Glad to know this has helped so many people!

Very kind words 🙏 thank you. I guess my only Achilles’ heel is I can’t leave anything alone lol I always look for ways to make something better or improve it. And sometimes that gets expensive. Haha

Great to hear !!

Glad to hear it worked. Not sure why that little line is even there, but it seems to be the source of this problem for everybody.

Did you flush this through the vent while on the truck?

I was thinking about that as well. ​@@KingMathias1337

Can i ask what you did?

We’re you successful in changing your motors ? I’m having hard time getting the timing right .

yes parts changers not real mechanics 2 fold issues with that most people do not fix junk or rebuild things so at times your best fixer is the off road guys race car hobbiest you now the guy with good junk in his yard/or shop out skirts of town lol. that little Dc motor in that box looks like a standard drill or RC truck truggy SCT 1/10 scale universal motor i think its a 540 size like 10 bucks old 18 volt /12volt drills size type

I have a 2008 Tundra that had a similar problem. I couldn't get into 4 HI. At first it was intermittent, then it just wouldn't go into 4-Hi. Took it to the shop and it was a rusted out, non-functioning actuator. $750 to replace. I was on the road going to Maine this winter, having stopped at my son's place in Hartford, so not many options. After watching this, I probably could have done it myself.

Where did they get the motor?

They had to buy a whole new one and only used the motor for a quicker fix

@@happyhusker1163I can replace the motor in it with a brand new one if you want.

Yikes!

Me 2

I know Im randomly asking but does any of you know a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly forgot my account password. I would love any help you can offer me

@Ridge Camden instablaster =)

@Esteban Boden I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

@Esteban Boden It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thanks so much, you saved my ass!

@Ridge Camden happy to help =)

Glad it helped

So your 4wd would not engage because the cracked end of vacuum hose? You cut it and your 4wd started working again?? Hard to believe. I just took off my 4Hi actuator and freed up the gear it was all jammed. I put it back together, timed up the gear and fastened. Now the 4Hi light just flashes when I turn to 4wd. Maybe I need to cut hose now? I hear noises but doesn't engage. At least the 4Hi light doesn't flash in 2wd now

Like argy, where my vacuum hose slipped onto the nipple it was cracked and dry rotted, I “cut” a very small piece of the end off that was cracked and slipped the fresh cut hose onto the nipple. Now there was a perfect seal for the vacuum to activate the actuator. There is some extra slack in the hose but not much, cut off as little as possible to make sure it will still reach the nipple.

Thats why you want to engage both 4 hi and 4 lo once a month or so.It prevents a lot of these issues.

Malletize....I remember that being the 1st action on all trouble shooting flow charts.....learned that on the farm in Eastern Montana... 😂

Dude I been tryna figure out what it was and found this video and went outside out my car in neutral then did what you said and my 4-Lo light vanished and I could drive the car again thanks a bunch bro 🙏🏻🙏🏻

The gears come out. You can slide a knife in between to hold it in place before it’s fully pulled apart

pteck thanks! Yes I took the bottom one off only for ease of demonstration. The top is the 4wD. I’m not a mechanic but I made it work

Please help. My 4lo flases but 4hi works. Which actuator should I inspect? Lower or top one ?

The bottom motor

@@MSRWorkshop thanks. I tapped it with screwdriver and 4lo worked. Thanks

Actualy, just realized it's a breather tube, not a vacuum line. So it is purely electric.

Most likely culprit to the sluggishness is that your motor has corrosion in it and it’s having difficulty turning.

So if the car is in 2wD when you do the fix you won’t need to mess with the rods because they are locked in. If your car is stuck in 4WD, putting your car in neutral is the only away to adjust the rods and move them. If your car is locked and drive or park garage will not move

@@MSRWorkshop Am I thinking backwards that 2wd LOCKS the rods instead of the other way around? My logical brain that can't visualize the mechanics of it thinks that sounds backwards.

Thank you! I started with that last night and didn’t work... will try again today! Confirming pushrod should be pushed in by hand prior to placing motor/gears back onto housing? Your videos was spot on by the way. Cheers!

Motor works spins free tested everything but when put back together it’s not engaging 4x there are no codes showing up to clear... even cleared it just to be sure...

Bought new one off rock auto took the new motors and installed them and it worked. Think the old rusted high side although I refurbed it wasn’t strong enough but new motor working cost was $500.... cheers bro!

Nick, I have the same problem. I don't know what the internal gear positions should be. I have a 2007 Tundra. My motor works... i took it out and tested independently. Put it back "together" but 4Hi is constantly blinking along with "VSC Off" indicator ON. I have a feeling the gears inside are not aligned... what was the setting when install the new one (assuming you turn on the truck in 2x vs 4Hi). The other thing i found out was that with the truck off, you can turn to 4Hi, then turn on the truck and it will engage but the side effect is that in order to get it back to 2x, you have to turn off the truck and switch the knob back to 2x and turn the truck on. Just found that out this weekend.

MrHastiin I had the same effect on my 07 Tundra. Here’s what I did: 1. Make sure key is off. 2. Connect actuator connectors but don’t install and make sure the actuator sensor is installed with everything in place except place the actuator tops (part with the motor and sensor) in a location where the sensor or gear isn’t going to fall out when actuated. There is a line to line up inside the actuator sensor with another part but that’s another story. 3. Turn your key on making sure your 4WD switch is in the “2WD” position. At that time the actuators will center themselves where they are supposed to be. 4.Turn key off and make sure both fork shaft gears are all the way forward (front of the truck). 5. Install actuator “hats” (parts with the electronics) cocked slightly to the front of the truck (you may have to move the gear position away from the 2WD resting position in order to properly mesh the drive gear with the fork shaft gear) and when meshed (only 1 tooth) rotate into position (this will allow proper spring tension holding the forks forward). 6. Final install the “hats” and connect the vent line (after making sure it’s not cracked). 7. Turn on key and you should hear the actuator load the spring tension. 8. Clear the codes even though it may not show errors (usually does). I use a wireless unit called “Foseal” with my iPhone 7plus with an app called “OBD Fusion” (yes, I paid for the app) and it allows me to clear the codes. 9. Turn key off and then back on and let the sensors work. You should be good to go or may have to remove and install a few times to get the mesh alignment and preload right (I did). My Hi/Low motor is too weak I think. I don’t have issues with my 4Hi anymore, only the 4Lo. The motor stalls out mid sensor almost every time.

There is a hose that I believe is some sort of vacuum line that was cracked rotted and I think letting water in. I just trimmed off the damaged part and reattached it

Did you ever find a source for just the motor and not the whole actuator?

No I have never looked

If you have find a motor, please let us know too

Possibly a fuse ? Get the error codes reset by an automotive store then try to engage it. It won’t engage if there is an error code, even if it’s fixed.

Will the car drive at all? And if it will are you able to have someone do a reset via the diagnostic port? Also are all the motor connection soldered strong. The occurrences where people climb under the car and hit it or it works sometimes and sometimes doesn’t means a bad electrical connection somewhere.

@@MSRWorkshop connections were good. Solder looked great, we even tested the connections with an ohm meter to make sure they were connected well. Should the actuator move when you put it into 4wd hi from 2wd - even if the 4 hi light is blinking on the cluster? Or do these codes have to be cleared before the actuator will try and operate? We can get the actuator to do the reset to 2wd when you first turn the key on but that’s it? I tried to get the codes cleared at an OReiley auto store and when the guy cleared them the still wouldn’t clear off the cluster after we restarted the truck 🤷🏼‍♂️

Having the same problem with my tundra. Tried everything You did. Still trying to find a solution.

I would first try going to somewhere like AutoZone and they can plug in a diagnostic tester and see where the problem is also they can reset it. It’s free. Also is everything working or is it just a flashing problem

@@MSRWorkshop Thank you for the quick response! I have a code reader, however no codes are registering.

@@MSRWorkshop Also I forgot to mention my tundra is a 2014. Sorry about not mentioning before.

@@danielretz01 I would first try to do a reset to see if clearing the air code allows everything to work

Don’t have a video but at the very end I posted some pictures of the top motor and if you pause the video it shows the timing

@@MSRWorkshop Ok, so I have replaced the top motor, gears and housing with top half of a new unit. My question is, I have aligned the gears exactly as you have them in the picture at the end of the video. Did you then plug in the unit before reinstalling and cycle it before putting it back in, or did you put it back in just as is shown in the photo, then reconnected?

@@islandj39 just plugged it back in. As soon as you turn the key on it cycles it automatically

This video shows the proper timing for the similar Sequoia actuator motor. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ntaWZdp3p6i8l2Q.html

NCOX3649 yes, the 4WD Transfer Case Actuator.

Donald.. what did u do to solve.motor issue?? Did the 550 work??? Mine is fried

Donald, did u use the 550 motor?? Will it be suitable... I have same issue... no one e can seem to match the RS455 MOTOR.. thx for your help

No. I got lucky and found a used housing with a good motor from a junk yard. The whole thing cost me $150.00. Knock on wood it is still working.

Yikes, I have no idea unless it’s somehow visible in the video. I don’t know if it’s possible to buy just that.

@@MSRWorkshop yes. At 7:43 time marker you touch it. That’s the part that I broke. Maybe I can purchase the entire 4hi side of the actuator?

Got a link for that motor?

@@mikewest712 Go on Amazon..and type in..door motor actuator for your SUV. It also..tells you if it works on your vehicle.

Yes it should be

Yikes, no it doesn’t stay in place but in my video I show if you pause it where it goes back and it’s not hard

There is only one large gear inside, so not a bunch of little stuff will fall out. It just pops right back in. It’s actually quite easy, getting the positioning correct might take a bit of fiddling but if you watch the end of the video I show some shots of roughly where the gear needs to be lined up .

Same problem here. I got the motor to work on the upper side but now when I shift to 4x4 low it yells at me with a beeping and lo flashing

Not sure, the difference in the hi, and low side is the upper motor has that vacuum line where it can rot and get water inside. the low side can only brake is for some reason the contacts on the motor come loose. Rust and water can’t really leak inside that unless the gasket was somehow damaged. Might be worth opening up just to check and see if that side is working.

Glad to hear !

Got it working, thank you for your help and video.

The 4 high was not engaging. I bought a new actuator and swapped over both high and low motors. When i opened up the old actuator the high side was full of water and mud.

Glad that you got it working. Did you just leave the rod as it is and put the actuator back in same position? I am having the similar problem. Its not going into 4Hi when requested. 4Hi keeps blinking initially slow and then frequency increases as it is not able to engage

@@MSRWorkshop thanks for info. I will try it this weekend most probably.

Yes, leave the rods in place. I bought the whole actuator assembly and replaced both servo motors. Mine was full of mud and water. Use this video when you're setting the timing of the servo gears, he shows the correct position.

Yes

@@MSRWorkshop How would you know which actuator is the culprit? My 2007 tundra is doing the exact same thing as yours did.

@@Bryan-sj8ys I would bet that it’s always going to be the top one because it has the vacuum line attached and it’s usually where water gets in. The bottom one is sealed from the first one. On mine the top was almost completely rusted out and the bottom was still pristine.

@@Bryan-sj8ys at a dealership they won’t replace the motors. They remove the housing with both motors as well as the actuator rods that go into the transfer case and replace the entire unit. The only way to get the actuator motor assemble out without doing what I have done is open the transfer case. The actuator rods are attached inside the transfer case so the only way to remove the assembly is open the whole thing up.

@@MSRWorkshop Ok. I think I'm gonna tackle this. So if I understand you correctly Toyota would probably take the whole console out and replace the entire unit with both motors. I just want to take the housing off the 4Hi, and harvest the new motor out of the new actuator I purchased,, swap motors, solder it,, and thwn put it back in? So when I remove the top (Hi) what do I need to do soas to not mess up the orientation of the gears?

I am really stuck now. She’s stuck in neutral no matter the gear or 4WD position. I took it around the block and tried out the 4WD. Didn’t work at first then it worked. Came to a stop and put it in neutral to put in low and got a check engine light and al kinds of other lights. I’m stuck now. I’m going to remove the upper again and make sure it’s in the right position.

Did you end up fixing it ?

Did you end up fixing it ?

My Something Random yes, kinda. Turned the key on and off several times making sure the 4WD knob was in the 2h position before turning off and on again. It eventually cleared and went to 2h. I can put it in 4 hi but not 4 low still. I believe the motors are worn beyond economical repair at this time.

My Something Random, I’d love to know. 😃

eBay has them, or a pull apart yard

I really appreciate your video but do you know the part number?

@@MarkGrice67 sorry I do not but I think 2007 and all are the new body style so they should be the same for quite a number of years. Not sure if they have anything different in the 2021 models, 2022 might be different because they changed everything

@@MSRWorkshop its spring loaded, the spring is pretty stiff but that's what keeps tension on the shift fork 👍🏻 I learned this the hard way after reassembly and no P,R, or D 😋

Ok, so I’m working through this repair and replaced the top one. Got the 4hi flashing light to go away. Now just the center diff lock light is flashing. Won’t engage 4wd high or low, just flashes center diff lock light. Tried resetting codes by unhooking the battery for 30mins and that didn’t work. I retimed the gears on the bottom side actuator and lost D/R/P. Took it off again and retimed again, pushed the rod all the way into the T-Case and got my gears back again. What am I missing? Clockwise or counterclockwise pre-load for the hat?

@@brandonjohnson3120 i did it to where you have to turn the actuator cover toward the tcase to be able to start the screws in their holes

I finally got it timed and preloaded properly. Replaced the top actuator cover with a a new one from EBay and wham! All works properly and shifts in and out of 4wd hi/lo and center diff lock. When my top actuator wasn’t timed properly I had the center diff lock light ONLY flashing at me. No hi or lo flashing, just center diff lock. Watched the video again and tried one more time and SUCCESS! Thanks a million I owe y’all beers.

@@brandonjohnson3120 How did you get it "timed" and preloaded? I kinda understand the timing, but definitely not the "preload". How did you reinstall without the gear assembly falling out when it's upside down?

The high side you can see where I set the timing at the end if you pause the still pictures.

@@MSRWorkshop that the lower side motor correct? Which is the one that controls hi/lo correct?

@@James-th8rx I believe so.

@@MSRWorkshop Now on the top motor, when the rod is all the way out its in 2wd correct?

Need timing for the top motor

I would replace the unit if you have it available to you. Removing just the motor requires some soldering. If the replacement unit comes all together and works I would just use it like that.

@@MSRWorkshop I could not find just the motor nowhere so I had to buy the whole actuator with hi and low motor I believe the hi motor is the only problem when I checked it the low side worked but the hi side did not and it would not lock in 4 wheel drive at all I replaced the dash switch and the front actuator did not fix it then I found the transfer case hi motor was bad so I had to buy the whole actuator just to get that motor even though the low side works should I go ahead and replace it since I have the new gears and motors for both sides

Yes

Glad it has helped! Let me know how it’s going ! Thanks for the part number

Got an update on this

Will Botto still working

did this motor end up being tithe solution? worked properly? Mabuchi RS-555PC-3550

My husband also got 2wd back but we just can't get the rods to align

Budd, if you find the replacement motor please let me know.

@@MSRWorkshop Ten four thanks for the info we need to spread. Its the second issue I've had with my Tundra the first was the smog pumps but they had to warranty those,

Couple things. If you don't time the gear properly the spring tension might not be correct in both positions. You could end up with too much tension on one end and nothing on the other. Also, the electrical connections are microwelded, not soldered, as the soldered connections probably won't hold up to the vibrations.

@@MSRWorkshop yes they do fail. Just saying the factory doesn't solder them for a reason. Toyota and Aisin have a reason for everything. A person could fabricate a simple micro spot welder or buy one or just try the solder. Also if one was to attempt to solder the joints on the microswitch they will likely distort and ruin the switch. But the most important issue is the gear timing. The actuator puts spring pressure against the rod at the end of both positions. By guessing at the location you're taking a chance at overloading the motor, winding or other parts. And also possibly not getting any spring pressure at all which could cause the rod to move out of position during operation.

@@MSRWorkshop it's just a vent line. No vacuum. Edit: earlier Toyota trucks did use vacuum activation but not gen 2 Tundras and later AFAIK

@@JH-tf2yn Are their shops that can make this repair to the small motors on the actuators correctly or is it just a deal where you diy it or take to the dealer to donate thousands.

Unfortunately I don’t

did you figure it out buddy ?

Just the positive? Or both?

Just one

@@MSRWorkshop Thanks I will disconnect the positive

Seems like more of a water Inlet lol

As far as I can tell no,