MASTER REBUILD KIT ON SPICER 18 TRANSFER CASE

With the Spicer out of the vehicle and on the bench we are ready to begin disassembling the case. As we pull it apart we are going to clean it up as we go and one of the first things was to clean the silicone off of the mating points. It never ceases to amaze me at times how some people will excessively use duct tape and silicone in an attempt to solve a problem or prevent one. As we disassemble the case you will see in several places silicone where it doesn’t need to be.

We being to disassemble the Spicer by removing both the front and rear driveshaft yoke nuts and washers, you may need a vice or pipe wrench to keep the yokes from turning while removing the nuts. The yokes can be removed with a two-leg gear puller. 

Next to come off was the bottom cover (oil pan) and again, it had way too much silicone and the old gasket needed to be cleaned off as well.

Remove the bolt and retainer plate from the intermediate shaft. 

Remove the four bolts that hold the rear bearing cap to the case and remove the whole thing as an assembly with the speedometer gear. The parking brake backing plate is also retained by these bolts on Jeeps so equipped. Be careful with the adjusting shims that are between the cap and the case.

Use a soft drift to drive the intermediate shaft out (towards the rear of the case). Shaft is larger on rear, driving out forward will damage the case. Remove the intermediate gear, thrust washers, and bearings from the case. 

Remove the plugs, springs and poppet balls from both side of the front output bearing cap and engage the front wheel drive (left shaft forward).

To remove the front output bearing cap, fives bolts need to be removed. When they are out if the cap can’t be pulled off you may need to GENTLY tap it with a soft hammer. Remove the whole assembly at once with the shifter fork, shifter clutch, shaft, and shift rod; these will all sit inside of the cap when pulled apart.

Be careful not to lose the little bullet-shaped interlock that “floats” in the passage between the shift rods. 

With a soft hammer or the end of a block of wood drive the output shaft towards the rear of the case to remove the rear bearing cup from the case. Use a large screwdriver or similar shaped tool to separate the front bearing and the output gear to allow enough room to access and remove the snap ring from the groove in the shaft. Never use the gear to pry against when removing this bearing; it has the potential to break a tooth! (and nobody likes going to the dentist) With the snap ring moved to the forward part of the output shaft the shaft can be pulled out of the gears towards the rear of the case. The gears, (low slider and output) thrust washers, and snap ring can be removed from the case. When the snap ring is removed from the groove in the output shaft it should never be re-used, always replace it with a new one! Novak’s Master Kit as well as their intermediate kits will have these included. 

Remove the setscrew and remove the shift rail and fork from the case taking note of its position so it can be reinstalled in the same relationship as it was removed from. With everything now apart we are ready to hit the solvent tank and get this thing cleaned up so we can reassemble it and get it ready for the old Willys. 

CHECK BACK SOON, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING THIS PROJECT.