Patent ID: 7487697

Claim:
A motor vehicle power transfer unit for distributing torque from a transmission assembly between a front wheel drive line and a rear wheel drive line, said power transfer unit comprising: a housing; a driving gear supported for rotation on the housing, a driven gear supported for rotation on the housing; an idler gear engaged with the driving gear; the driven gear engaged with the idler gear; a bevel ring gear secured to the driven gear for rotation therewith; a bevel gear supported for rotation on the housing and engaged with the ring gear; and an idler shaft secured to and supported on the housing, extending through the idler gear and supporting the idler gear for rotation thereon, the idler shaft including a chamber and a wall including an outer surface formed with a clearance space, into which clearance space a portion of the ring gear extends and rotates, said clearance space communicating through the wall with the chamber, the wall being formed with a first passage including a first end communicating with the chamber and a second end communicating with the first end and located at the outer surface.