x2 they do go bad after time

 

x2

 

I checked for vacuum down there, and what I found is the red tube has vac. in 2wd, the black one has vac. when in 4wd. Does that mean the actuator is bad?

 

The actuator is on the axle and if it works then your front axles shouldnt turn if so it is that if you have vac. If not follow your lines they loop over your transfer and back up to the motor check and see if any are pinched off or have a hole in it

 

Like I said I have vac. on one side or the other (red tube or black tube) depending on whether it's in 4x4 or 2x4. Would that indicate the actuator is bad?

 

yeah defiantly check the vacuum lines around the front axle my 4 wheel drive wouldn't work forever. and we got under it one day and it was just two hoses that had come undone and that fixed it all

 

What's the big tube that runs up the inside of the passenger side inner fender? Is it just a vent for the axle? Could someone tell me if the vacuum lines are working correctly? 'cause there are 2 lines, one red & one black, depending on if it's in 4 wd or not, the vacuum is applied to one or the other.

 

The large tube is the vent for the front differential yes. Sounds like you have vacum I guess the question is is there enough vacum to move the actuator. I looked in my Haynes Manual but there's no specs on how much you should have. I would put a vacum guage on the line and check it. A gas engine runs about 20 inches of vacum so I would say you need at least 10 to 15 inches to move the actuator, otherwise look for a leaking or plugged line, if you have good vacum it must be the actuator

 

thatz what i was saying

 

if you have good vacumm to the axle then pull out the 6 or 8 10mm bolts that hold the actuator housing on and see if you can move it back and forth freely, gear oil will come out so be ready for it and its all pretty simple inside there and it should all move pretty freely be hand