Transfer case wont engage

[BIG BLUE]

I put together my transfer case mating the front half of the dodge dakota np231 to the rear half of the jeep np231 and everything was fine. It shifted in and out of 4wd on the becnh. I installed it in the jeep and hooked up the shift lever and then hooked up the drivelines and then went to pull it into 4wd and it wont go...I tried jacking up the rear end and spinning the tires to see if that would help it to engage..nothing. I put the jeep in gear and out of gear...and nothing...was it a fluke it worked on the bench? Am I overlooking something? I want to get some ideas before I pull it out again. I am just glad its a light np231 and not some heavy ass np205....

[MR.ROCKAPE]

I put together my transfer case mating the front half of the dodge dakota np231 to the rear half of the jeep np231 and everything was fine. It shifted in and out of 4wd on the becnh. I installed it in the jeep and hooked up the shift lever and then hooked up the drivelines and then went to pull it into 4wd and it wont go...I tried jacking up the rear end and spinning the tires to see if that would help it to engage..nothing. I put the jeep in gear and out of gear...and nothing...was it a fluke it worked on the bench? Am I overlooking something? I want to get some ideas before I pull it out again. I am just glad its a light np231 and not some heavy ass np205....

MAYBE JUST LOOSEN THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND PULL IT BACK A TAD BIT AND SEE IF IT WILL GO???MAYBE YOU GOT SOMETHING BOUND UP ON THE INPUT SIDE???OTHER THAN THAT I HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH 231s OTHER THAN REPLACING THEM!!!!

[BIG BLUE]

Hmm good idea Ill check that out tonight....and you got a better transfer case I could swap in???:Big Grin:

[MR.ROCKAPE]

Hmm good idea Ill check that out tonight....and you got a better transfer case I could swap in???:Big Grin:

THERE ISNT ANY BETTER ONES WITHOUT MAJOR WORK OR COST!!!!I PREFER THE DANA 300s BUT THEY MAKE YA SWAP THE FRONT AXLE SINCE THEY ARE DRIVERS DROP!!!!BUT ON THE UPSIDE THEY USUALLY BOLT RIGHT IN PLACE OF A NP231(IN JEEP APLICATIONS...NOT SURE ABOUT DODGE...)AND THEY ARE GEAR DRIVEN!!!!

PLUS WTF DO YOU NEED 4X4 FOR???

[BIG BLUE]

PLUS WTF DO YOU NEED 4X4 FOR???

thats true Ill probably fall apart just getting to the trail head...:14::mullet:

And I wouldnt mind getting my hands on one of those new three speed stak boxes...but 2600???:eek:

[H2ORodeo]

When I did my 231 swap it did the same thing. Fine on the bench, F-ed up in the jeep. Have someone help you out by shifting it in and out of 4wd while you're underneath looking at it. Mine ended up being a linkage issue. It was just a little bit off, but enough to keep it from fully engaging in 4lo. There isn't a lot of room for slop in the case to allow for a linkage difference.

[BIG BLUE]

turned out that the shaft for the dakota np231 is longer by about an inch so when the case is put together no room for the shaft to slide...put the one from the jeep in and I got it to shift just fine. Thanks all....gues not at np231 are created equal....

[H2ORodeo]

gues not at np231 are created equal....


You have no idea! There's 3 different shaft lengths, of which there could be 2 ( or 3?) different spline counts. And there's really only a rough idea which one is in what vehicles. I got lucky that the one I bought swapped right in after trading output shafts with my 249! At least now I'm a psuedo expert on (231) t-cases!

[redneck6]

soory for thread high jack bb but any one know were a link to the parts that swap from a np241 to a 231 i got both but the 241 is a little long but i have herd it is stronger down side is no 4-1 kit and more expensive short shaft ?:redface: