ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: dngrs1 on May 27, 2007, 02:25:29 AM
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Hi all. New member, here. I explored this site pretty extensive and think it is great! I am also an avid member of IFSJA , Honda-Acura.net and PWC.com. I have been breaking and fixing cars, trucks, motorcycles and personnal watercraft for most of my life (well, at least the last 30 yrs. or so).
Anyway, I come here to share, learn and ask a question. I have an '86 Samurai that won't move. I have had this fun little truck for nearly a year and have had only minor problems ( water pump, starter, torn soft top). My son took it out in the sand, running around in 4hi and decided to stop for a bit. His words--he stopped the car (in 4hi, front axles locked) and shifted the trans into neutral and turned off the engine. After an hour or so he restarted the engine and put it in 1st gear and let out the clutch and it didn't move. He tried reverse, no luck. He shifted the transfer case to 4lo and 2hi and it doesn't move in any gear. He tried putting it in gear without the clutch pedal depressed and there is no grinding. Sounds like a "perpetual neutral".
We got it towed home but I haven't had a chance to look at it, yet. So, can anyone save me a bit of time and busted knuckles in troubleshooting this problem? I have never (yet) worked on the drivetrain of a Suzuki, so I am not familiar with it, as such. It has a 5 speed manual trans.
After driving it for almost a year, leave it to the kid to break it in one day. Go figure. :-\
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sounds like the shifter sheet went out. can you shift the t-case at all??
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Could be a toasted clutch disc. I made up a story like that when i was 13 after i burned up the clutch in my friend's dad's samurai. Needless to say after he found out what it was he was pretty pissed off my friend and I lied to him... Anyways its worth a look...
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sounds like the shifter sheet went out. can you shift the t-case at all??
That is what the problem sounds like to me. When the shifter sheet ( a plactic cup that the transfer case shifter lever sit in) disintegrates, the transfer case can easily get stuck in neutral as you have described.
One way to double-check this theory is to start the Samurai, put it in gear then peek under the truck to see if the intermediate shaft between the transmision and the transfer case is rotating. If it is, then you probably have jammed shifter linkage caused by a worn-out shifter sheet.
The GOOD news is that a replacement shifter sheet is less than $20 shipped from many of the popular vendors.
The BAD news (depending on your patience and hand-eye coordination) is it might take you 20 minutes from start to finish to remove the shifter boot, pop the spring loaded retainer cap, remove the shifter, remove the remains of the old shifter sheet, install the new sheet and reassemvble everything. Then again, this is coming from someone who has small fat fingers and a certain lack of patience...
I know that your post states that the transfer case was not touched when the engine was stopped, but it might be possible that the shifter was bumped at some time afterwards. Your description fairly screams of this classic transfer case symptom. Check it out before throwing in the towel.
For pics and text on how to change a shifter sheet, go to Ack's FAQ (click in the link in my signature below) and do a search for shifter sheet.
Hope this helps!
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sounds like the shifter sheet went out. can you shift the t-case at all??
When the lever is moved to the respective (4hi, 4lo) positions, the 4WD light on the instrument panel will light and go out when in 2WD. This only tells me that the switch is working, though.
Thanks for the info on the "shifter sheet". I will definately check that out when I can get the Samurai back to my house (it is at my Sons' house, now).
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ewww...
If you can move the shifter as you have indicated, then you probably don't have a transfer case problem!
It's always a good idea to check and/or replace the shifter sheet anyways, though. One less problem to deal with...
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Not shure but this sounds to me like a danaged pressure plate witch is not engaging when the clutch is released
not shure how this could happen but if transfer case or trans had internal damage id think
you would hear some kinda noise or grinding.
also im guessing the last thing he did before shuting off was to press the clutch.
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Sounds like a clutch / throwout bearing issue to me as well.
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I had a chance to look at it, briefly, yesterday. The trans shift lever "feels" like it is actually moving internal parts within the transmission, i.e., it had a bit of resistance when moving it between the shift points. The transfercase shift lever, however, did not feel like it was moving anything internal, no resistance. I did this without the engine running and the clutch pedal in. I only had a couple of minutes as I was on my way to work and running late so I didn't get a chance to check the intermediate shaft to see if it turns. I am working on a towing setup to tow it back to my house ("Danny's Garage") so I can check it out further. I should have it here in a day or two. I have jumped all over my kids ars (kid, 23 yrs. old!) for breaking my Samurai and he is banned from driving my CJ and J10 so, no offroading for him!
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If it ends up being the shifter sheet, don't be too hard on him, as it's a VERY common problem. The factory shifter sheet just falls apart after a few years. It's a $15 part / 1 hour fix (DO NOT get a stock replacement. You want the orange teflon one). I've had the shifter sheet go out in my first Sami, and it was about to go out in my second.
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I had a chance to look at it, briefly, yesterday. The trans shift lever "feels" like it is actually moving internal parts within the transmission, i.e., it had a bit of resistance when moving it between the shift points. The transfercase shift lever, however, did not feel like it was moving anything internal, no resistance. I did this without the engine running and the clutch pedal in. I only had a couple of minutes as I was on my way to work and running late so I didn't get a chance to check the intermediate shaft to see if it turns. I am working on a towing setup to tow it back to my house ("Danny's Garage") so I can check it out further. I should have it here in a day or two. I have jumped all over my kids ars (kid, 23 yrs. old!) for breaking my Samurai and he is banned from driving my CJ and J10 so, no offroading for him!
May be a little off topic, but what is a J10?
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A j10 could be a half ton heep pick up, I had a j20.
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This is a J-10. It's a Full Size Jeep truck. (see attachment)
I got the Samurai home yesterday. It seems to be a clutch issue. Intermediate shaft does not turn when in gear with the clutch out, however the car will move, at a snails crawl, when I rev it up to high RPM's. No noise (like broken parts). I guess I have to pull the tranny to access the clutch disc. This could take a while.
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I couldn't manoeuvre the gearbox out of my 413. Ended up pulling the engine instead.
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Well, New owners took over the Casino I work in (Laughlin,NV), and I am schedualed to work 12/7 for the next three weeks so the work on the sammie won't get done for a while. I hope I can revive this thread after all that time. I hope to post pics of the damage/ repair for future reference.
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This is a J-10. It's a Full Size Jeep truck. (see attachment)
I got the Samurai home yesterday. It seems to be a clutch issue. Intermediate shaft does not turn when in gear with the clutch out, however the car will move, at a snails crawl, when I rev it up to high RPM's. No noise (like broken parts). I guess I have to pull the tranny to access the clutch disc. This could take a while.
That is the same kind of truck that the hicks drive in the movie Tremors and Tremors 2. I always thought they were kind of cool. Now I know what they are called.