Transfer Case Problems
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From: Silver Creek
Transfer Case Problems
Recently i have noticed that the truck has slack in the transfer case chain. When put in gear, or start off from stop, the truck will go around 5-15 feet, then there is a bang noise with a lunge in the truck. I had the same feeling once with a ujoint. I already checked and replaced both rear u-joint even though the were ok. i went through the rest of the drive line and still come to the conclusion that it has to be the transfer case that is causing the problem. Is there anyway to see if it is the chain that is bad, and if so is there a way to replace the chain in there, or is it better to just put in another t-case
Champion
Joined: May 2008
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From: Apex, NC
Welcome to DodgeForum!
Sure there is... take out the transfer case and take it apart. New chains go for around $100. You may as well get a master rebuild kit for it and rebuild the whole thing with new seals and bearings while you're in there.
If you feel comfortable rebuilding it yourself, you'd spend about the same rebuilding yours than buying a "new" one, and you have no way of knowing what condition that new one is going to be in.
Here is a write up I did a while back about how to change out input shafts... not really what you are trying to do, but it should give you an idea on how to take it apart.
Sure there is... take out the transfer case and take it apart. New chains go for around $100. You may as well get a master rebuild kit for it and rebuild the whole thing with new seals and bearings while you're in there.
If you feel comfortable rebuilding it yourself, you'd spend about the same rebuilding yours than buying a "new" one, and you have no way of knowing what condition that new one is going to be in.
Here is a write up I did a while back about how to change out input shafts... not really what you are trying to do, but it should give you an idea on how to take it apart.
So here is the procedure on how to swap the input shafts. The pictures are of the 231 coming apart, the 242 has slightly different internals, but the same procedure works...
1) Remove the tail shaft housing. There are 3 bolts holding it on, and then hit it with a rubber mallet until it breaks loose.
2) Next, to get the rear bearing retainer off, remove the retaining clip and speed sensor. Then remove the 4 bolts and beat it with a rubber mallet until it slides off.
3) Next, remove the rear cover. There are 3 bolts that are different than the rest. VERY IMPORTANT...MARK WHERE THEY GO!!! The two bolts with the washers are for the guide pins, and right around those there are slots to slide a pry bar under to pry the cover off once unbolted. There is no need to beat it with a rubber mallet.
Once unbolted slide the rear cover off.
4) With the rear cover off, pull the mainshaft and shift rail up and once they are unseated and there is slack in the chain, take the chain off. The pins on the shift fork slide right out of the guide plate on the 231, but require some extra motivation on the 242. (Sorry, I didn't get pictures of this). It should now look like this...
The circled part is high/low range planatary gear assembly. The input shaft is in this.
5) Unbolt the front bearing retainer. There are also prybar slots on this peice, just look around the edge tolocate them.
6) Remove the retaining clip.
With this clip removed, the planatary gear assembly will slide out the back. It should look like this:
7) Remove this retaining clip from the planatary assembly.
The input shaft should slide out.
Here are the input shafts side by side...
Assembly is reverse. Be sure to clean all gasket surfaces and use a 1/8" to 1/4" bead of black or red RTV gasket maker on the rear cover, both bearing retainers, and tailshaft housing. Also make sure the retaining clips didn't get stretched on removal and are seated properly. (One of my clips got messed up). One thing to note, the older transfer cases use a wider input shaft bearing, and I had to put my 231 bearing in the 242 for the 231 input shaft to fit.
1) Remove the tail shaft housing. There are 3 bolts holding it on, and then hit it with a rubber mallet until it breaks loose.
2) Next, to get the rear bearing retainer off, remove the retaining clip and speed sensor. Then remove the 4 bolts and beat it with a rubber mallet until it slides off.
3) Next, remove the rear cover. There are 3 bolts that are different than the rest. VERY IMPORTANT...MARK WHERE THEY GO!!! The two bolts with the washers are for the guide pins, and right around those there are slots to slide a pry bar under to pry the cover off once unbolted. There is no need to beat it with a rubber mallet.
Once unbolted slide the rear cover off.
4) With the rear cover off, pull the mainshaft and shift rail up and once they are unseated and there is slack in the chain, take the chain off. The pins on the shift fork slide right out of the guide plate on the 231, but require some extra motivation on the 242. (Sorry, I didn't get pictures of this). It should now look like this...
The circled part is high/low range planatary gear assembly. The input shaft is in this.
5) Unbolt the front bearing retainer. There are also prybar slots on this peice, just look around the edge tolocate them.
6) Remove the retaining clip.
With this clip removed, the planatary gear assembly will slide out the back. It should look like this:
7) Remove this retaining clip from the planatary assembly.
The input shaft should slide out.
Here are the input shafts side by side...
Assembly is reverse. Be sure to clean all gasket surfaces and use a 1/8" to 1/4" bead of black or red RTV gasket maker on the rear cover, both bearing retainers, and tailshaft housing. Also make sure the retaining clips didn't get stretched on removal and are seated properly. (One of my clips got messed up). One thing to note, the older transfer cases use a wider input shaft bearing, and I had to put my 231 bearing in the 242 for the 231 input shaft to fit.
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From: Silver Creek
Right now im up at college about 250 miles from home, do you think that the case will still work for a little while till i get home in a few weeks or should i not temp it and just take it home and rebuild it now. More or less how long do you think it will last
Champion
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,839
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From: Apex, NC
Thats really up to you if you want to chance it! I'll tell you what the worse case senerio is though... if you're right about it being the chain that is stretched out, the worst case senerio would be the chain breaks, whips around and splits the case open spilling all the fluid out. At that point, the case will be completely destroyed so you wouldn't really hurt anything else by trying to drive it to make it back from whereever you are when and if it happens.
But I'd bet on it being fine as long as you don't try to run the truck too hard.
But I'd bet on it being fine as long as you don't try to run the truck too hard.
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From: Silver Creek
well i did a little more investigating on the truck, i was told that it was the transfer case, but today i lifted the back of the truck up and found that it is the rear end that is shot. it makes more sense why it was bucking in 2wd.
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From: Silver Creek
When i jacked up the back of the truck, i still had the truck in park, i rotated the tires, and since the ujoint can not turn, it should have not allowed both tires to spin, when they did you could hear parts inside the differential scraping and clunking.