Hi all,

Need a bit of input here if you can:

(Evo IX SE, 5-speed)
About 200 miles ago I started getting what sounded like the transfer case death whine.

However...

I drained the t-case and the oil was relatively clean with no metal shavings or particles. The magnet on the drain plug was pretty clean.
The fluid was changed by the shop that replaced my clutch about 5k miles ago, and was always changed every 30k miles. The car has 80k miles on it now.

I disconnected the front drive shaft and was going to test the car and see if the noise was coming from the rear diff or along the drive shaft assembly. However, the car would not move. I guess it needs the connection to the rear in order to move? Not sure why that is. So that plan is out.

Anyway, the noise that I was getting would start out at low RPMs and get higher pitched as I increased in speed all the way up to about 70mph and then I'm assuming would just get so high pitched that it couldn't be heard anymore.
The noise would disappear upon deceleration with the car in a gear. When decelerating in neutral, the noise would remain. after a hundred miles or so, the noise now contained a metal grinding sound, especially on deceleration with the car in neutral.
For good measure, I also drained and replaced the fluid in the rear-diff. That did not change anything.

I think it's the bearing at the open end of the t-case where the drive shaft spline enters the t-case. see attached pic.

However, there is no play at all on the spline shaft exiting the t-case and i could not find any obvious signs of wear. The only thing that looks odd is the spacing around the bearing.. if you look at the pic, it seems that the gap around the bearing is not even. It appears to a thinner gap on one side.

Anyone ever replace the bearing before or had this similar issue?

Would like your input. Also, anyone know the torque and what size the nut is that holds the bearing in place? I can measure the nut to find out, but was just wanted confirmation.

Thanks,

-Rob

Gap is narrower on the right side of this pic (which is the top of the bearing)


Another angle:

 

Update:

I let a sample of the t-case fluid sit in a Tupperware container and noticed that there was quite a bit of shiny metal sediment that formed at the bottom of the container. So something is going on.


-Rob

 

Talked to Shep Transmission and discussed my situation.
Getting a rebuilt t-case. They suggest the ring and pinion are shot.

They don't have an available core for exchange, so it's going to take about 3 weeks before I have a t-case back in the car.

The shop that replaced my clutch used the wrong fluid in the t-case. They used Redline MT fluid.
Guess I'm going to have to sue another repair shop.

This **** happens to me every damn time I take my car to a shop.

I seriously need to get a lift in my garage.

Let this be a lesson to others: Bring your own fluid to the shop and make sure they use it! Don't trust them to use the correct fluid.