid.  The dashboard light is comming on when the button is pushed, it just doesn't have enough suction/force to engage. I can hear a rapping noise, but its not clunking in.  I have a spare push button tranny and a dual range 5 speed, but I'm looking for a quick fix to get me through the winter.

 

any one ever run a manual cable, looking for ideas.  

I've thought of using a wiper motor instead of the vacuum solenoid.

If the light is coming on, this should mean the sleeve is moving far enough, as the sensor is on the trans. If you're getting a grinding noise, sounds like you've either worn out the dog teeth, or you're using it on too hard a surface & the trans isn't being allowed to slip for the front/rear shafts.

Hey Gorge!

 

My heater is indeed not working. I wondered if the vacuum actuators might be bad, but I tested them and they seem to work. 

 

I get no light on the dash, no sounds like it's trying to engage. The button is very sticky like someone spilled a soda in it. 

 

I was wondering if something like this could work if I don't get it figured out:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-55204-Push-Button-Locking-Universal/dp/B002ET2O2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387379182&sr=8-1&keywords=push+pull+control+cable

 

Can you say which house was leaking on your car?

 

At any rate, thanks!

Maybe grinding is to severe a term, it sounds more like playing cards in the spokes of a wheel. When I rev the engine the slapping sound increases with the acceleration. So if I lift up the rear of the car and rotate around the rear wheels back and forth, it should engage?

you probably have a bad cv or doj in the axle if you are having a 'card in the spoke' sound

Hey Gorge!

 

My heater is indeed not working. I wondered if the vacuum actuators might be bad, but I tested them and they seem to work. 

 

I get no light on the dash, no sounds like it's trying to engage. The button is very sticky like someone spilled a soda in it. 

 

I was wondering if something like this could work if I don't get it figured out:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-55204-Push-Button-Locking-Universal/dp/B002ET2O2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387379182&sr=8-1&keywords=push+pull+control+cable

 

Can you say which house was leaking on your car?

 

At any rate, thanks!

Mine is a 91 Loyale & the line was one that goes along the Firewall from passenger side over to the solenoids. I think I unhooked accidentally when I was working on the starter. When you push the buttons on the dash for heat, defrost etc.you should hear the actuator & mine was just stuck blowing out the dash vents.... hope that is your issue - it was an easy fix!

The passenger side front cv shaft was recently replaced.  The front drivers side one does rattle a bit but no clicking around corners.  I never knew having bad front cv axles would prevent the tranny from engaging in 4wd.  So much for an eay fix. Thanxs fot the tips.

In my old XT, I had to click the 4WD button several times to get it to engage ( I think the act. solenoid was dying)

 

I'd lift all 4 corners, slowly rotate the rears and fronts while hitting the button. It should engage and the fronts should move with the rears. However, since the fronts and rears are open diffs (LSDs excluded), the front wheel will rotate opposite and the rears will rotate opposite, but rotating one will rotate the other axle.

Update: I replaced the drivers side front cv shaft, rides a lot smoother....but it was still not engaging into 4WD. Spent some quality time on by back under the tranny and found the problem. The cable linkage to the 4WD engagement arm was rusted/frozen. Scraped the rust off the ring end of the cable around the pin. PB Blasted it and worked it free w/ the vice grips. Slathered the the whole thing w/ antisieze compound. 4WD now working.

 

Still would like to set up a cable or arm into the car (like the dual range trannys). Vacuum sucking a tube to engage the tranny needs to go. It sucks, that it doesn't suck enough.

Update:  Well the cable to the 4WD lever finally broke.  I drilled a hole in the trans tunnel and rigged a metal bar to manually engage the 4WD. 

 

Really hard to dis-engage (perhaps why the cable broke)  after running in 4WD. 

 

Can easilly engage/dis-engage when the car is not running and cold.    It also growls and is really squirly when no snow on the road.

 

Tranny is probably on its way out.  Any ideas to have this tranny last the rest of the winter?

I had a 90' loyale with that dumb pushbutton 4WD and the solenoid stopped working on it so I attached a long piece of tie wire that came up by the engine and I would pull it to engage then I had a decent size stick that I would use to push it back for FWD haha how janky. Of course it was winter and I felt no need to troubleshoot that solenoid problem. I also moved the button from the stick to the dash and labeled it "shityeah"or something like that later on. Had alot of fun in that car!

Wow, I went on that huge rant and ramble about no thing and forgot I wanted to tell you that on that same car the tranny went out after I started having problems with that 4WD stuff. I was driving down the road and the tranny would clunk out of gear then clunk back in an veer to the left hard! It was terrifying, and yes it was a 5 speed manual. My brother seemed to think maybe the differential in the tranny had broke? But who knows.

On solid pavement, the 4WD will be squirly because the front and rear diffs are LOCKED to each other. Any turning or bump-sway from either end will force the other end to do the same. You've got to treat this 4WD like any other truck 4WD. Only on loose surface or slow, straight lines on dry.