Has anyone installed an aftermarket (non OEM) 4wd actuator?

It's about a $1000 price difference and I'm just wondering if I should even consider it.


Aftermarket

vs:

OEM

the aftermarket one is made by aisin, which is a known good brand for our vehicles, i believe some of the oem parts are aisin.

interested in knowing this too

Kind of weird that the version for V6 engines (AISIN SAT-019) is ~$70 more. Still tempting as I've not been able to get into 4LO for a long while.

UPDATE: A number of Japan-based eBay sellers appear to have the OEM version for less than $400.

It wouldn't be surprising if the OEM actuator is made by Aisin as Toyota owns them. I would go with whatever I found cheaper of either OEM or Aisin only.

I wonder why these parts fail when they only get used 10-20 times during the life of the truck. Its not like the get worn out. Dont they test electrical motors for 1 million cycles before release?

Good question. Maybe underuse? I suspect these are tested and should last as long as other components. I've never taken one apart to see where they fail.

I'm a stickler for OEM parts, but in this case, I'd probably go with the Aisin branded unit. As others have said, that's probably the OEM piece anyways.

Hey there!

That's a really good point you've made. It does seem like underuse could be a factor in why these components don't last as long as we'd expect. I agree that these parts are likely tested thoroughly, but there's always that element of unpredictability, isn't there? Just like when you buy a pair of white boots - they look great and seem durable, but you never really know how long they'll last until you put them to the test in different conditions.

On the topic of OEM parts, I'm with you. There's a certain reassurance in sticking with what's tried and true. But like you mentioned, the Aisin branded unit seems to be the OEM part in disguise, right? It's kind of like finding a branded item at a discount store – same quality, just without the label. In this case, going for Aisin sounds like a smart move, especially if it’s essentially the same part with a different name.

Keep us posted on how it turns out! It's always great to get real-world feedback on these things.

I wouldn't be opposed to grabbing an AISIN or even an OEM actuator, but I'm not sure how exactly to do the repair and it doesn't seem to be plug n' play. I've looked at some YouTube vids and most of them end up dropping the transfer case, which is not an easy task for my skill level.

Aisin and Denso are brands you can buy with your eyes closed, they're basically the same part except it comes in a Toyota Box.

Replacing the actuator is gonna be a PITA, many have tried replacing the actuator without dropping the transfer case and others have disassembled the transfer case.

There is always an issue synchronizing the position of the new actuator with the old, some end up swapping the whole transfer for and fj transfer case.

The main reason these fail is they get gummed up because of lack of use supposedly, Id say I use 4wd at least 4 times a month and I still get a stubborn transfer case actuator sometimes after I swapped it out a few years back.

Patience is key, even after replacing it I had to remove the actuator a few times to play with the positions of the rods, for some reason the 4wd ecu couldn't reset the actuator to its normal position on its own.

I think it's better not to take the original one upcoming slots

Mine stopped working because water had gotten in and corroded the contact points. Cleaned it up, regreased it, and its been working great ever since...

I would imagine corrosion/getting gummed up is the main cause of failure...

@SocalRunner15 - Did you just remove your existing actuator, clean it out, relube, and reinstall it? Or was it more complicated than that?

Yep...just removed it from the car...cleaned it out and reinstalled it. Make sure you mark the timing so its easier to reinstall.

Otherwise...super simple process (at least on my 2000 V6 Limited)

The V6 Actuators are a lot easier, you only have to worry about one rod. With the V8 Actuators there are two rods, one for the Center lock and 4lo. how do i know, well watched a bunch of youtube vids showing how easy it is to fix the leak. Yeah no, Do not take out the actuator, I broke a Teeth in the actuator. There is a Timing on the actuators, if you dont get them correct, it wont work. Best way is just to remove the Transfer case, disassemble and replace.
for V8 Aisin part SAT003