I just found out that most all of the trucks close to my model year (2004) with the electronic transfer case will eventually wear a hole in it and leak oil. Keep a watch in your driveway or parking location for oil. That case only holds like 1.5 - 2.5 quarts.

If your hole wears big enough before you catch it, you'll toast everything in it and it's around $1500 - $2000 for a fix.

It's noted that this happens around 180K - 220K but i've only got 154K on mine and it just begun.

Sorry if this is old news to you. I just found out and thought I'd share.

There are 3 common fixes. The cheapest fix is only an option if you have not destroyed or badly damaged the internals yet.

I swear buying these "larger" American Trucks and paying all this money for a full sized pickup that cost more than a good used Kenworth Tractor is looking more and more like a mistake to me.

A 40K pickup should go 200k miles easily before you have drive train issues in my mind anyway. This should apply particularly to me since I spare no expense in staying on top of it and treating it nicely. Total bullchit.

Do you know what is causing the hole

The retainer ring in the rear of the housing wears and starts banging against the inside of the housing. You will hear a distinct "click" when letting off the peddle at slower speeds.

It wears the inside of the housing down and gradually penetrates the wall of the case and usually starts out as a pin hole. It leaks very slow and is often over looked. Because of the lack of oil capacity in the case, it does not take much loss of oil to fail the part.

There is a fix called the "saver". It relocates the retainer ring slightly. You then use JB Weld to fill the worn grooves and grind it back to size where the pump will go back in. The JB Weld keeps it from moving anymore and thus no more hole. Of course the "real" way to fix the worn case is to weld the transfer case housing but it's made of a magnesium alloy. Very volatile to weld. If you are going to tig it up, gotta be real careful and have a special fire extinguisher handy. Water will not put out the fire if you have one.

Or, if your internals are good, you can opt for a $380 case and have them put your parts in the new case and start all over again.

I would say on a 4x4 pickup, the transfer case is a very commonly neglected part. Most guys never think about doing anything to it until it's broken.

Oil changes are all it needs unless you have seal problems.

I'm just venting because I've been through 3 sets of injectors (huge job), need another set of front hubs and now a vital part of the drive train is failing.

It just seems excessive to me on a 40k truck that is supposed to built to go over the road and tow etc.....

Excluding the parking problems, you may as well buy a nice, older KW 900 or Pete, put smaller wheels and tires on it for license and have that as a truck. These pickups are all junk.

And you can start the Ford, Chevy, Doge wars but truth is they all have serious issues in some fashion. I've seen the TSB's. I've read lots and lots of recalls and seen them all being worked on in the shops and dealerships.

Just frustrates the hell out of me because everything on a tractor is basically a "million mile part". Putting the economy aside, still, look how cheap the bigger trucks are.

I understand the macro and micro economics that drive the price differentials but geez.....

We are all suckers for paying these outrageous price tags for these toy trucks that last one-fourth of something that costs the same or in most cases far less.

http://www.commercialtrucktrader.com...W900--97007813

You didn't do the injectors yourself did you? GM warranties the crack injectors for 200K miles/7 years. I got a whole set replaced last year under warranty for free, no deductible and they even changed the oil for free at 145K miles on my 03.

No; I didn't pay for the injectors but it sucks that they did not change or upgrade the parts to prevent it in the future.

I'm out of warranty now which means that the next set is coming out of my pocket at a min of about 4K +.

Industrial Injection claims that it's more fuel line problem than injectors themselves but I'm not sure personally.

How many sets of fuel injectors should you have to replace whether free or not??

How many sets of fuel injectors get replaced on Detroit, Cummins or Cat?

They always change the oil for free as part of the problem includes fuel dilution in the oil. They don't want to buy your engine if they can prevent it. 3 dealers have quoted me 13K for engine replacement of the Duramax.

What's the price of that rig I posted? About 12K - 17K....

This transfer case hasn't changed in design for years and years. It's installed in hundreds of thousands of trucks both, after AND before mine.

I guess it got lost in translation between the U.S. & Mexico where most of the crap is built now.

3-2004 chevy's. 2 had the problem 1 didnt. one happened at 160k, 1 at 200k, the 3rd at 240k now and not a drop leaked. I dont know????? i guess it depends on how you drive it. These are all heavy workers at my work. One guy drove like an old man(the one with no issues at 240k), one guy doesnt know anything and uses 4wheel when the first snow flake hits the ground(200k), and mine at 160k because i drive, plow, and tow the living hell out of the truck.

Im assuming this factors in driving will help wear it out.

Thank god they are company trucks!

My personal truck is an '06 i baby it and it only has 50k on it! Weekend warrior only

I know what caused it

BAD TO THE BONE

Buy it...Much cooler than a boat

It wasn't climbing in the sand. This is another known problem with these over-priced pos's..