Hi. Issues with t case popping out of 2h into N. Have to hold floor shifter in its 2h gear "slot" each time I even just move truck, like anywhere, even moving it to the back yard to work on it, it just pops out of 2h into N, easily, with hardly any effort.
I know, thread sucks cuz it's so long. I just wanted to explain, explain, explain!, for some reason. Just tryin to figure this out, still. Like what can be causing this. I was ready to buy an entire np231 rebuild kit. But I dont think I need to now.

I took the case out off the truck yesterday. I'm fairly certain it's the factory one that came in this 98 Ram,1500, 4x4 Laramie. 248k. All stock except for the wheels, tires. They're 33x12.5x15. Truck came this way, I bought it used about over a year ago.

So get the case on table, open it up. Forks look good, plastic pieces on end of forks not worn. No metal shavings anywhere. Bearings all intact. Magnet looks real good. All the parts in this case are like "newish" looking. Like it was already overhauled some year in the past. But maybe not. It just looks real good in there to me. I can post you any pics of ANYTHING, if ANYBODY wants me to. It's no problem if you want one of anything.

Case is out there in shop, on table, open. When I looked at that "detent" pin and that spring that shoots it, that all looks good. Everything there looks and works good. All the pieces of the whole shifting assembly in/on the case actually look good, works good, shifts by hand good when pulling the lever on the case by hand. Whole shifting mechanism's pieces, parts, etc are workin ex, no differences when moving it to 4L, N, 2h, 4h.

That thick plate that the detent pin springs into when you change gears looks good(to me that is). No broken pieces inside, no nothing going on. Detent pin isn't sliding out of any of it's designated "triangles" that are cut into that plate, at all, when in any gear. The pin seats into the bottom of the "triangles" perfect, every time, and holds that plate strong. It's just as strong in 2h just as it is/does when moved to 4h, N and 2L. It's the same with all 4 gears. (when doing it on the table, while open, by hand) Each gear allows the pin to shoot, and then seat, into the bottom of its cut "triangle", immediately. No differences when at 2h than the rest of the gears.

So I don't think it's that detent pin, it's spring, forks or the forks plastic end pieces. They all look good. But when case is on the truck it seems like the pin doesn't, or cant, seat all the way into it's designated "triangle" on that plate for 2h. Like it does off truck when opened up on the table. There may be something else causing the pin not to seat in 2h?

When on truck and only in 2h, it seems like the detent pin isnt seating into it's "triangle" on that plate in the case. All the other gears feel fine, seated and locked in, strong. But in 2h the pin just doenst seem to go in. Like it's sitting at the outside, near the end of it's triangle on that plate. And it goes forward only, into N. Theres like no seating of the pin in 2h. But in every other gear, 2L, N, 4h, pin goes all the way. You can feel it. You have to grab the shifter in the truck and physically move to any gear. When in 2h though, it just practically moves to N with your pinky finger. No effort. Not in any of the other gears though!

It has that aluminum, long rod, with the trunion thing that tightens onto the rod with that little "set screw". That rod sits at the end of the shifter going thru floor, and that shifter is then mounted up in the truck (i think that's how that all works) And that aluminum rod also connects to the transfer cases lever, like through a bushing, or something. Maybe somethin goin on there? I've adjusted that aluminum rod 10 thousand times. I marked it the 1st time I ever loosened it up and moved it. Adjusted it the way the book says. Done this over and over and over so many different times. Doesn't fix it.

Truck does have 15's on it/ big 33x12.5/15's. I understand when you jack truck up like maybe 3 or 4"s, you'd need to maybe lower the case or get some other brackets for it? Like for the drive shaft to be even w the t case? Or an SYE or something? Would it need the sye maybe to correct the 2h going into N? I don't think there's a Lift on it though. It does have the 33's so maybe there's a little lift kit of some type?

Of course there's the linkage rod, could it be making this happen if the rod is bent maybe? It looks straight to me. Or if the rod's bushings were like, older, maybe lil worn or too loose?

There is this one thing that the guy that sold it had mentioned last year. He said if I wanted it to "look" better, I could get something for the suspension, like for 50 or a hundred bucks/it wasn't a lift kit but something else. He said it would level something or something like that, something to do with the looks of truck, or level it, or something. But it looks "even" to me. It was something to raise the front up I think. Or the rear? One of the two. A...something, I forgot what he called it! But it wasn't too expensive and it wasn't a lift kit. Maybe that's whats causing this problem?

And the u joint at the drive shaft that goes into the case, from the rear axle(it's a 1 piece shaft), that u joint wiggles. I found that when I took off the rear dirve shaft. But just a little bit. Doesn't seem like too bad to cause this. I'm replacing it though. Doing anything I should while everything is taken off, accessible. To anything it should need while I got case off the bottom of truck. Got two u-joints. I think theyre for the driveshaft. Part #210-0213. And throw the transfer case saver on there too at this point? Thanks for any help!

 

would it pop out of other gears too? If you put it in 4low or 4 hi would it stay?

 

Wonder if its a misadjusted linkage problem.....

 

Ok, so I overlooked if it would "pop" out of 4L, 4H. But it went into those gears(when it was on the truck) different, so to speak. When putting truck into 4L or 4h, it was like the pin "sunk" into the plate thing in the case. Ypou would have to physically grab shifter and move it. When in 2h, just tap the shifter and BAM, in N. just like that.
I dont think it would pop out of anywhere but 2h. Feel sure.

I screwed up though. I should've checked and done things prior to removing the case. Stupid! I was so convinced the case needed a rebuild for some reason. It did gradually keep getting worse over 6 months, about 3000 miles or so.

 

Maladjusted linkage prob. What do I do to check that? What do I buy? I don't care, I'll buy anything it takes. Got enough money to take care of this, no matter what it is. I just want to know more than I care about the money. I'm willing to waste a little throwing a part or 4 at it, for sure! Linkage?

I can go buy a used t case(30 day wrrtny), $200. Think I should just go get it and throw it on? Like before I put this one back together? I have a rod kit thing coming that I ordered yesterday. Has the 2 bushings, trunion AND little 5/16 set screw. Rod of course.

 

Thanks Hey You, JLake4130! I remember what the po said it "could stand" to have, back when he was selling it to me! It was a 50 or 100 dollar "leveling" thing. Kit or smthn. Think he knew more than what he told me about truck when selling it to me? HAhaha! (dont have to answer that one)
He had said it didnt HAVE to have one, but it would make it look EXACTLY right. I didnt see anything when looking at it though, so I never bought one. And I think he said it needed them at the front. Would the "unlevelness" create problems later, like this issue it's having? Think I need that SYE thing? I never go off road.

 

Something about a "shift clutch spline" may be worn and being the culprit. Whats that part known as other than shift clutch spline? I looked around and cant locate the exact part. If I know what to looik for I can walk out there and look at it, the case is still wide open, parts laying on table.

If I buy that used case and bolt it on up, then if it pops out of 2h, wouldn't you almost know for sure it's not this t-case? P{rob those linkage issues or smthn?
Does the actual shifter, that comes up into the truck, ever cause any issues? Maybe it's just that plate with the triangles cut into it that sits in the case. I think I found what that plate's called, w the "triangles" cut into it, it's the "shift mode selector", I think. Maybe there's other names for it. Wish one of Y'all would come over for a day!

 

Shift mode selector, like 50-60 bucks.
Forks, there's 2 of those. Mode and some other one. Those look like they're 40 and 50 maybe.
Bushings for things- 5 bucks a pack. Prob could get 2 or 3 packs, 1 pk for forks, 1 pk for linkage, another one for case selector, 1 for shift selector?
Maybe just buy a complete bad *** built case for 1500! But what would that do for me knowing anything? I really want to learn more, especially since I got it out and open and all that. Plus I got a little extra money for anything/part(s) it needs. I got that big yellow 1500 page FSM 1994 Dodge Ram Truck 1500-3500. It's like one of those old phone books, but maybe bigger. lt's the actual Chrysler corp Service Manual. I just don't know what I need to do next to figure this issue out. What to get to fix this thing, etc, etc. That's why I'm on here slinging words, sentences, paragraphs and pages with so many stupid, "greeny" type questions and inquiries. I know y'all hate it when you run across someone THIS freakin new to something! (and me!) I totally get it.
Got all tools. Time. Just don't got the know how yet for the trans case. I'll get it, eventually. Want any pics? thx

 

Last thing for now as I know I bombarded y'all w questions and haven't given ya any time to reply to any. But when I would drive it, when it popped out of the 2h, it def went into N each time, not 4h. It goes foreward when popping out, towards N and after N is 4L. Ok, so when it pops out of 2h, it immediately starts to grind. Until I stop and pull it back into 2h (then hold the shifter there with my right hand until I get back) until I stop and pull it back into 2h it grinds. Like grrrrrrnnnnnnnnnddddddd. Once back in, holding it there, fine. No noises.

Is it actually going past N and trying to go into 4L making the grinding sound? Like if it pops out and goes up to the next gear which is N, why would N make any sound going into N? Especially that Grrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnddddddddddd until I stop truck and pull it back in 2h. If it goes into neutral, shouldn't there be no grind noise? Like just coast or something? If it were in N, you'd think it would be silent in the case till you put it back into some gear? Like a manual transmission does. I can go 75 mph in my old 2 wheel drive truck that had manual trans, no t case as it was 2 wheel drive, and push the clutch in at 75mph and move it into N and it wouldnt grind, just coast until I put it back into gear or stopped or whatever. The gas pedal just caused the rpm's to rev of course, but no grinding.

Just wondering stuff here.

If you were going 30 mph on regular pavement, and then you took you shifter and moved it into N(on purpose), would it grind? Make the grind sound? Until you stop, or get it down to like 5mph or less, and then move it back into 2h, or whatever gear you wanted, is it supposed to grind on you? ahhhh! Getting to many scenarios going thru my head. Anyway, that was the last thing I thought of, just wanted to throw it out to u so I didnt leave anything out that might help you figure anything out without physically being here, w truck. Thanks, I appreciate anything y'all got. Want a pic or 2 of anything? thx

 

Look closely at the MODE FORK. It is the piece that rides on the outside of the shift selector (or the triangle piece with the holes). Its been a while since i had a case open but i believe the mode fork and the little ball on the end locks into the detentes (SP) on the shift selector. You should be able to mimic shifting on the bench with the case open to see why 2wd doesn't "lock" into position like 4hi and 4low.
Just an idea...