Dana 18 Transfer Case Failure

I was driving down the freeway. The Transfer case is rattling. This didn't concern me. I was just thinking it was the shifters rattling.
All of a sudden, the transfer case shifts out of 2H. I then coast to a stop on the side of the freeway.
I then shift it back into 2H and start off again. Now it's making a chunking noise that is getting worse.
Thinking that I better turn around and head home. I take the exit and head back. I get back on the freeway and back up to freeway speed. Still chunking along. The next thing I notice is gear oil burning. I pull the Jeep back to the shoulder and limp it to the next exit and find a place to park.

Any Ideas? Jeep still moved on its own power. All the gears work, even the overdrive. I see gear oil is all over the back of the Jeep.

 

My guess would be a bearing failure.

 

X2 rear output.

 

I just recently had surgery. I have 30 staples on my stomach, so I'm not going to remove a transfer case anytime soon.
Thanks guys. I'll have to do some investigation that won't go past my handy cap abilities.

 

I had the rear output shaft snap off right under the nut. Snapped right at the base of the threads. No warning. No hole shot. Just noticed it puking gear oil when I pulled in for break on a trip. Didn't pop out of 2H but it leaked profusely from the bearing cap area. I don't know how nothing flew apart but I drove it until I got to a place that would be relatively easy to find for the rescue crew. Maybe 10-15 miles or so of 2 lane blacktop in rural PA. No highway speeds in my instance.

 

Update of what I have found so far. The output yoke bearings are tight.

Looks like the overdrive shift fork seal has come off.



And I lost the Novak Drain Plug.

 

The plug backed out?

 

Oof. That's not good.

 

ruh roh, that overdrive isn't going to like running without oil

 

Lost the drain plug?!? You have a ligidament Lawsuit against your mechanic.

 

Time to upgrade mine to cross drilled and wire tied drain plugs...

 

When I smelt oil burning. I didn't drive it too far before I parked it. Luckly,
I have locking hubs on the rear wheels. I was able to tow it home without any more damage.

 

AAMCO?

 

Mine went out too couple weeks ago. While it was rebuilt by a pro less than 3k miles ago, mine went out. Intermediate shaft failed somewhere. Bearings are in pieces, thrust washers obliterated, multiple sprockets chipped and non-useable.

complete rebuild underway. Upgrading to Herm’s tapered bearing intermediate shaft.

 

Good luck with the herms kit if it's like mine you will be redoing it again. Second time I used AA kit and sent.gear to mcruff to be machined.

 

The bearings in my AA setup failed after less than 40k miles.

 

I have another transfer case ready to swap in. I just can't do it now.

 

AA?