Well, the fun never stops here.
Finally, after nearly 2 months, I get back to my truck. As some of you might recall, I replaced my transmission, but, in the process, somehow mangaged to screw up my transfer case (will not shift out of 4HI no matter what, no biggie, just removed the front driveshaft), and than discovered my water pump was leaking. Replace the pump, and as soon as I went to test drive, the timing chain broke. Than I had to leave, leaving my grandpa to replace the timing chain (he wanted his garage space back, don't worry, I didn't force him )

So finally got back today. Everything goes fine, for a bit. She starts right up, runs a little rough at idle, but not enough to get me worried.
Than, I discover a coolant leak. [:@]Didn't have enough time to check exactly where, but judging from the fact the timing chain cover was removed (for the timing chain change), and obviously the water pump had to be removed to facilitate this, me thinks it's actually from the timing chain cover. SOB!! I really had better plans for my days I took off of work than pulling this crap again.

The good news is I got the transfer case off without an issue. Disassembled it to remove the chain (reason: it was stuck in 4HI, and just didn't want the possibility of the chain fragging out on my trip back to Arkansas; hell everything else that could have went wrong did, so why wouldn't that of happened??). Pulled the chain, and manually set everything up for 2WD. Put the case back together with ATF-RTV, and right now it's curing on the garage floor. Tommorrow I'll throw it in the truck and fill 'er up with ATF and hope for the best.

Gonna go look for a "new-to-me" transfer case tommorow. That and find and fix this leak. Wish me luck, I need it!!

 

Hey Good luck man! Times like these its always nice to have a buddy around to help out. But if you go it alone just be careful.

 

hopefully you can find one and the leak!!! i got my truck all broke in now and my new tranny shifts so hard that i have a u-joint going out now so i know how it goes!!!

 

Well, shes up and running!
The coolant was pooling up on the top of the intake manifold (behind the two temp sensors, thermostat housing, and heater core line) and on the top of the timing chain over. Took the sensors and heater core line adapter off and resealed the threads, and was going to buy a new thermostat gasket, but the local store was all out, so reused the old one (which had like 70 miles on it) and used some sealant. Also put some sealant on the top of the timing chain over. Leak-free!

Tore apart the transfer case, took out the chain and manually set everything for 2WD. Used Mopar ATF-RTV to reseal the case. Put it back in and everything is just fine. There is a small leak coming out of the front yoke, but nothing too serious.
Also a few very small leaks on a pressure test port or twoand/ormaybe the transmission pan (I reused the old pan, even though it came with a new pan, because I didn't have time to drill a drain hole in the new one). Again, nothing big.

Pretty happy to be driving the truck again, even if if doesn't handle anywhere as good as my friends Monte Carlo (which is a 2004 and has little bits of surface rust on both doors and on all the wheel wells, how very sad!!)

 

Glad to see/hear that your truck is going again, you gonna get the trans case issue fixed or you planning on going 2wd? I've cut T-stat gaskets out of cereal boxes when the parts store was either closed or out of stock, works like a charm, and even better w/ the sealant.

 

As far as the 2WD, I'm going to eventually either fix the problem with my current one, or geta new-to-me transfer case.
Right now just waiting to close on my house so I can move in and take advantage of the garage!

 

i did not even use a t stat gasket on the new engine, just rtv. i bought one and could not find it so just did with out and after it was all done found it under the seat! but it would be nice to havea garage, the dirt is getting old.....

 

Hehehe... just when I thought my truck was all fixed---
Drove the truck for 60 miles the night before I left, no problems at all. Head out the door, get 40 miles down the interstate some noise I could barely hear happens (doesn't help I was on the phone and wasn't listening for noises), and I just see my speedo drop, press on the gas, and the engine rev's and thats all. Get out, and there is transmission fluid all over the bottom of the transfer case, and all around the area for that matter.The transmissionsfluid level is good, so obviously it has to of come from the transfer case. I just couldn't see any obvious damage, so I have no idea what would have happened. Pulled the rear driveshaft out on the side of the highway - which wouldn't have freaked me out so much if people would get the f**k in the left lane when there isn't any traffic in the left lane and your truck is broke down on the right shoulder.
So, called my friends parents, who came and picked me up.They towed my truck to a nearby friend of theirs house, and they let me borrow their sons Monte Carlo - again.
Plan is for them to bring my truck down to me in a few weeks - and I should have my house by than so I can take the transfer case off and see what the heck happened. If the fault lies with the transfer case - oh well, needed to be replaced. If the fault lies with the transmission - it's under warranty.
Right now I'm not really pissed at all - just extremely curious as to what really happened. And needing to go find a second vehicle. []

 

that sucks real bad. hopefully it is the transfer case so you dont have to pull your tranny again.

 

Yea, that is definitly what I am hoping too.
Damn the NP231 and the differant varieties of it (input splines, output splines, etc. etc).