I believe the actuator motor is located inside the transfer case...so the transfer case will need to be pulled and split open to replace the actuator. Either way, it won’t be a cheap fix. $$$

 

If that's the fact then I can live with that. I'm not going to let him spend $2300 for a whole transfer case if it's just a bad actuator. Is it an electronic actuator? If so I can probably trick it out of 4wd until we can get an actuator on hand

 

He just brought the truck over with the list the dealership gave him... what a bunch of crooks. They want to pretty much replace the entire driveline minus the engine. The truck is in good shape. What a bunch of dirtbags

 

Sounds like a shop with chronic misdiagnosis and the obligatory comebacks.

 

Toyota dealership.... stealership

 

Pull the front drive shaft. A quick fix that will get him going until he can get it fixed. If he doesn't need 4x4, he should be able to drive like that until the cows come home.

 

That's exactly what I was planning on doing if I can't get the transfer case to come out of 4wd, but that leaves me with the issue of still having the front axle locked up. You can feel it when you turn. I have do disengage the synchro that locks the axle together as well. I can figure this out, it'll just be interesting to see what I come up with. If you have any suggestions on how to get the front axle unlocked easily I'm all ears.

 

If there is no locker in the front axle, then the front axle hubs can stay locked. You are only feeling load on the front axle because the transfer case is in 4hi and you are on dry pavement. Once you take the front drive shaft out, it will release the load and there should be no binding. Yes, the front axle hubs will still be locked and everything will still move, more wear and tear, and less gas mileage. The way an "open" differential is set up, it will allow the tire to turn at different speeds when taking a turn and not bind.

 

No offense, but what you just said makes zero sense. If the front axle had an open diff, it wouldn't matter if the transfer case was engaged or not because only one wheel would be getting power when there was a difference in force applied between the two wheels. Essentially you would have 3wd. It wouldn't cause any issue on the pavement. The only reason you get resistance turning on pavement when you're in 4wd is IF you have a locking front axle. Regardless of whether or not the front driveshaft is hooked up or not, if your front axle has a locker and the hubs are engaged, then it's going to turn as a single unit. It'll be fine going straight, but whenever you turn the inside wheel is going to want to spin because it will be moving faster than is necessary (or the outside wheel will be moving slower than necessary, whichever way you want to look at it).

 

You are a more experienced wrench than I, but I do what I can, so I ask this out of (hopeful) ignorance:

Is there any possibility the 4x4 switch-gear could be malfunctioning, on your Pastor's truck, as opposed to the actuator inside the transfer case?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bit of trivia, merely quasi-related:

On my '88 Jeep YJ (and presumably on all YJ's, which were made from '87-'95) the 4x4 is engaged by an externally-mounted (Thank God!) vacuum-solenoid (correct term?).

However, there are no hubs to lock or unlock, meaning the front axle's half-shafts are constantly turning, even when you're in 4x2. And yet there's no binding, unless you're in 4x4.

Less efficient? Yes.

More wear and tear on (some) 4x4 parts, and brakes (due to inertial weight spinning halfshafts)? Yes.

Two less assemblies to potentially fail (i.e., no front hubs to lock/unlock, manually or otherwise)? Yes.

I guess, on a small, 3,000lb. car-truck (Jeep YJ), built to a price point, back in the last century, it was good enough. For me, it still is, for what it is.

But I LOVE my 2014 Tundra!

Good luck with the Pastor's truck, and Kudos to you for protecting him from the stealerships--they are SHAMELESS!

ToyotasForever

 

So it's a 2005. Would it have (what I would call) electronic/electric transfer case engagement? Not manual? As in: short shift handle/nob on the floor???

My 1997 is manual transfer so I ask not knowing when the change was made to electronic/electric.