I changed my t-case fluid a week ago and developed a leak that i just noticed today. I went under to look at it and saw that the case around where the drain bolt goes was cracked. I don't have a torque wrench for that so I may have over torqued...

Now I don't know what to do... Can I replace just the case cover? How hard will it be to find one? I'd imagine most people want to sell the entire case.

anyway here's what it looks like:





its leaking pretty bad. there's jb weld on it now and it slowed it down i good deal. but i need a more permanent fix. any help would be appreciated

Drain oil, clean last drop of oil with soap and wipe off with isopropyl alcohol. Then try JB weld and put a hose clamp around to keep it tight in place. Apply JB weld around the hose clamp as well. Leave enough time to dry before putting it to use

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If you want to fix it properly, it needs to be welded, and then run a tap to clean up the threads. That means taking the transfer case out of the truck, and disassembling it so you are dealing with just the part that is cracked.

Welding Aluminum is a bit trickier than Steel, as it conducts heat more readily than Steel. Ideally you would clamp the part to a heatsink, so the part doesn't warp during welding. You should also preheat the part up to say 400° F, before attempting to weld it.

Finding an experienced Welder would be the best bet, if you choose to go that route. It can be fixed, but it might be cheaper to find a complete used T-case, and install it.

JB Weld and hose clamps, is a temporary get-me-back-to-civilization only type of repair. Relying on such a "repair" for any length of time longer than is absolutely necessary, is just begging to be stranded somewhere with a seized T-case.

^^^ Agree. JBWeld and a hose clamp will work fine while you work towards a permanent fix, but keep an eye on it and I'd carry a spare quart of two of gear oil just in case it lets go (does the 3rd gen share fluid between the tcase and trans? If so, you'll want more than just a quart or two ).

I'd replace the whole case. By the time you take it off the truck, tear it down, pay somebody to weld it up, then put it back together, you'll have invested way more time and money than you need to. $130 bucks for a transfer case at my local Pick and Pull (probably less if you find somebody parting a truck out), maybe a couple hours to swap it out, and you'll be on your way.

Oh, and go spend $60 on a decent torque wrench.

Transfer case and tranny separate oil

I'll see if i can get a hose clamp around there. This sucks. I'm gonna look for a t-case since that will ultimately be the fix for this.

I think i'm just going to pick up an older case for cheap and just swap the case covers. Would this be very hard? I'd imagine that i have to change the gasket if i were to break the seal. and of course pick up a good torque wrench and tq everything to spec.

Couldn't get a hose clamp on there... just not enough room.

I was able to find a t-case for $120. Its from a 97 with 200k miles. I'm thinking of just taking the casing off of it.

Do you guys think i can replace the covers while the tcase is still on the truck?

It looks as if there's just FIPG between the two halves creating the seal. Is there anything else I should be aware of?

Whats a good equivalent to FIPG for this application?

Here's what the new case looks like:



you can see the 2-1 mark on this one:





I also noticed a stamp mark on the case itself. on the new to me case the stamp reads "2-1" on my stock case it reads "5-1"(see above pics) - is there any difference? i did verify that it was a normal j-shifter as mine is.

Putting your guts in the new case is going to be way more work than just swapping cases.

Can you explain? From first glance, it looks like i can unbolt the bolts holding the cover on. it doesn't seem like anything is attached to the case cover. I think wrestling with the case will be more work.

also, i saw the truck it came out of. i'm pretty sure the guy was not messing around when it came to wheeling. I don't want an abused t-case. the truck said 204xxx miles, but he was geared lower with bigger tires so i'm not sure how accurate that is. plus there's fluid seeping through in some spots so i would need to crack it open to reseal it anyway.

It's the factory sealant like the others confirmed..

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This is probably better then Toyotas FIPG

[This specific one is for engine seals...]


Threebond Form in place gasket.

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The entire 1217 family seems interesting
ThreeBond 1217H | ThreeBond Group

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I am not trying to knock Toyota FIPG. It's a good product. It's just as time goes on new products can be used in place of granted if they are fir the same thing.

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Not knocking you for sharing. I went to do research and found 1217G specific for transmission case use. I appreciated your post

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I didn't think you were. I just wanted to add it as a possible option instead of toyota fipg. which works very well too.


Lots of high performance engine rebuilders use threebond products. You are correct I need to specify that ones for engine. Good call.

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