'92 s-10 blazer electronic 4wd shift motor?

[wbranch7]

New member: I was experiencing some issues shifting into 4wd. Mostly unsuccessful or delayed shifts after pressing the dash shift button. Same problem coming out of 4wd too. Occasional grinding noise from the transfer case during shifting. Now it just refuses to engage into 4wd at all, but the 4hi light comes on and off by itself. Took to one mechanic, not a transmission shop, and was told that it was the electronic shift motor (actuator motor) and the estimate was around $1k. I do most work on my blazer myself and this seems way $$$$. Could this be something else, like a vacuum switch or a larger problem in the transfer case itself? I saw one thread about checking the vacuum switch on top of the transfer case, which I have not done. If it is the shift motor, how much of a job is it? Is it just a matter of unhooking the front drive shaft and swapping out the motor?