That’s to bad it sucks that’s he’s stuck and that piece is not easy to get to
at least he can move slowly and hopefully find a shop that knows something about this
is he putting it in neutral ??

I literarily just took solenoid out put it on a vise and cut the pin off with my grinder than I reinstalled it like it was. Didn’t hook any wires back up as that pin on the solenoid is just to prevent you from moving the high low lever without it being In neutral

 

@redwhitekat thanks for all the suggestions this is a head scratcher for sure. He is going to try and release the cable in case something is binding further up

 

Richard,

You are a life saver with communicating with me via text this afternoon! Finally got into a campsite with internet access. Good news is I was able to disconnect the cable linkage and move the triangle pic into the inside ear section for the low side. However, I sill can't get it to move to the other inside ear section of the high side when doing a test drive. No more daylight left.

Will try again tomorrow. Looking on the optimistic side, we (including my 15 year old son) are becoming more familiar with the 2004 diff lock

Good nite!

 

Got these pics off Ebay of the 2004 linkage. Keeping for reference....

 

 

@acg that helps a lot so the problem is on the other end where the cable meets the arm that actually moves the internals. That far arm on the cable should be on the left side near the front of the transfer case. But it is very hard to get at you need to go up between the transfer case and transmission pan right by the Y in the exhaust. if you can the get cable attached you would be able to see if it moves at all

 

Honestly, at this stage I would take the center console out and go in from the top. The removal process isn't that bad, and as a final resort you can disconnect the cable from the shifter and actuate it manually.

 

@Jason Feuerstein it may come to that but not something you want to do between Skagway and Whitehorse, currently the Disco is mobile if only slowly. The plan is to drive the 100 or so miles to Whitehorse in low that will take about 6 or 7 hours, once there he can get a shop to look at it.

 

i once removed the central console in a carpark during a snowstorm because the shifter collar had come loose so my transfer case was stuck in neutral. it's not a hugely difficult thing to do.
remember that the 2004 lever has been retrofit to this truck, so the central console panel may be even simpler to get out than the original riveted one.

 

@mollusc his concern going that far down in Skagway is getting stuck there, in Whitehorse he can leave the Disco and fly home if required or get parts