I waited to install new slip shaft seal until 'case was in place so I could get weep hole correctly clocked.

2.5" oilfield pipe works again to drive in seal. No machining required this time

Seal for this 2002 DLD was a 4333N in National

 

As for general reinstall tech, the way the carrier bearing was mounted absolutely ticked me off. Chrysler just phoned it in and used a standard nut and bolt, requiring you to use a backer wrench when they could have easily held it in the crossmember with a tab on the fastener.



For the two rear-most carrier bearing bolts you almost have to have something like these sockets meant to go in a box end wrench, but very few people have specialty tools like this. Note: the Craftsman set as pictured is NLA but you can still get something similar from OEM Tools - very handy!!

The factory carrier bearing bolts (R) have a free-spinning washer. I could have used these for my plan but I'd have to weld the washer so it wouldn't spin or cut it off. NO NEED: the bolts which hold the NP241 case halves together (L) are the same thread pitch (M10x1.5 IIRC) and length, and I'm flush with these since I now have two extra t-cases in my white trash wheelbarrow....

Cut some 1" flat bar about 1.5 to 2" long and drill hole, tack bolt in place

Drops right into xmember and makes life soooooo easy! I put the carrier bearing back up with zero drama with JUST a socket from below. Do it! A worthwhile mod that retains your sanity.....although I kinda side with Dire Straits in that "There's no such thing as sanity, and that's the sanest fact....."

 

There are a LOT of things I used to do, (and take for granted I could do them....) that are basically impossible for me now, some decades and health issues later..... Oh to be young and healthy again.

Looks like you are getting close to being done there. Test drove it yet?

 

If you're wondering, "Is this the longest transfer case R&R evar??", the answer is YES

This is all volunteer for me and I keep trying to satisfy paying clients only 'cause those stupid bills keep coming monthly. The good thing about volunteering? No one complains if it takes forever! Cheap, fast, high quality: PICK TWO.

Anyway, new Tom Woods d/s installed with 1350 CV, and new Mopar vac line harness for CAD.

SOON: put ATF in the t-case and maybe actually drive it someday.

Still gotta replace a rear wheel seal, replace a rear wheel stud, change engine oil and fab a way to anchor those flapping rear fenders that are now metal-fatiguing and cracking.....

Tom Woods front d/s with 1350 CV and non-greaseable Neapcos throughout (greaseable u-joints are for suckers)

New vac harness

 

Ok, I got this out of the shop over a week ago and kicked it back to my non-profit for further abuse.

The one regret: the synchro is apparently worn because you can't shift into 4hi on the move. Fortunately everyone at the non-profit doesn't believe shift-on-the-fly is a thing because they were taught you have to be stopped, and most of them still insist on reversing after going back to 2hi (a throwback to Ford's craptastic auto hubs AFAIK).

Anyway, the synchro is on me. My mistake. I was in a hurry and it looked ok (hey, the one I used was in one piece) and I never thought to open it up.

Beyond that, the case seems to work great. Shifts easily and clicks definitively into all ranges. Quiet on the highway (although quiet + CTD may be deceiving)

A few tips if you're shopping for an NP241 and can be choosy (we couldn't because supply is so limited, plus my wife was picking up ANYTHING I could find), from least invasive to most:

1) seems obvious but click it thru all ranges. Spin input with one hand and feel for output speed to vary in low range.
2) input and/or output should spin with no hang-ups. On our "front input bearing processor" it would sometimes lock up because so many bearings were missing from input bearing
3)PULL the drain plug and look inside. The magnet and oil pump pickup are RIGHT there. If you see hard parts, chunks, or mud/clay goop, assume the unit is parts-only
4) grab output shaft and attempt to shove fore/aft. If it moves more than, say, 1/32" insist on pulling the tailshaft housing (it's only 4 bolts on the DLD) to see if that snap ring is in place. If it's missing, parts-only. If the seller won't let you take that part off to see, walk away or adjust your offering price accordingly - ASSUME THE WORST
5) depending on asking price and your comfortable level of risk, ask if you can remove cover on front input (also only 4? bolts and not very invasive at all) so you can lay eyes on the front input bearing. All rollers should be present. If not, assume the worst.

Good luck!

 

USELESS NP241 TRIVIA ALERT!

The lower left 2 bolts which anchor the case halves together have studs on them (you can see in Post #12 here). No one seemed to know why. There was one good YT video I watched where they mentioned this and basically said something like "no one knows why these all have studs here."

Well, it's for V10 exhaust! I will say I have misgivings about anchoring exhaust to an alloy t-case, and I very much question the heat output here. If you have a 4wd V10 I'd run synthetic and change your t-case fluid often.