GEN 1 Transfer Case

Good thing about any t-case failures is it's relatively easy to replace.

okieff218 said:

Anyone else have a transfer case go out at 67k miles? I was having trouble with my 2014 grinding going in and out of 4 low. Took it in and they said transfer case is shelled. Never even used 4 low and very seldom use 4 high. Usually just when the weather is icy. It’s basically a pavement princess. So disappointed in ford right now.

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Noise into and out of LO range is normal--a shelled out t-case however, is not....

I have a '14 SCrew w/ a few hundred miles short of 60k on it. Mine nearly always grinds or makes loud clunks going into and out of LO range. My 05' Silverado w/ an electronically controlled NP 241 t-case did likewise. I have owned several trucks prior w/ manual t-cases...all Chevys w/ either the aluminum-cased, chain driven NP 208 or venerable cast iron-cased, gear driven NP 205...all grind, clanked or otherwise protested on nearly all shifts into and out of LO range.

Back to our present trucks and its shift-on-the-fly 4wd: only 2-HI to 4-HI is synchronized (I was just reading up on this in the '12-14 Ford Raptor Workshop Manual). That is...there is a clutch-like mechanism that engages to spin the unloaded forward drive gear to help it mesh. There is no such device for low range. Therefore, short of chance perfect gear alignment--which almost never happens--you'll get some amount of clunking and grinding going between HI and LO ranges--even when shifting in a perfectly still vehicle with the drive-train completely unloaded--which is the ONLY way shifts between HI and LO range should be performed. Doing otherwise is a good way to shell out your t-case... could that be what happened in your case?

Raptor 2014 said:

Pinion bearing dies in rear diff 27750 - Replace entire rear end - Warrantee
Center consol Heating / Air pannel - Replaced 27750 Warrantee

Front Shocks Died 33000 out of warrantee - Replaced with Fox 3.0 and other suspension upgrades. The stock rear shocks are holding up well.

Transfers case 67000 - Replaced - Extended warrantee
Both front CV joints 67000 - Replaced Extended warrantee
Steering column control unit / motor Died 67000 - Replaced Extended warrantee.

The extended warrantee that I purchased has worked well. Great service from my local dealer. The down time was a PIA.
The entire rear end was shipped from Kalifornia to Detroit for analysis - Took 2.5 weeks to get my truck back. Transfers case, CVs and Steering column 1.5 weeks

I don't beat my truck - Basically a street queen with VERY rare mild off-road use mostly on unimproved roads for work - nothing serious and rarely 4WL. I have babied this truck not like other 4wheel drive vehicles I have owned.

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Whoa... that's flat-out ridiculous even if you thrashed it!

tplee said:

Whoa... that's flat-out ridiculous even if you thrashed it!

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Just read where you got a 2nd opinion on the t-case... man...the gall of some people. Not sure what qualifies one to be a vehicle mechanic these days, but the guy doing your 1st opinion surely does not pass the test.

tplee said:

Just read where you got a 2nd opinion on the t-case... man...the gall of some people. Not sure what qualifies one to be a vehicle mechanic these days, but the guy doing your 1st opinion surely does not pass the test.

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Yeah it was the Ford dealership closest to me. Won’t be taking it there anymore. Got about 6 inches of snow coming tonight. Gonna take it out tomorrow and try it out some more. Fingers crossed!


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I do mine tran

okieff218 said:

Anyone else have a transfer case go out at 67k miles? I was having trouble with my 2014 grinding going in and out of 4 low. Took it in and they said transfer case is shelled. Never even used 4 low and very seldom use 4 high. Usually just when the weather is icy. It’s basically a pavement princess. So disappointed in ford right now.


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Even though you have not used 4wd much, it does not matter. Any time you are driving your vehicle (i.e., your drive shaft is spinning, then the t-case is also spinning). This is why the t-case can fail way before 100,000 miles. It is cheap insurance to change the fluid every 30,000 miles on your t-case and differentials.

Super easy job to do yourself.

tplee said:

Whoa... that's flat-out ridiculous even if you thrashed it!

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YUP = First truck I have owned that I didn't have to build and I can take it to the dealer to fix.
I'm getting older and crawling under my truck regularly doesn't appeal to me as much as it did in my earlier days. It is what it is.

I had the dealer take pics of the transfer case faliure and e-mail them to me. I forwarded them to a friend who is the lead warrantee engineer for a exceedingly large automotive corporation - Multi billion dollar corporate entity. Can't use names but the largest engine remanufacture in the world among other things. You can figure it out from that. It was then sent to their lead transferee case engineer and then supposedly forwarded to an engineer at Ford development /Racing - at least that is what I was told. The guess as to the failure was an improperly installed C-Clip / Not seated correctly upon assembly causing a tooth to chip and lodge / permanently attach to a gear. I should have saved the response but I don't have it anymore - I deleted about 2 months ago.

As to the rear end pinion bearing cause of failure - No idea - Ford wouldn't tell me.

Front shocks common problem - I am surprised my rears have held up as long as they have.

Unlike the differentials, the transfer case has a (GASP!) drain plug. Wow, think of that! A Drain Plug. So servicing the thing is monkey-simple, and the cost of Ford's magic Transfer Case Fluid is cheap. The transfer case only takes a little over a quart, and the transfer case is easy to access. There's no excuse for Raptor owner who isn't physically disabled to not service the thing himself. It's so easy that it can be easily and cheaply serviced every 10,000 or 15,000 miles. You might even consider replacing the factory drain plug with a magnetic drain plug. I did. That's cheap, too.

So service it regularly, or pay for a new unit. Simple. Make your choice and take the consequences without whining about it.

I can provide some input here. Either one, or all of the below fixed my very similar problems discussed above:

1) I replaced the TC motor. I adjusted the torque spec to the required 89 in. lb. on all 4 bolts (i think this is critical)
2) I would suggest this to everyone. REMOVE the IWE system all together (Even you Gen 2ers). I understand that it may cause minor premature where, but Ford is the only manufacturer with this system to gain as little MPG to appease the EPA (to my knowledge). The system is garbage and needs to be gutted. (I suggest RCV rings for this $150/pair). 1 hour job if you are mechanically savvy at all.
3) User Operation and sequence of engaging 4L is critical as well. First come to a COMPLETE stop, even letting the motor and gears to spool down completely while in neutral. Second, shift in to neutral (if the cluster indicates "shift delayed, pull forward" DO NOT shift to drive as this confuses the system. Give it a few seconds to engage, and lastly and most important DO NOT depress the brake at any time as this will also disrupt the sequence and it engaging properly. Yes you will hear a slight "clunk" when engaged, this is normal. Follow the same procedure to disengage.

Hope this helps someone....

Deleted member 17706 said:

Super easy job to do yourself.

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Thanks for this