Grand vitara transfer box problems

[D3v1n]

Hello

I'm new here but i'll probably end up posting alot of questions.

I have a 2002 GV 2.0td that I managed to slide backwards into a wall at ~50mph.

Broke the steering column and rack and buckled a back wheel.
Most of that is sorted now but the drive train must have taken a fierce knock.
Immediately after the crash the car was somehow in 4wd, I managed to put it back into 2wd no problem.
When the steering was sorted I went to pick it up and I could change between 2H and 4H no bother but couldnt get the transfer into 4L or N.

I had a play with it the other night and took out the transfer lever since I'd heard about them getting knocked out of line. I tried to shift the box into low range with a screwdriver by rotating the right hand selector shaft and pushing it back. It rotates fine but wont push back, the left hand shaft ( for 2H and 4H) moves fine, yet somehow its now stuck in 4H after all my fiddling.

Sorry for the lenghty explanation, I've been as concise as I can!
I cant see any other damage on the outside of the box or anywhere else along the drive train (apart from the buckled wheel)

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Could it just be wind-up? It may have been in 4H when it was winched onto the back of the recovery truck.

Cheers!

[ScottieJ]

It could be wind up, try reversing while shifting it out of 4wd.

If you decide to replace the tbox I have one out of a 2000 grand vitara that I could sell you for a good price.

[Rhinoman]

Is the lever hitting the edge of the hole in the transmission tunnel?

[donkeychomp]

Didn't realise you could reach 50mph in reverse...

[D3v1n]

You can if you pirouette around on the front wheels first

I've managed to get the transfer moving through all the ranges now using a screwdriver, I think I just didn't have something lined up at first, but when I refit the lever I am back to the original problem.

moves from 2H to 4H fine, and I can push it to the left from 4H as though to select N but it won't go forward.

Is there some magical combination of selector rails, gear selection and lever position that I need to achieve here before refitting the lever?
Its fecking infuriating

[ScottieJ]

I wonder if something got bent during the impact?

I presume you have been trying it without the lever boot fitted so that you can see if the lever is hitting the transmission tunnel etc? It shouldn't be that hard to shift it into low??

Next time I'm up the workshop (probably tomorrow night) I'll pull my spare transfer box out and take some pics of the rail locations without the lever in etc.

[Rhinoman]

^ that's what I was intimating at.

[D3v1n]

I wonder if something got bent during the impact?

Yep.

I checked everything and lever was well clear of the transmission tunnel.
Eventually I broke the knobbly bit on the end of the lever in my frustration.
Ordered a new one and the knobbly bit is a completely different shape, voila! The case must have got knocked sideways in the crash and thats when the lever came up against the tunnel and got bent inside the case. It looked to me like it was supposed to be bent to help rotate the right hand shaft but no it was just fucked.

New one fitted but it had to go on backwards as its from a 2003 petrol and the upper part of the lever is a different shape.

Thanks for all the help!!