Transfer Case Questions

*Note: This is a duplicate of a post I left on the GTIROC forum. I'm posting here as well in case some of you are not members of that forum*

Hey Folks,
So, I'm in the middle of a clutch job here, was on the reinstall, and found that my transfer case was leaking between the intermediate plate and main housing. I couldn't leave it leaking, so I split it and resealed it. This is where my questions come in for you gurus out there.
When I split the box, the ring gear & shaft came out attached to the plate. Counter shaft stayed put, but I didn't mark the gears on removal. I noticed on reassembly that the gears/shaft seem to have marks on them. Is the countershaft timed to the ring gear/shaft?
Secondly, on reassembly, I was very careful to ensure all shims were reinstalled, but the box appears to have been sealed with rtv sealant. Wouldn't using a sealant such as that make proper shimming impossible as there is no way to gauge/ensure consistant thickness of gasket between intermediate plate and main case? (Also, would not the same situation apply to the front diff. housing?)
Lastly, if all I am doing is resealing the intermediate plate and case, and reinstalling the front diff./housing, are there any checks/measurements to perform before returing to use?

I hope that was as clear as possible, please advise. Thanks all.

alphadrex

None of the gearbox gears are timed, marks are probably from the manufacturing process.
RTV sealent reduces to ~zero thickness once clamped so would have no effect on the shimming operation.
Hope this helps
Also don't forget to put a bead of sealant around the outer diff seal flange surface to prevent tranny/gearbox oil mixing/leaking. It's says this in the manual but easily overlooked.