H3 new buyer/transfer case issue?
 

Okay guys well I will be picking up an 06 H3 for next to nothing this week. It's got 96k miles on it, the owner said it needs a new transfer case (or rebuild it). He said it started binding up ("tires were turning the wrong way" in his terminology) and he had it inspected by a mechanic friend who said he" needed new clutches" in the transfer case and it was on it's way out. Anyways he said he kept driving it some and the t-case eventually went out. He said you can crank it up and drive it 30-40 yards and then it stops moving/transferring power or something along those lines.


My questions are:

1.) Do these t-cases have clutches? Or did he misspeak/his mechanic "friend" is dumb?

2.) Does this sound like a strictly t-case issue to you?

3.) I am new to Hummer's, anything else in particular I should inspect on this one when looking at it?

4.) How difficult is it to rebuild the t-case on one of these and what's the typical cost as far as parts for the rebuild? I am very mechanically inclined and worked on tons of vehicles/motorcycles/etc.


I am buying it by paying the note off on what he owes the bank on it ($4300) so it's pretty much a steal of a deal regardless.



Thanks,
Spencer

no clutches in this tc.
could be the fork issue. stuck in locked mode
its been discussed here endlessly.

Thanks happythree, any idea on what the cost for parts to rebuild a t-case is?

search and read on

It could be the T-case or it could be the front or rear diff.

I had a blown ring gear and could get about 15 feet in either direction (forward or reverse) and then it wouldn't move. Either way, depending on the condition of the rest of the vehicle it may be a steal.

T-case: easier and cheaper to just buy a whole unit then replace all of the internals unless it's the "plastic shift fork issue".
Diff: Depends on the issue and if the case has been damaged from the inside.

in lock mode ANYTHING but a perfectly straight line will bind up the drivetrain quickly depending on the turn. in lock mode just stop on a hill,shift to neutral,turn the wheel and let go. you wont go far. 6 ft?

Thanks guys, the rest of the vehicle looks good. There are no dents in the body, a few very minor scratches, interior is nice no tears in the seat (a little dirty but nothing that couldn't be cleaned), tires are fairly worn but I would be replacing them anywas and it has a brush guard on it as well.


Tainter, any idea on the best place to order a new transfer case is? I've found several remanufacturing companies online with them however I have not seen anywhere selling new OEM ones. The local transmission shop quoted me $850-1000 to rebuild mine if I pull it and bring it to them. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and figure I could rebuild it myself fairly cheap if most of the internals are still good.

Happythree, were you referring to the hill/neutral as an easy way to tell if it is the t-case or differential without getting under there and removing the driveshafts? I am actually not sure if it is the Adventure model or not so not sure if it has lockers in it.


I'm going to be going to pick it up this Friday



Thanks,
Spencer

06s only have ONE locker, in the rear.... if its an Adventure or Lux Off Road.

If it were me, I would buy a low miles used T Case (ebay, Craig's List, local pick & pull), no need for a new T Case on an 8 year old truck.

[QUOTEHappythree, were you referring to the hill/neutral as an easy way to tell if it is the t-case or differential without getting under there and removing the driveshafts? I am actually not sure if it is the Adventure model or not so not sure if it has lockers in it.

][/QUOTE]

lock mode has nothing to do with lockers. its the locking of the t case.
if you have open diffs and you are in lock mode you wont drift downhill.

just try it.

IF YOU READ you will find recent posts where guys changed the fork and fixed the problem. read,read,read.

Sounds like it is beyond just the "plastic fork" issue at this point (which I just dealt with). You mentioned you are mechanically inclined, so see my recent posts, pull that case out and have a look inside. If it's beyond just a bad fork then decide if you want to rebuilt it yourself, take it to a shop, or find another one.