Good Morning Jag Family.... Small issue. My Transfer Case is leaking, I'm in the process of having it changed out. But it wont arrive untill probably later this week or so. Is the process of topping off the gear oil feasible ? or is it too difficult to get to he fill plug ?

Thanks in advance

 

Don, the fill plug is sandwiched between the block and the top of the transfer case. There is no way to add fluid to the transfer case without going in through the drain plug. Now, if you have already added a valve down there (like a lot of us have, but sounds like you haven't), then adding in some is easy. But, without the valve in the drain hole, you are somewhat screwed.

 

how do you had a valve ?

 

Don, there are 3 lines of thought to do what you are after. The cheapest way is to simply lean your car significantly (passenger tires on the ground, the drivers side body 24" off of the ground). That angle is sufficient to let you remove the plug, add in more fluid and if you fill it to the edge of the drain hole, that is roughly 600 ml of total fluid.

The second way is getting a kit from one of the members here (don't recall the name, but doing a search will bring it up) and then you remove the plug, drain out the old fluid, install the new plug in place of the drain plug and then you use the hose he includes and you fill that way. Once you get all the fluid in, you remove the hose and it closes the valve automatically.

Option 3 is what I came up with which is going to the auto parts store to get a brass radiator drain valve that has a collar on the handle (will look like someone soldered a 9mm shell casing to the handle). Then you will need a steel piping adapter that has 1/2" NPT male threads and 1/4" NPT female threads (about $2 at any hardware store). From there, you can put the valve into the adapter, tighten it down, remove the flats off of the adapter, and then you screw in the valve/adapter piece into the transfer case. From there, you use some tygon tubing that just fits in the collar piece and you run the tubing up to the top of the engine. Gravity will push the fluid into the transfer case and once you get all the fluid in, you shut the valve and remove the tubing. What is the hard part with this is that you will find that the valve will get shorter when the valve is open. Due to the limited space, you will find it easier to get the tubing in the collar with the valve open and then will have to give the tubing a good bend to get it off once the valve is closed.

Your call in how you do it.

 

I think i'm going to try the first option.. seems like that is something i can do rather easily ... As far as the gear oil.. any autoparts store should have it ?

 

Yes, any parts place should have the 75W-140 full synthetic gear lube. Please note, you need the 75W-140 full synthetic gear lube. Going with something else can lead to a shorter life unless it is some miracle lube.