Daihatsu Fourtrak / Rocky 4WD Transfer Box removal with engine and gearbox in situ.

A video showing how to remove the transfer box from a 4WD Daihatsu Fourtrak whilst leaving the engine and gearbox in place.

Fourtrak is the UK name but in other countries the same vehicle is known as a Daihatsu Rocky.

The Transfer Box's function is to take the drive from the main gearbox and change it to drive in 4WD or 2WD(Hi and Lo) - driving both the front and rear propshafts, or one of them only.

The Fourtrak/Rocky is arguably one of the best offroad vehicles - it won awards for "best" two years. The greatest problems these particular vehicles face is rust, usually worst on the sills and under the plastic protectors on the wings. In this case the whole chassis 'sub frame' is badly rusted - indeed right through in numerous places.

The Fourtrak has a great following and is loved for its towing ability and reliable engine, the 2.5 litre Turbo Diesel. Indeed many people take these engines and put them into Landrovers to improve reliability and I am told kits are available to do the engine swap easily (though whether such kits are actually available 'off the shelf' I haven't checked).

This model is a UK S reg which is year 1998-99 and it has a manual shift lever (like a second gear lever) which the driver uses to change from 4Hi to 2Low and 2High ratios, with a neutral position as well. Later models have a different system which uses a vacuum from the engine to do the shift using a button on the dashboard - these can be identified by their having a number of pipes around them. The only pipe on this gearbox is a plastic breather tube which goes into the top of the transfer box and via a T piece into the top of the gearbox before running forward along the bell-housing (clutch housing), passing under the firewall into the back of the engine bay where it loops up then down and vents to the open air - it is easily identified.

The weight of the transfer box is, I estimate, about 30-35kg and removing it would be very difficult, but probably possible, without an inspection pit by chocking the vehicle up so the sills are some 40 cm above the ground (height is needed to get the transfer box out from under the vehicle if nothing else).

Removing the Transfer box is a two man job essentially in order to work efficiently as it requires a lot of tools to be passed up and down. To reverse the process a new gasket will be needed to go between the second (bolted on) part of the gearbox which I refer to in the video (probably incorrectly) as an adapter, and the gearbox itself.

If there is enough demand I may make a video about disassembling the transfer box itself to examine it for damage internally - that's if I have the tools needed.

I hope this video is of help to others and a big thank you to Timbo, Paul L and others from Daihatsu/Tech Forums who have been kind enough to give their advice and info, and of course to M who gave me the beast to start with.

Corrections:
1. I refer to the front and rear propshafts in the video mistakenly as 'drive bars' for some reason I cannot now explain.
2. One of the two more common faults is not the "big bolt" coming loose in the transfer box, but rather the "Big nut": A Freudian slip in all that oil.
3. I refer to the gearbox 'adapter' often as a 'spacer' - after getting it off and seeing what's what, I don't think it is there as a spacer. Spacers are different - I've met a few over the years.