jberry6564

I have a 97 grand Cherokee it has a 249 transfer case will a 247 transfer case work as a replacement

dave1123

Possibly, but I think you'd be better off with a 242 or 231.

UglyDuck

Not to highjack this thread, but do you have anymore info on the 231 swap? I just got the same Grand Cherokee. I have a 231 from a 94 xj, and am wondering if it would bolt right in?

dave1123

You'll have to do the research on input shafts and spline count to know for sure, but it definitely can be done. As long as the XJ had the 42re trans and 4.0, it should be easy. This has been discussed extensively on this forum and it should be easy to find the information.

I personally like the 242 because it gives you the option of full-time 4WD or part-time 4WD. The 231's 4WD is part-time, meaning it should only be used on loose ground or snow/mud. I've found that running in full-time on winter roads works well when you hit a patch of wind blown snow that covers the road when most of the road is bare.

BTW, welcome to CF!

Don't quote me on this, but I believe the 247 was a later replacement for the 249. It used a gyrotor pump and a clutch to replace the viscous coupling.

jberry6564

The problem is that the 249 that is in my jeep now has a sensor in the output shaft with a three wore plug and the 247 doesn't have a place for the sensor

dave1123

Yeah, that's the VSS (vehicle speed sensor). The later models that use the 247 have the VSS inside the transmission. Different system entirely. That's why I suggested the 242 or 231.

Somewhere on this forum there is a link to a website that gives all the different input shaft lengths, spline count, and interchange specs, but I haven't the time or interest to find it. That should be your job. Use the search function on the top of the page.