Okay team. I have been digging for a while now and I give up. Is there a good way to check if a transfer case is good while it is in the car?? The vehicle isn't running and I am preparing to remove the busted engine. I am looking to test the case because I joust noticed there are mismatched tires on the car but it has also had been sittign a long time because of an exploded engine. Any help appreciated.
I had a write on that. and that sounds correct casper.
The procedure for testing the vicious coupling in the car is as follows:
1) place the car on a level surface. Stop engine
2) place transmission shift lever in neutral
3) raise one front wheel off floor
4) place torque wrench on any lugnut of wheel just raised.
5) rotate wheel using torque wrench and measure torque required to rotate wheel.
6) if coupling is operating properly it should require a minimum of 45 foot-pounds (61N*m) to rotate wheel.
7) if rotating torque is at or above specified limit you're good to go.
Quote from: casper on July 24, 2012, 04:33:09 AM
mudkicker, if i can turn the front while holding the rear by HAND, and the oil is BLACK! dont smell like atf. (smells wierd actually) should i be worried about that vc??
(sorry im hijacking this thread, but this is about EXACTLY what i was going to ask.)
your vc ls definetly shot. the silicon oil goodness got tossed out. now its like an 86 model. unless someone stuffed who knows what in there at one time and it actually is good.
The test is supposed to be in inch pounds, not foot pounds!
Quote from: carnuck on July 24, 2012, 03:13:38 PM
The test is supposed to be in inch pounds, not foot pounds!
The technical service manual clearly says foot-pounds.
Copied from my TSM:
Quote
In-Automobile Torque Bias Check
(1) Place automobile on level surface. Stop engine.
(2) Place transmission shift lever in Neutral.
(3) Raise one front wheel off floor.
(4) Remove hub cap from wheel just raised.
(5) Assemble socket and torque' wrench and install
on any lugnut of wheel just raised.
(6) Rotate wheel using torque wrench and measure
torque required to rotate wheel.
(7) If coupling is operating properly, it should re-,
quire minimum of 45 foot-pounds (61 N»m) to rotate
wheel.
(8 ) If rotating torque is at or above specified limit,
remove wrench, install hub cap and lower wheel.
(9) If rotating torque is below specified limit, remove
wrench, install hub cap, lower wheel and refer to
On-Bench Torque Bias Check.
NOTE: The following procedure can be used as both a
diagnostic procedure and a means of verifying coupling
operation prior to reassembly and installation of the
transfer case.
(1) Remove and disassemble transfer case as outlined
in this chapter.
(2) Install clutch gear on side gear.
(3) Install assembled clutch gear and side gear in
viscous coupling.
(4) Mount assembled coupling and gears in vise.
Place wood blocks between vise jaws and side gear and
clamp side gear firmly (fig.- 2D-2).
CAUTION: Wood blocks must be placed between the
vise jaws and side gear to avoid damaging the gear.
(5) Check engagement of clutch gear in viscous coupling.
Be sure gear Is fully engaged in coupling before
proceeding. If necessary, loosen vise and reposition wood
blocks so they support gear in coupling."
(6) Install rear' output shaft in viscous coupling (fig.
2D-2).
(7) Install yoke on rear output shaft and install
yoke retaining nut.
(8 ) Assemble and install socket and torque wrench
on yoke retaining nut (fig. 2D-2).
(9) Rotate rear output shaft using torque wrench
and measure torque required to rotate shaft in coupling.
(10) Torque - required to rotate shaft in coupling
should be minimum of 25 foot-pounds (34 N«m) torque.
(11) If rotating torque is less than specified, coupling
has malfunctioned. If torque is at or above specified
limit, coupling is in good condition.
Quote from: Draekon on July 25, 2012, 01:14:18 AM
Copied from my TSM:
Quote
In-Automobile Torque Bias Check
(1) Place automobile on level surface. Stop engine.
(2) Place transmission shift lever in Neutral.
(3) Raise one front wheel off floor.
(4) Remove hub cap from wheel just raised.
(5) Assemble socket and torque' wrench and install
on any lugnut of wheel just raised.
(6) Rotate wheel using torque wrench and measure
torque required to rotate wheel.
(7) If coupling is operating properly, it should re-,
quire minimum of 45 foot-pounds (61 N»m) to rotate
wheel.
(8 ) If rotating torque is at or above specified limit,
remove wrench, install hub cap and lower wheel.
(9) If rotating torque is below specified limit, remove
wrench, install hub cap, lower wheel and refer to
On-Bench Torque Bias Check.
NOTE: The following procedure can be used as both a
diagnostic procedure and a means of verifying coupling
operation prior to reassembly and installation of the
transfer case.
(1) Remove and disassemble transfer case as outlined
in this chapter.
(2) Install clutch gear on side gear.
(3) Install assembled clutch gear and side gear in
viscous coupling.
(4) Mount assembled coupling and gears in vise.
Place wood blocks between vise jaws and side gear and
clamp side gear firmly (fig.- 2D-2).
CAUTION: Wood blocks must be placed between the
vise jaws and side gear to avoid damaging the gear.
(5) Check engagement of clutch gear in viscous coupling.
Be sure gear Is fully engaged in coupling before
proceeding. If necessary, loosen vise and reposition wood
blocks so they support gear in coupling."
(6) Install rear' output shaft in viscous coupling (fig.
2D-2).
(7) Install yoke on rear output shaft and install
yoke retaining nut.
(8 ) Assemble and install socket and torque wrench
on yoke retaining nut (fig. 2D-2).
(9) Rotate rear output shaft using torque wrench
and measure torque required to rotate shaft in coupling.
(10) Torque - required to rotate shaft in coupling
should be minimum of 25 foot-pounds (34 N«m) torque.
(11) If rotating torque is less than specified, coupling
has malfunctioned. If torque is at or above specified
limit, coupling is in good condition.
Thank you. I gave you an Egg for that. When I get back home I'll try that one out.
I only had one question and it could be because i't late and I'm tired and I shouldn't be thinking. Does the vehicle have to be in 4wd for this to work? In 2wd or engine not running wouldn't the "up" front wheel spin free anyway because of the axle dissconnect??
I was going to comment to make sure you are in 4wd before I saw your last question. The TSM test must have been written for the AWD cars.
Quote from: mach1mustang351 on July 25, 2012, 02:42:52 AM
Thank you. I gave you an Egg for that. When I get back home I'll try that one out.
No thanks for me? I also copied from the TSM.
Casper, from what I've read the VC oil is the consistency of honey. My understanding is that it is also the VC oil that goes bad and generally there is nothing wrong with the mechanical components of the VC.
The VC loses it's oil and can't work after that. The oil destroys the bearings etc because it's basically liquid sand.
25 is a FAR cry from 75 (I know because I killed the VC in a NP229 doing the test at 75 ft lbs because I didn't read it right)
Well I read all this and of course I got all motivated and ripped out the front axle before I could check... oops. I guess I'll find out when I get the fresh engine in. I did find out I have the full time 4 wheel model. I also learned I have 2.72 gears. What a good day.
i am wondering the same thing about my np119. i changed the fluid and i had think gray stuff dripping out of the case ater all the rest of the fluid came out.. is this the vc fluid. i was reading on here that when the vc fails it acts like an open differential. does that mean it still works more or less? im a little confused on that.
Could be the VC started leaking but hasn't spit it all out yet.
Quote from: jspeez13 on August 19, 2012, 08:52:01 PM
i am wondering the same thing about my np119. i changed the fluid and i had think gray stuff dripping out of the case ater all the rest of the fluid came out.. is this the vc fluid. i was reading on here that when the vc fails it acts like an open differential. does that mean it still works more or less? im a little confused on that.
Yes that means it still works fairly well. There was one year of Eagle that came with an open differential so the factory thought that worked well enough for a new 4 wheel drive vehicle.
Yay! Board is working again! If you need a VC or a NP129 tcase I have both for sale. It's even working for my phone!
Quote from: jspeez13 on August 19, 2012, 08:52:01 PM
i was reading on here that when the vc fails it acts like an open differential. does that mean it still works more or less? im a little confused on that.
The Subaru version of All Wheel Drive is open differential. With your empty viscous coupler your Eagle still performs better than a Subaru, it's tougher than a Subaru, and is capable of getting the exact same gas mileage for a third the maintenance cost as a Subaru.
Today only top end all wheel drive cars have limited slip differentials in their full time transfer cases, and they all use different technology to accomplish it. The Eagle was the first AWD car and it was quite advanced even by today's standards.
now that the captain has spoken i feel better about not getting stuck on the beach while surfing a noreaster in december. however, my brain is fried trying to figure out how it works with no fluid in it. i would like to have a fully functioning unit this one has 130k on it.
The Eagle in stock form without a viscous coupler is amazing in snow and I've driven around several stuck wide tire trucks with ease. It does work rather well as is.
The only time you'll see one wheel spin is if it has absolutely no resistance to it, and that is not common in real life. Any resistance to the wheels at all, even just slight brake pressure, creates a torque split. If the car is moving you won't be able to know if the Viscous Coupler is working or not. Anything over 15 mph its impossible to get one wheel to sit still while the other spins because a wheel can't just stop while the car is still moving forward. As long as all the wheels are spinning all of them are getting some of the torque.
If you try to move very slow while offroading the stock Eagle transfer case is useless. Even a NP219 is near useless. They are meant for driving on a road in severe conditions, not crawling through mud. The first time you sit still with weight off one wheel you won't easily get it to start moving again. I plan on moving slow so any transfer case without a fully locked transfer case option is useless to me, and only one exists with an all wheel drive mode available. It's called the NP242. I personally am going NP242 in nearly all my Eagles. It has an open differential for responsive all wheel drive going down the road or going fast in sand. If I come to a complete stop in the sand, it will have a great deal of trouble starting up again. For that I pop it into "full time" and I have a fully locked transfer case as well as a fully locked low range.
Jeep also has an LSD transfer case commonly available today. The NP247 directly replaced the NP249. It has a LSD that works a thousand times faster and more reliably than the 249's Viscous Coupler.
Quote from: jspeez13 on August 20, 2012, 09:09:10 PM
my brain is fried trying to figure out how it works with no fluid in it.
An Eagle viscous coupler is shaped like a donut. One half of the donut is splined into the forward output of an open differential and the other half of the donut is splined into the rear output of the open differential. The open differential sits in the middle and works completely independent of the viscous coupler. If in normal operation it lets the forward and rear outputs spin at different speeds in relation to each other, then the two halves of the donut splined rigidly around them must also be spinning at different speeds than each other. If you have no fluid they will just sit and spin along for the ride. If you have a 1986 Eagle there is just a space filler and nothing will happen either. In 1986 only AMC eliminated the Viscous Coupler in all Eagles because it was too expensive for what it was worth. Every other part in a 1986 NP128 transfer case is exactly the same as a NP129. That is testament to the ability of the open differential to operate on its own with or without a working viscous coupler.
If the outputs are spinning at different speeds and in turn the halves of the donut are spinning relative to each other, the fluid inside the viscous coupler will start to heat up as the plates inside the viscous coupler slide in close proximity to each other. As it heats up the fluid's viscosity increases and that makes it heat up even faster. As it heats and increases viscosity it puts increasing pressure on the internal plates to stop spinning relative to each other, which in turns puts increasing pressure on the two donut halves to lock together which in turn slows and stops the difference in transfer case output speed. It is designed to not lock up immediately and to need time to heat up before locking up.
The idea is to let the front wheels spin slightly faster or slower than the rear wheels in turns and other normal driving conditions without a problem. Only if you are stuck spinning your tires wildly will the fluid have the time to heat up and start working. In my NP242 equipped Eagle I have to reach down and use a lever to manually lock the transfer case. AMC managed to design the Eagle to lock up automatically without any driver input. That's impressive. Its especially impressive that they did it in 1980 before any such technology existed.
In a fully locked transfer case powers is always applied to both axles evenly because the outputs spin locked together, so you can drive with or without either driveshaft. If however, you remove your front driveshaft while locked in all wheel drive in an Eagle you will have an extreme difference in wheel resistance between the front and rear. The bigger the difference in wheel resistance the bigger the torque split, with torque taking the path of least resistance. In an open differential the output with the least resistance gets the most power applied to it. The car won't move with the front driveshaft removed until the fluid heats up and locks the outputs. You'll be able to drive about 20 minutes before the heat expands the fluid so much that it blows the O-ring and your viscous coupler is damaged. Once it dies the car won't be able to move again. The more power you apply to the transfer case the faster the front driveshaft yoke will spin while the rear sits idle. Removing a CV shaft will do the same damage.
The silicone fluid is retained by a single pathetic O-ring. That O-ring is 30 years old. It will leak out. What if you try to fill it? Even if you could buy the special silicone based oil used as fluid you would need to know how high to fill the Viscous Coupler. It cannot be fully filled or it will lock up immediately and not allow the thermal expansion, instantly damaging it. Not enough fluid and the thermal expansion isn't enough to lock up and work correctly. The New Process fluid is toxic and no longer for sale anywhere. The Technical service manual doesn't give any information about how to do this. A similar VW version of the fluid may still be available and may work, but I've never seen a vendor and it may be literally illegal to sell it as well. The VW version has instructions with it for rebuilding and refilling, but no such information is available from New Process for our transfer case. You would need to heat it in an oven to a specific temperature and then apply a torque wrench to measure the holding strength at precisely that fluid level and that temperature, neither of which are published specifications using fluid that is illegal to produce or sell. It's essentially impossible.
The only other viscous coupler transfer case that exists is the NP249 used in Jeep Grand Cherokee's. That VC looks more like a soda can than a donut. The open differential is eliminated and the Viscous coupler is the only component connecting the engine to the rear axle. If it wears out the Jeep will act as if it's transmission is slipping. Eventually the car will stop moving if it totally fails. The good thing about them is that the fluid is retained by a welded plug from the factory. It won't leak out. It only fails if the fluid burns out from high mileage. Eventually the NP247 came out with a LSD doing the same job as the viscous coupler but faster, longer, and better in every way. That is the transfer case to use if you want the Eagle to drive and function exactly as AMC intended.
Quote from: captspillane on August 21, 2012, 06:24:55 AM
...I personally am going NP242 in nearly all my Eagles...
Captspillane, not to hijack but curious as to what you are using for a np242 SYE. I'm going this route:
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSYEconversion.htm (http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSYEconversion.htm)
Hope it is ok to put that link on here.
I'm not going to cut the output shaft myself as the author does in his article. Instead I intend to have a local machine shop cut it and drill it for me.
Thought you, or others, might find this helpful. Sorry for hijacking.
For those who haven't seen one, this is the vc from my 83 wagon.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/jimmiesmith/viscous%20coupling/IMG_0361.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/jimmiesmith/viscous%20coupling/IMG_0362.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/jimmiesmith/viscous%20coupling/IMG_0363.jpg)
I think I still have it around here somewhere. I can make someone a good price for it. :o
Thanks Jim for those pictures. It shows the teeth in the front and back of the donut that spline to the front and rear output of the transfer case, and it shows the open differential nestled in the center. They are exactly the pictures I needed to make my description easier to understand.
Thanks Wraith for the link. I'm not sure if I'm going to go that route eventually or not. My Red SX4 has had a NP242 since 2006. I used the slip joint from a 1992 era XJ that came with the transfer case. I found out that the slip yoke Ujoint was exactly the same size as the Eagle Ujoint and mated the two like it belonged there. The original slip joint in the Eagle driveshaft needed to be disabled. For that I unscrewed the grease collar and popped the end off the splines. I inserted a piece of handrail that hammered perfectly snug around the splines and put it back together. This is the finished product. With this modified Eagle driveshaft I had no noticeable vibration and minimal cost or hassle. I still have a ten foot section of that handrail pipe I found for free. The NP242 was abandoned at a junkyard after someone pulled the transmission. I picked it up and walked out with it for $45 along with the driveshaft. It was nearly a direct bolt in, making it one of the cheapest and easiest upgrades I ever installed. The exception is that I never installed a shift handle, so it was left in all wheel drive the whole time I drove it. I do not know the best or cheapest route to install the handle. I'm playing with an Advanced solid shifter intended for an NV3550 and looking at the Novak cable shifter. I might attempt to make my own if the solid shifter doesn't work for me.
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x427/captspillane/Eagleweb%20Postings/DSCF0870.jpg)
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x427/captspillane/Eagleweb%20Postings/DSCF0873.jpg)
Quote from: captspillane on August 21, 2012, 06:24:55 AM
Even a NP219 is near useless.
Not if you put it in 4 low.
capt.
"If I come to a complete stop in the sand, it will have a great deal of trouble starting up again. "
this is exactly what i will be using mine for. drive to beach, drive on beach, park, surf, drive off beach.
now im back to being worried about my transfer case. i think i need to get a fully functioning unit somehow.
Low range is the single most important upgrade you can perform. The difference is extreme. Every Eagle should have had a NP219 from the factory. In light sand my 2.35 axle ratio Eagle sedan got stuck because the transmission refused to move the car no matter how high I revved the engine. Not a single wheel broke free and spun, it just sat there as if I was holding the brake down. The car didn't stand a chance without low range no matter which transfer case was there. I cannot recommend the 219 but it's obviously a huge upgrade to the 119.
I also put driving in sand as a very high priority. My Jeep Rubicon needed low range and all four lockers working feverishly to get going on the Beach. The wide tires create terrible rolling resistance and plow sand ahead. No matter how knobby and cool looking big tires are they are absolutely terrible in snow and sand. Eagles perform much better than Jeeps because of their stance and thin tires. I simply needed a low range, a fully locked 4high, and a positraction rear to make my Eagle put the Rubicon to absolute shame on the beach.
If you go with a Viscous Coupler transfer case you will be relying on that to lock your outputs consistantly and effectively over the entire trip out on the beach. This is not realistic. The 119 and 219 version is not reliable or robust. If you consistantly heat it you will blow the Oring and send the critical fluid into the case, where it is abrasive to the bearings. The 249 Viscous Coupler has a much longer duty cycle but it has a terrible reputation. It is known to get very weak and pathetic with moderate mileage on the car.
I firmly believe a selectable locked output is necessary for a vehicle consistantly used in low traction situations. Specifically if its used for a long period of time. The 219 coupler was not designed to lock up for hours, only to be a responsive aid in poor road conditions. Having disassembled one, I do not trust it to last any degree of abuse and thus cannot recommend it.
With my 242 I lock the outputs when driving on the sand and bear no worry of damage or wear. I have low range at demand. I have effective all wheel drive while on the road. I have a 2 wheel drive mode for towing conditions. The transfer case is very common and cheap to replace, a huge advantage to the 219. The 242 has an internal oiling pump that the 219 does not. The 4Lo is fully locked, which puts it on par with the 231 in slow speed crawling. It is a very easy upgrade and it offers a great deal of diverse advantages over the other choices.
The absolute best plausible transfer case would be a 242 front half mated to a 249 rear half. They share the exact same casing halves and look identical until the tailshaft extension, where the viscous coupler is added. The two of them share the exact same case and use the exact same splines in the exact same spot, but on the 249 those splines just keep going further instead of stopping early on the 242. I looked seriously at this possibility by tearing down two of them next to each other. It is easy to see how it could be done. The problem is you would literally have to cut each mainshaft and join them precisely together. If I had the tooling to machine my own mainshafts I would do exactly that. It is literally the single piece that would have to be custom made, everything else would be stock components from one or the other. Imagine if the full time 4wd had a viscous coupler as well. It's easy conceptually to accomplish.
Well I guess I start shopping for a 242 today. The sand is deep and rutted where I go. Hey capt. Will the 242 bolt up to a sr4 tranny any mods needed there? Did I read correctly that you just cra under the car to lock the 242 transfer case. I'm convinced that my 119 isnt going to cut the mustard.
I had a 242 behind my sr4. i took it out to put the 242 in another eagle
Good I'm really hoping it just bolts in. I spent money on a new clutch and got a low mileage sr4 from a nest member. How did you work the shifter?
Crawling under the car. got tired of that and cut a hole i later welded up when i put it in my other eagle
haha that will be fun on a mosquito infested barrier island.. what about speedo cable? hey captain do you know that dimensions for that pipe to modify the rear drive shaft? im assuming the front one just fits cuz there was no mention of it.
Depending on the intermediate housing that is used the front shaft works the rear i spent $100 for custom shaft.
speed haha i broke the cable and drove by tach. it looks to fit on my v8 iirc it should fit the normal eagle
Quote from: eaglefreek on August 21, 2012, 09:31:29 PM
Quote from: captspillane on August 21, 2012, 06:24:55 AM
Even a NP219 is near useless.
Not if you put it in 4 low.
I think he meant NP119, but NP219 has Edrive doesn't it?
I had my 242 behind an SR4. It will definately work just fine. Don't plan on keeping the SR4. The shift lever absolutely will break on you eventually. I've broken 6 of them. A T5 is totally interchangeable and they are often available under $200. Start scanning the Clist adds now and one will eventually pop up for cheap.
When you swap transfer cases you have to keep the front driveshaft yoke from the stock Eagle transfer case and then bolt it to the 242. The XJ version is drastically different but it just unbolts, slides off, and the Eagle one slides right into its place. It's held on by a big nut about 32 mm. If you need to buy the correct socket I can actually look in my notes and I've got the size written down in my garage. The 242 case is a derivative of the NP129 case, so the dimensions are exactly the same in the front. You will have no problem with your front driveshaft whatsoever.
Your Eagle speedo cable works with the NP242.
I try to avoid using the stock Eagle speedo cable because you have to dump all the transfer case fluid every time you pull the transmission or engine. I'll be using the XJ adaptors that can be disconnected without pulling the entire assembly out. I need to order a cable the right length that has the exact same threads on both ends because the VSS threads are identical to the threads on the back of the Eagle speedo itself. I have a link saved from someone else here on the Nest where I can custom order quality Speedo cables with any standard end already installed.
There is a transfer case cable shift kit made by Novak. I haven't bought it because I'll just make my own from an old transmission kickdown cable before spending what Novak wants for their kit. I did buy the Advanced Adaptors hard shift kit and am experimenting with that right now as well. That might be a great option but I'm not sure exactly where it will come through the floorboard yet. It uses a YJ shifter that you grind off the rivets, discarding the old bracket, and then bolting the shift mechanism to the bracket supplied in the kit. I picked up an old YJ shifter from a guy near me who parts out Jeeps on Ebay for a living. He has several more ready to ship and he only charged me $20 bucks for it. We'll see how that works out soon.
I don't know the dimensions off hand of the pipe I used. I won't be in my garge to measure it until Monday. The important dimension is the inside diameter. If you take your old driveshaft apart you can measure right there at the widest point on the splines, which gives you the measurement you need to look for in Inside Diameter. The pipe I used came from an old handrail. It is the style of handrail that gets threaded and pre-cast bolt together joints are used at junction points. I'm betting its a standard plumbing pipe size. You can see in the pictures that it's outside diameter is nearly the same as the end of the driveshaft.
When I said that the NP219 is near useless I was thinking that it had an open differential 4Lo. I think I was mistaken there, I'll have to check the 219 I've got. I went to check my facts and its the NP249 that started off life with 4Lo being open differential. A few years into production they fixed it by changing the NP249 to be fully locked in 4Lo. Having 4Lo be open differential is a cruel joke. It's when you're going slow or at a total stop struggling to start that you need the outputs locked.
A NP219 is a great upgrade over the 129, but they really aren't worth your time unless you find one very cheap. It just doesn't have any advantages over the 242. The 242 is faster and easier to install than the 219 because it just requires a 3 inch piece of pipe cut to install it while the 219 needs your speedo casing drilled and reclocked. The 242 is more reliable and considerably better designed. It's more common and often cheaper. If by some miracle the 219 viscous coupler was working you would and should be afraid of it overheating over extended use. The 242 has an internal oiling pump and better oiling design with no loose silicon fluid floating around to damage bearings, and a fully locked mode where you can beat on it for any length of time without worry of damage. The 219 viscous coupler can't be repaired and won't last, so it's just a liability to the bearings. The NP242 happens to be the same transfer case used in military humvees. It has a higher torque rating than the 219. It's a better choice for most people.
I haven't mentioned the 247 or late 249. The NP247 is the way to go if you value the viscous coupler and want to use your Eagle exactly as the factory inteneded. Both of those are great choices as depending on how you plan on using the Eagle. The 247 has a superior limited slip mechanism and the late 249's have a lackluster viscous coupler that is still considerably stronger and better designed than a 219. I'll be installing several 247's in Eagles that I intend to drive on road primarily.
Never changed the front yoke on my 242. there was no need it was the same as the eagle.
Capt you must rough on those shifters . when i recently pulled the sr4 out to fix somthing unrelated to it i saw my shifter. and it was just fine.
The first picture shows the three yokes I had on the NP129, 242, and 249 that I tore down last year. They are different but interchangeable.
The second picture shows an SR4 Y shifter next to the T5 ball shifter. It's an obviously weak design. It has a notch in it that will break if you don't know how to shift into reverse properly. You're supposed to push the shifter down, then go over to reverse next to first. It has a spring built into the handle for that purpose. When you push down the notch goes under a shelf designed to keep you from going into reverse by accident. If your bushing is worn at the bottom then you can push it in without pushing down, but in the process you fatigue that joint. If you are rough and clueless about where Reverse is, then you can break it outright. Three of them were broken by my immediate family and my mechanic due to ignorance. One of them was already broken and welded when I found it in the junkyard and it didn't last long at all. The first one I broke because I was driving while angry. Another one just gave out for no reason. I owned two SR4 Eagles with over 250K miles on each.
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x427/captspillane/Eagleweb%20Postings/DSCF0680.jpg)
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x427/captspillane/Eagleweb%20Postings/DSCF0811.jpg)
Keep in mind that the np242 was available with different (various) spline count input shafts. Most match the 119/219 but you'll want to be sure you are getting the right one before dragging it home.
I know capt has been using the np242 slip yoke for many miles without issue. Personally I prefer to stay with a fixed yoke; choose your poison. Here is a link to a low cost SYE for the np242 if you are interested:
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSYEconversion.htm (http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSYEconversion.htm)
Of course this does not address a replacement driveshaft. I don't own an Eagle (yet) so I have not performed the np242 swap. Curious if the stock Eagle rear driveshaft would fit behind it.
The rear driveshaft will not work. it needs to be ca. 8" longer
Quote from: mudkicker715 on August 24, 2012, 10:07:58 PM
The rear driveshaft will not work. it needs to be ca. 8" longer
That's why I stuck with the slip yoke for now. With the SYE instructions you cut off alot of tailshaft and the driveshaft won't be long enough. I wonder if a station wagon driveshaft would work in a SYE SX4? That's about 8" longer.
A huge difference I just learned about is the style of rear gaskets between different NP242's. The one I used needs the slip yoke to keep the fluid from pouring out. A kit was made to have a new gasket in a special block off plate. I think newer 242's don't need that special kit because there was another gasket added before the slip yoke housing. Those are much easier to SYE. I would love to know what year that change was made.
Team. I don't like to make new posts if I can avoid it so I'll put it back in here. Is there a bench test procedure for the viscous case?
From the TSM
Quote
On-Bench Torque Bias Check
NOTE: The following procedure can be used as both a
diagnostic procedure and a means of verifying coupling
operation prior to reassembly and installation of the
transfer case.
(1) Remove and disassemble transfer case as outlined
in this chapter.
(2) Install clutch gear on side gear.
(3) Install assembled clutch gear and side gear in
viscous coupling.
(4) Mount assembled coupling and gears in vise.
Place wood blocks between vise jaws and side gear and
clamp side gear firmly (fig.- 2D-2).
(5) Check engagement of clutch gear in viscous coupling.
Be sure gear Is fully engaged in coupling before
proceeding. If necessary, loosen vise and reposition wood
blocks so they support gear in coupling."
(6) Install rear' output shaft in viscous coupling (fig.
2D-2).
(7) Install yoke on rear output shaft and install
yoke retaining nut.
(8) Assemble and install socket and torque wrench
on yoke retaining nut (fig. 2D-2).
(9) Rotate rear output shaft using torque wrench
and measure torque required to rotate shaft in coupling.
(10) Torque - required to rotate shaft in coupling
should be minimum of 25 foot-pounds (34 N«m) torque.
(11) If rotating torque is less than specified, coupling
has malfunctioned. If torque is at or above specified
limit, coupling is in good condition.
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