So my 93 has been out of commission for a few months, the reason being is that I have a quarter sized hole in the side of the case itself. I need to know which one they used for that year so I can start the long and arduous journey to find it. I think the chain wore a hole through by the way.

 

Look on the back side of the t-case, there will be a round tag with a number on it. That's the t-case you have.

 

its a 231d. And auto vs standard makes a difference. Where r u located?

 

Ive done quite a bit of reading on the dakota transfer cases. Been converting my 87 to a new and bigger driveline.....
But here is what I have learned
1.Not everything you read is true. Lots of misprints etc. Case in point, Even the factory service manual on my 87 showed a 21 spline input (NP207) on the manual trans version and 23 on automatic. Turns out my 87 5sp. (purchased new by my brother) has a 23 spline input.
2. Best I can tell, all first gen. used a 23 spline 231d transfer case. No difference in automatic vs 5 speed. The exception is the 87
3. There are differences in years and will not directly interchange.
4. 88-92 use a gear driven mechanical speedometer set up
5. 94-96 are set up for electronic speedometer.
6. Most interchange manuals list 93 by itself and Im not sure why.
7. This site has some useful information that may help you. https://www.drivetrain.com/parts_cat...ge.html#DAKOTA

Since its setting, if it was mine, I would pull the case out and take it apart. It may be that the part of the case that is broken will interchange with other years. Go to a junkyard and try to match it up. Then rebuild what you have. FWIW IMO buying a used transfer case this old, is a "pig in a poke"
They are really not that hard or expensive to rebuild.

Hope this helps

 

Wanted to add, looking at factorychryslerparts.com it appears the case is still available new. Not cheap, but worth considering...

 

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen-dakota/191960-46rh-to-nv3500-swap-5-2l-4x4.html

Post #4 paragraph 2. There is a difference between automatic and nv3500.

 

This is what I would call a classic example of internet myths. Here is a direct link to the post. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...-5-2l-4x4.html

And here using copy and paste is the quote referenced. I found one more interested fact today... The transfer cases for the manual and automatics are not directly swappable. The input shafts are different lengths. This didn't turn out to be a problem cause the NV3500 I bought came with one, but I thought I'd share that as a neccessary thing to look into if anyone decides to tackle this swap.

If you notice, he never said where he "found one more interested fact today" It could be from a reliable source or from joe down at the corner garage. It appears the last time the op posted was 2011 so we probably cannot ask him where he learned this fact.
However, in the beginning of his post, he states "I picked up the NV3500 transmission, transfer case, brake/clutch pedal assembly, master/slave cylinders and lines, flywheel, clutch, and interior trim piece from a guy on my local craigslist for $450. It came out of a 1996 Dakota with 92,xxx miles on it that was totaled."

So, I went to factorychryslerparts.com and looked up the input gear for both drivelines, manual and automatic. In addition, I looked up both complete transfer cases, manual and automatic. As you can see, according to Chrysler, they are the same, both manual and automatic.
Below are the images