electricfuzz

I have heard that driving with no front drive shaft can damage the Viscous Coupling but cannot find any information about driving with out a transfer case chain. Here is my issue, somehow a crack appeared on my tcase just below the drain plug (the "cap" if you will, not the main body) and it ran out of fluid probably for several days before noticing the crack (noticed via the chain starting to rattle).
Little history, I replaced the tcase chain last summer and afterwards used 4 wheel drive maybe 4 times, lightly, in some ice and snow on pavement. It worked but had a difficult time getting it in and especially out of 4 wheel drive. Hard excelleration would cause a loud clunking noise but this was sometimes required to get it back out of 4 wheel drive. I guess this was enough to damage my brand new chain, well that and the more recent issue of running it dry for a while.
Where I am now is that this is my daily driver as well as my 90 mile drive to my weekend job and and back, weekly. I no longer care about having 4 wheel drive (for now) the rattle noise is getting unbearably awful and I do not want to ruin my transfer case permanently because I am pretty sure it has to be there in order to drive even in 2 wheel mode. I can't afford another chain and cant afford new tcase "cap" (I am sure there is a better term for it but it is the piece you would remove to get to the chain, it has the fill plug and the drain plug on it as well as the id tag). JB Weld has NOT done the trick in patching the crack and I do not have access to a TIG welder.
My plan, and I am looking for confirmation here, is to remove the "cap", try some JB Weld again, this time from the inside AND outside (very open to better suggestions here), remove the chain all together so I don't ruin the rest of the tcase, and hope it holds some fluid this time. This will cost me nothing since I already have the gasket maker, JB Weld, and already have a quart of fluid. "Nothing" is pretty much what I have to spend on this project and my only goal is to continue being able to drive to work and such.
I guess I am wondering A) are there any problems that will arise driving without the chain B) is the chain essential to dragging fluid up to the rest of the tcase gears, C) if the fluid leaks out again but I have no chain to lube and no chain scraping across the tcase bottom, will I still destroy the tcase (with little to no fluid in it), and D) any suggestions, anything that I have overlooked or not thought of that will fit into my budget of lets say $20 tops ?
Additional info: Tcase - NP242, Vehicle - 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo

electricfuzz

Ok, so I have done some more research and believe I have come to the conclusion that my NP242 does not have a Viscous Coupler. Is this true? I looked up what and where one was and do not remember seeing such a part when I changed the tcase chain and also read that the NP242 did not have one. So can I remove both the chain and the front drive shaft without concern? Any danger of further damage to incur if I do this? Obviously I still need to find a way to keep fluid in this thing. Any ideas how to keep that crack from leaking? I need to do something this week so I can get to Richmond next weekend!

4banger

Can't you get a good 242 at a junkyard? Sure, it might be a couple hundred at max, but then you don't need to worry about causing anymore damage than what's already inflicted. In my experience, JB doesn't seem to hold up well on a T-Case....Cracked the bottom of mine and tried to patch it, but it started leaking again after a couple days. Went to PickNPull, paid $100 for a good 231 and threw it in. Been in for 60K miles and not a single issue. Still have the old one for parts if I need them.

electricfuzz

I have $20 That won't even get me to work next weekend, and neither will my Jeep! I just need to know, since I don't have a Viscous Coupler, can I just remove the chain. Honestly, I have no choice so I am doing it tomorrow unless someone tells me a reason it will ruin my car in short order. Was hoping to have some input on what to expect. I cannot drive it another 50 feet in it's current condition. Chain is going to pop, may lockup front end, could die! Going to have to try the JB Weld again but from inside and out this time. With no chain slapping it, may have better luck. Might be able to afford a new Transfer Case Rear Case Half in a month or two, but not if I don't drive 90 miles to work each weekend which has already not happened this weekend!

electricfuzz

Well, since I had no objectors, I tried it out and so far all good. Here are the steps I took and my results for anyone dealing with a similar problem.

I wanted to take off the front axle so there would be one less moving part in my now fragile transfer case. However, I did not for two not very good reasons. A) had already spent 10 hours on the project and B) when I started to, the bolt heads wanted to strip, so I aborted without any additional effort.

Turns out the loose chain had caused quite a bit of damage to several parts of the transfer case (oil pump, oil pickup/filter, front and rear case, tail housing, basically anything it could reach). Fortunately everything seemed functional with little repairs.

To repair the hole in the case rear I cleaned it out real good, roughed up the area round the hole, inside and out, mashed JB Water Weld putty from the inside and through the hole and also applied it to the outside again. I spread the putty out pretty far but did not leave it too thick. After it set, I coated the entire patch and beyond (inside and out) with several layers of Permatex RTV sealant for gear oil (advertised for Transfer case seals). The chain was slapping hardest right where the hole had appeared (duh) and I am hoping that this patch will hold longer with the extra efforts taken and the chain no longer a factor. Other internal repairs were minor, basically limited to filing off and smoothing protruding and jagged edges caused by the chain. I should have replaced the oil pickup/filter but did not have one nor a way to get to the store.

As my memory and research had led me to believe, my NP242 (or any 242 I believe) does not have a viscous coupler and therefore I have no issues with rolling in park or loss of power to the rear axle, everything feels just like before but without fluid pouring out and without the sound of steel grinding aluminum. Hoping to get a refund on the cheap POS chain I put in less than a year ago. Wish I had taken pictures

Only drove it a bit since this fix, I will report on any side effects that I notice as a result of driving it without the chain. If anyone knows anything I should expect or look out for in regards to this, please chime in! I will also report how well/long my hole patching method holds up.