E-Locker Fix : Almost

[Downeys4Runner]

So here is my E-Locker Fix : Almost thread

PICTURES FOLLOW

So when I bought my truck the guy told me that the e-Locker work so I was like :rockon:

Well I had him test it out and all it did was flash so I was like "UMM are you sure" and he said that it had to be slipping. Considering my truck was $1300 I was like F it, Deal.

When I got it my brother who knows about this stuff told me that it was probably broken. So we went ahead and took it off. The corrosion was apparent and i knew it had to be fixed. What I didn't know was I had a gaping friggen hole in it about the size of a nickel.

So I looked it up and someone did a fiberglass fix. Considering its not structural I went ahead with the fiberglass. It worked good.

What I did:

Get some fiberglass mat, resin, hardener, paintbrush, small cups to mix the resin, and 2-3 disposable small paint brushes.

Pre-cut the fiberglass to size, then apply resin around the area that you will stick it to. Apply the mat and use resin to cover the fiberglass. Repaet untill you see fit. 2-3 coats is plenty.

Thinking I did a great job I painted her up, well not so much. The center piece that the gear turns on was stuck. Wanting to get it done I let my friend in a shop class a head of me work on it. And he broke the center piece.

I was devastated! So close to being finished. So I got some steel putty and fixed her up. Thinking I was almost done I started to re-assemble the gears. While doing that I broke the center piece. So I fixed it again. Testing it for hopefully the last time and...

IT WORKED! But heres where the plot turns...

The center piece came loose again, but was solid when it was put together. I thought it was fine but my brother thought more was needed. So he took everything apart. He redid almost everything and fixed the center piece for good! Excited that he fixed it we put it together. We hooked it up and IT DID NOT WORK... W T F

We could here and feel the motor trying to turn... but it didn't. So he took it a part and cleaned it out. Then we took the motor housing its self off. We thought the problem was solved when we saw that the magnets the motor works off of were loos and just floating around. Again the MOTOR didn't work... We took it apart and cleaned it. The Motor spins with our hands but wont when put back together.

HELP

This is where I am at, I am gonna smash my head through a wall! My brother is to! He has a lot of time invested into this part as well. If you NEED ANY INFO, let me know! I want this thing fixed... Please :hail:

 

[Singtoe]

I could not understand the problem. The solution is to buy another actuator.

You will have nothing but problems with this one. But if you don't mind messing with it all the time, try to fix this one.

FWIW, It sounds like the case is tweaked and put stress on the motor when torqued down.

 

[Downeys4Runner]

Ya, I understand that would be but that money doesn't float around in my part time job. Its still drive able so its not to bad. When I have the gears off the motor still doesn't turn... It has to be something to do with it. Maybe jammed or something...

 

[Dous]

The new actuators are pricey!

I have a used housing I would sell cheap if that fiberglass fails. It also has the internals, but it needs cleaned up

 

[Downeys4Runner]

Ya the price i hear is 1100$ Not cool... 200$ less than my truck

I dont think its the fiberglass, has to be something else. Thanks for the offer

 

[eatmorechickenx]

$1100 is probably for the whole locker assembly. You only need the actuator. Probably get your hands on one for under $100 used if you shop around.

 

[audiness]

I saw one of those motors at my local junkyard, If its still there next time I go I can pick it up for probably next to nothing.

 

[Nelsonmd]

Funny, I had the exact same thing happen to me.




Before I removed the actuator, I pulled a ton of impacted crap out from between the actuator and the axle housing.

Definitely try to source a used actuator, even a non-functioning one that isn't non-functioning because of this same apparently common problem. Like Dous'. I may still have some of the internals from mine which was working when I took it off, if you need anything (though I may have cleaned them out when I cleaned the garage...)

 

[Downeys4Runner]

Thanks, I don't know what I would need. It must be the motor assembly side, not the gears.

Cause with the gear side off the motor doesn't turn it.

 

[Downeys4Runner]

So its fixed, the magnets that fell out of the motor cap have been put on correctly. We had the north and south magnets backwards so it wouldn't turn. After correcting it, it turned nice and smoothly.

My brother took one night to also refurbish his actuator which also works great. Joking around I said we should start a business. We know these things inside and out now. Haven't been able to test the locker driving yet, because it is on a lift at school. Hopefully it works good.

The we can install my brothers e-locker axle on his truck! OHH BOY :jump: