Ok so my transfer case has been leaking for a while now and fill plug is stripped out. So today I decided to swap my transfer case for a spare I had. What should of been a 2 hour job turned into an 8 hour headache. First problem was my spare case came from a 99 (mines a 97) I figured they'd be the same. Well the spare didn't have a spot for a speed sensor. I figured no big deal I'll switch tailshafts out. So I did making sure everything went back exactly the same. Put it all back together installed the case to find that my speedo doesn't work and my 4wd is a** backwards. 2wd is where neutral should be and 4wlo is where 2wd should be and 4hi is where 4lo was. I know the 4wd shifter changed in 98 but surely the transfer case didn't change. Oh and my 4wd indicator no longer works. WTF. Somebody help me out.

 

whats the numbers on each transfer case?

are they both 231HD? or 241HD? or is one a 231HD, and one a 241HD. Or do you not even have the HD?

Theres a tag right above the drain plugs. Make sure both are the same.

 

could it just be a linkage issue? that is if they are the same cases.....

I know the 4x4 shifter in my dad's 96 dakota shifts completely different than in my 98 Ram.... it's backwards from mine, it's either gotta be a different tcase or just different linkage I would think

 

The linkage changed in 98 but I wouldn't think I would change the tcase shift pattern. They're both a 231d.

 

ok im just throwing this in the air. after reading again what gear was what, can you literally flip the linkage around to make it work? it sounds like its exacally backwards from what it should be. each gear goes in the same order still.

The transfer case is the only thing i havent worked on in my truck lol. Im not quite certain about them........yet.

 

well I know with mine I pull back for 4HI, and dad's 96 Dak you have to push it forward for 4HI, so if they're the same case then something is different....

dunno if you could swap it around like 95 says, maybe.....

 

There were 2 different shift patterns for the 2nd gen dodges. Early one 1994-1998? was 2HI-4HI-N-4LO the later one 1999?-2001 was 4LO-N-2HI-4HI.

 

it musta changed in 98 cuz mine is the latter pattern. That is if you are startin at the front of the shifter housing, 4HI being closest to the seat...

So what did they change then to change the pattern? linkage or different case?

 

ok hang on. let me stop this for a second. just wait. my original 98 case went 4lo-n-2hi-4hi ( being closest to the seat. and i just changed in a 99 case that has the exact same pattern. i was not aware they changed them.

if no one has seen the inside of a tcase, they are simple, but complex setups. you cant just switch the linkage.

just throwin this in, why not put your original stuff back in, and change the plugs out? like to get the old one out. be creative and get it out. **** it up as much as you can to get it out. take a cutoff wheel, make a notch, then use a screw driver and hammer to turn it.

if your case is leaking, pull it apart, and change some stuff around to have a good case. put RTV on it, seal it back up, put it together. you got a good case, all the stuff will work in it, and there is no guessing about it

 

and just to clearify this

1500- 231D
2500- 241hd
3500- 241DHD

if ya wanted to know, there is also the few jeep ones that will fit like
the TJ case is the 231-j the rubicon case ( that i want) is the 241-OR (offroad, with 4:1 low range)