Tercel wont engage into 4wd help!

[Mr.Doug]

Hey guys I joined the forum so I can help my dad with his 1985 tercel it's in great shape for the year with only 130,000miles. We live in Canada and the other day I used the 4wd just to get out into the field and when I went to use it this morning it won't engage at all just stays in fwd? Any ideas what night cause this? Also if I'm trying to put it into 4wd with the engine revving at all or when I'm driving even slowly it makes a very quiet grinding noise as the lever is put into 4wd then still nothing happens.
Any help would be much obliged!
Thanks guys!

[dlb]

i have a few questions. first, were you driving the car hard in the field? did anything occur in the field to make you think something may have broken then? second, were you able to disengage the 4wd easily after getting out of the field, did it drive fine after that? third, how do you know 4wd is not engaging now?

first things i would do check the linkage under the car that goes from the 4wd lever to the trans. make sure it is securely connected at both ends, not bent out of shape, and that it is adjusted to the correct length so that the lever moves the arm to the end of the arm's travel.

[Mr.Doug]

I drove it nice and easy in the field nothing made a sound and yes it did disengage when I got out of the field perfectly fine. Went to use it today and doesn't work 4wd light is on bit only front tires spin in the snow when I started take off. I have it completely jacked up off the ground right now checked the linkage looks great to me just won't engage the rear end next I'm gonna check the fluid level I guess nothing else stands out to me never made any noise just stopped working.

[Mr.Doug]

I just checked everything pulled it outside and the 4wd is working again but only in EL doesn't work in any other gear 1-5 or reverse

[xirdneh]

i have worked on quite a few of these trannys and i am trying to figure out what could do that
something has to be wrong in the "transfer " section of the tranny
you could check this with out removing the tranny from the car
just have to unhook enough stuff to get the "extension" housing off
then you could look in there and examine it
watching youtube video on that tranny would help you out
if you want to try this you might want to call me first
i will PM my number

[Petros]

it almost sounds like the rear output shaft is sheared off, but than it would not work in EL if that was the case.

check that all the tires are the same size and are inflated the same amount, different size tires make it difficult to get it in and out of 4wd.