Help! Oil stop fell inside transfer case...

[Carolina SR5]

Yes this is as pathetic as the title says. I tried to change my transfer case oil for the first time and of course there was a disaster. I was using one of the oil bottle with a cone type plastic tip for a cap. Well I left the plastic cap on to see what kind of an angle I could get without using a pump and it fell off inside the fill hole... Do I have any possible options other than taking it to a mechanic and having to get them to open up my T case and replace the seal for such a stupid mistake? Also, bad idea to start it up? I was thinking i would fill it with oil, start it up maybe put it in 4 wheel drive and drive a little, then drain it and see if it got ground up. I do not want to mess up the gears though.

 

[rideexileex]

Did you try to drain the oil yet to see if maybe it fell through?

 

[Carolina SR5]

Yea I ran a couple quarts through it but it never came out.

 

[yukonrider]

Heck I'd probably grind it up....

 

[sakoluvr]

As small as that cap is and it being soft, grind away. The combination of heat and grinding gears should be the end of it (the cap) <GRIN>.

You can always drain it again after doing a little 4-wheelin.

 

[the great him]

those little plastic caps wont hurt a thing, your gears and chain will eat that thing up. now thats not to say its ok to put a cap in there everyting you check the level or do a drain n fill, but one cap wont damage anything



-watch now that we have all told him it wont hurt anything, his Tcase will grenade.... :brick:

 

[Carolina SR5]

Thanks guys I ended up putting the oil I took out back in and driving it around. Ill drain it and put clean oil in tomorrow. Glad it wasn't anything I'd have to open the T case for and it was one of those live and learn things that wasn't a disaster.

 

[robb1887]

I did this same thing (as proud as I am to admit it) and ended up being able to get it out with draining, with 3/4 fresh oil, it again and then hand turning the front drive shaft to get the gears to roll the cap into view in the drain plug. Then it was just patience, a flashlight, and long tip needle nose pliers.

Good luck

 

[audiness]

knowing the punishment those gears can take, i doubt a little plastic cap could do anything. they will chew it up like butter. Just do a couple drain and fills after it gets chewed up