so i finally got the elocker out. i found the problem! the end of the case is held together by 6 allen head bolts. when i removed the carrier one bolt was completely missing and most of the other 5 were barely hand tight and had backed out a ways. it seems the metal flakes in the diff fluid was the missing ground up allen head bolt. the remaining bolts were also bent. i guess the 1st bolt worked its way out, got jammed in the gears stretching things a bit allowing the case end to flex instead of locking up properly. so how it works...
lock ring and gear:
empty case, note the three pins which are pushed up when locking by the ramp mechanism:
with lock ring, which is pushed up by the pins:
with side gear:
with return spring:
with end cap:
it's also interesting to note that the lock ring and gear were worn down a bit on the mating surfaces:
