Hello group, new to this forum and saying Hi and help ..

With no luck searching for my answer or at least one that makes any sense or portrays to my situation.. now I am swapping in a 249 transfer case to the popular 242 and did everything the many walk-thrus have instructed but I have come across some serious situations in my case and need some help..

Here is my situation(s).. after doing the tear down and rebuild everything was going very well, installed it and it ran fine for about 2 weeks but then the TC jsut went to hell. It wasnt holding any of the gear except 4-lo, you had to shift carefully into 2-hi but it just slipped out and a bad/loud grinding sound would be apparent. After trying to ADJUST the LINKAGE the darn thing kept doing the same thing, so I decided to just take the TC out and see what was wrong. I notice that the rear drive shaft was really hard to get out (i didnt install it when we reassembled the drive line) there was basiclly no play in the output shaft and the rear drive shaft, I had to really finagle the drive shaft out. I eventually did it and got the TC out! Whew!

After putting the TC on the bench and doing a tear down again found out that the rear seal at the output shaft was shot to hell, and that at both shift forks the plastic guide bushing/sleeves where all torn up! and on the bottom of the TC case along with some type of fillings at the magnite. I figured that this is the reason the TC wasnt holding any of the gears, 2-hi 4-hi or 4 pt..

Now my questions. With the rear drive shaft having a very tight fit would this have caused all the problems? and how much play should it have? cus there is hardly any play at all if any at the rear TC output and the drive shaft. Should I get it shorten and by how much? Also where do i get replacement fork bushing/spacer thingys? I thought I had done everything ok until all these issue popped up and hate the idea of just going back to a 249 so please any advice or actaully anything would be great cus I havent found any good answers on the web :P.. thanks..

P.S. Im working with a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited and a 242 TC the one with the end exposed and has a rubber boot at the rear output.

 

I did the same swap on my 96. I had the rear driveline shortened by an inch. How much fluid was left in the case? Also did you notice any leaks from the rear seal? I tore up 3 of them trying to get past the lock ring groove. And the first one lost nearly a quart of fluid in about 3-4 days. If it hadn't splung onto the cat and smoked I'm not certain I would have noticed before the case was empty of fluid.

 

Thanks for the reply, The fluid was top off unless someone had filled it before I got a chance to look at it. But when I drained it was full. Anyhow I did notice was leakage at the rear seal and it was torn up when I did the tear down again. I still curious if rear drive shaft could have caused all these problems, that it shoved the transfer case main shaft out of alignment when it hit a big bump.

Anyhow Im having problems finding replacement plastic pad/bushings things that go on the range forks. Cant believe that there this hard to find. Well I think im going to have to shorten the drive shaft about a 1/2 inch, I think an inch is a little much expeically if were thinking lifting the truck in the future. So how does one go about shortening the drive line? and how much? thanks..

 

Quadratec has the pads http://www.quadratec.com/products/pr...+242&submit=Go
and you'll need to find a driveline shop to shorten the drive shaft and have it rebalanced.

 

The driveshaft shouldn't be the cause of the seal damage. The slip yoke should bottom out on the output shaft before it could contact the seal. It's usually the lock ring groove that does the damage.

 

well update, and more questions :P.. anyhow I love the idea of switching out my 249 fulltime 4X4 for a part time full option 242 transfer case and cant understand why they would even option a full time 4x4 but anyhow things havent been going well at all.. not at all I thought it would be a simple in and out thing but its costing more $$ and fustration not only with the swap but with dealing with the companies...

so far I had the driveshaft shorten in which no one said to do until I had my swap crap out. When I opened the transfer case it was a mess all pads had disinagrated and forks broken. which meant more $$$.. on top of it all when I ordered the pads from Quadratec they toke a month just to get to me it was horrible and I will never deal with them again. and after I got the replacement pads they seem to be the wrong ones!!! the set included 6 outer pads and two inner pads they said it would fit in the discription, I got a set of two mid center ones, one blue and one white, the outer ones seem not to fit one of the forks! and am i supposed to cut one of the center pads to fit!? anyhow I also got my driveshaft shorten to more $$$ in which the first company wanted to charge me an arm and a leg lucky I found a good shop that did a fantatic job at a resonable price. but right now I thought I had every thing taken care of until I realized the the shift fork was shot an now I have find a replacement. as much as I like the idea of a 242 its really getting fustrating.. but right now it seems I have to find more pads cus it seems I got the wrong ones and after waiting a month to just get these!! I hope this is all worth it.. :P