Hi, I'm the guy that had a hard time removing the transfer case and after getting it out found that the replacement transfer case had a shorter input shaft than the one that came out. I just R&R'd the transfer case for the second time and replaced both seals again.

After bolting eveything back up I left the transfer case empty and added four quarts to the auto trans. Immediately, about two and a half quarts drained out between the transfer and auto trans cases.

The only possible explanation is that the auto trans output seal is not sealing on the transfer input shaft (I think). Before installing the seal, I verified that it fit the shaft. I've driven the truck with the new transfer case installed so I know that the input shaft and transmission splines are meshing okay. So what's going on?

1) I've been told on this forum and by other knoweldgable Dakota fans that the short shaft and long shaft transfer cases are interchangeable. Has anybody learned otherwise? (Drivetrains.com lists the two input shaft lengths as 4--1/4" vs. 5-1/8")

2) Is there a special extended length seal available that I can install? (I drove the seal flush - as it was originally)

3) A mechanic friend suggested just RTVing the transfer case to the auto trans. I guess the chamber between the two would eventually fill up with ATF+4. Is this a good idea? There seems to be a small weep hole cast around the bottom bolt hole on the transfer case that I'd need to plug.

4) Any other advice or suggestions?

Help! I'm not going to let this defeat me!!!!!!!!
On a positive note I'm getting pretty good at R&Ring the transfer case! On a negative note, the price of oil has probably gone up a few cents due to my wasting all this ATF

Here is the link to my original post with a picture of the input shaft differences: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...e-removed.html

It is a 5.2L with the tow package and auto trans (46RE I think).

Thanks, RBHB2

PS: If you read the earlier post the transfer case leak was caused because I had put the transfer case seal in backwards. (MDA!)

 

I hate to say but maybe you just got the wrong seal. Also using a tad bit or RTV around the outside of the seal before you install may help.

 

i assume the short shaft version is for the manual trans ? since your mix matching components have you verified the tcase shaft is going in the transmission seal far enough ? maybe you put in the wrong seal for a manual trans ? has to be something simple. either the shaft isnt long enough or wrong seal or something. weephole is there for a good reason. personally i wouldnt plug it

 

Crickets huh? Did you ever resolve this problem? What did you find?

 

I kno this is a year old post, but to the guy who just asked if the problem was solved... The input gear length didn't matter between auto n manual. Personally don't kno y they had the to different lengths.. Ran into this issue w my 93 Dakota 46rh trans, stock tcase had the had the 5 1/8 input gear.. Well I wanted to mat a NP241dhd which had the shorter input gear which IS NOT long enough to insert that seal in the transmission.. U can do two things to solve the issue... 1. Simply clean and rtv where the tcase meets the transmission n block the peep hole.. Which that chamber will eventually fill up w about a half quart of atv.. Which will cause no issue at all!!! Or 2. Swap out the input gears between the two transfercases by taking the entire Transfercases apart n reassembling.. If u go this route u need to look out, because the input gears either rode on a single or dual bearing which if they are different simply swap the bearing as well... Hope it helps n it's clear enough to understand (:

 

Having just got done converting my '93 NP 231 transfer case (Assy # 5209-7600) from a 3pinion to a 6 pinion planetary and adding a wide chain and sprockets to same, I am aware of some issues concerning input gear assemblies.
These input gears are planetaries, the NP 231 input gear came with narrow and wide teeth on the pinions, sun gear and the ring gear, the last of which is permanently mounted in the front transfer case half. The switch from wide to narrow teeth happened between '95 and '96, not all at once either. The NP241 has narrow teeth. I see in the original post, a '94 and '96 case are called out, so tooth type is likely to be a consideration. The earlier wide tooth has a flat crest on the tooth, the narrow style has practically no flat at the crest of the tooth. The bottom line is all the teeth must be the same or you'll likely have a slo-motion transfer case train wreck, if you can manage to cram the wrong planetary into the case.
A good source for additional clarification is Novak Conversions. Spline count, shaft length and more are discussed. JB Conversions is another great source.
Finally, Advance Adapters has a little downloadable tome entitled jeep_ebook that goes on and on about engines, transmissions, transfer cases and the parts and adapters available to make many of them work together.

 

So ur saying the planetary gears had different spline counts?

 

Sure, the input (sun) gear of the planetary assembly came with short, long and medium length shafts, wide and narrow teeth. 21 and 23 spline versions are most common. Keep in mind, the NP 231 was used on Chevy, Jeep and Dodge from like 1987 to 2006. According to an anecdote told on the Novak site, a Dana engineer was tasked to reduce the variations in the NP 231 input shaft. The result? They went from producing forty to seventeen!
The good news is; you can get about anything you want for the 231 if you look long enough.
I wanted a six pinion planetary to fit my wide tooth NP231 built in August, 1992. Dave at Novak Conversions scared up a planetary cage with three wide tooth pinions installed and the other three holes already factory drilled and reamed. Such things do not grow on trees. Once I had the part in hand, I punched out the pinion gear axles from my existing assembly and transplanted them and my wide tooth pinions to the cage from Novak. I found that each of the pinions ride on thirty-four needle bearings stacked in two decks with thrust washers between them. Installation required a dummy shaft to keep everything in place while sliding each pinion into the cage. I made my dummy shaft from a .308 case trimmed off at the shoulder. Once in, I displaced the dummy with each pinion shaft gently pressed into place (no pounding, you'd destroy the plastic thrust washers) and double staked the shafts into the cage. I don't want them slipping out. If they did, they'd surely take out the range fork and maybe more.
Probably more info than you need, eh?