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2003 Z-71 Suburban, Noisy Transfer Case
May 27th, 2010 | 1:03 AM
#1
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Tomball, Texas
2003 Z-71 Suburban, Noisy Transfer Case
Greeting all!
Let me first give you a little history on my Burb:
2003 1500 Z-71 Suburban 140+K miles.
I bought this Suburban in 2006 with ~52k miles and it has always clunked when going into or out of FWD. For about the last 5k miles it has had a ticking noise coming from under the truck. I though it was a bad U-Joint. The last few days the ticking has gotten louder, so today I stopped buy the parts store and picked up a pair of u-joints and install them when I got home.
I took it for a test drive and the noise is still there. So when I got back to the house, I put the rear up on jack-stands so the rear wheels could spun up to speed to check if the new u-joints were defective and to make sure the noise was not coming from the front wheel bearings.
With the truck on jack-stands and my wife in the driver’s seat operating the controls, I was able to get safely under the truck and isolate where the noise was coming from, and it is certainly the transfer case.
Just a little side note: but the noise is louder in drive than in reverse.
I don’t know anything about transfer cases, can anyone enlighten me on what could be going on with the transfer case and what are the possible financial damage to my pocket book?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
Regards, Curt
Let me first give you a little history on my Burb:
2003 1500 Z-71 Suburban 140+K miles.
- No major Engine or Trans work to date.
- Oil changed every 3-6K with Royal Purple, Red Line or <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
</st1:City><ST1
Mobile</ST1 1. - O2 Sensor 12k miles ago.
- Transmission flushed about 3k miles ago.
- Alternator and belt about 6k mile ago.
- Driver side wheel bearing replaced about 4k miles ago.
- Oil sending Unit replaced today.
- Front and rear U-Joints today.
I bought this Suburban in 2006 with ~52k miles and it has always clunked when going into or out of FWD. For about the last 5k miles it has had a ticking noise coming from under the truck. I though it was a bad U-Joint. The last few days the ticking has gotten louder, so today I stopped buy the parts store and picked up a pair of u-joints and install them when I got home.
I took it for a test drive and the noise is still there. So when I got back to the house, I put the rear up on jack-stands so the rear wheels could spun up to speed to check if the new u-joints were defective and to make sure the noise was not coming from the front wheel bearings.
With the truck on jack-stands and my wife in the driver’s seat operating the controls, I was able to get safely under the truck and isolate where the noise was coming from, and it is certainly the transfer case.
Just a little side note: but the noise is louder in drive than in reverse.
I don’t know anything about transfer cases, can anyone enlighten me on what could be going on with the transfer case and what are the possible financial damage to my pocket book?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
Regards, Curt
Last edited by Curt; May 27th, 2010 at 1:10 AM. Reason: added the O2 sensor to the list
May 27th, 2010 | 11:42 PM
#2
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Tomball, Texas
Work-Around Found
To make a long story short, I found a hole in the transfer case which allowed the transfer case oil to leak out and in turn was causing the noise.
Now for the good news!
Cleaning the transfer case and applying some adhesive/sealant to close up the hole, than filling the case with Chevy transfer case oil seems to have completely silenced the noise and has stopped the leak.
I know this is only a temporary fix until I can find a good used transfer case to rebuild than R&R mine.
Here are a few pics of the hole and my Temp fix.
Now for the good news!
Cleaning the transfer case and applying some adhesive/sealant to close up the hole, than filling the case with Chevy transfer case oil seems to have completely silenced the noise and has stopped the leak.
I know this is only a temporary fix until I can find a good used transfer case to rebuild than R&R mine.
Here are a few pics of the hole and my Temp fix.
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