mp231 tcase

hey all
im having a bit(understatement) of trobles wit my tranny and/or tcase
i've got the whole thing on my shop bench
apart(lol)
the tranny seems fine but im no expert.....just feels smooth when i turn the shafts
the tcase on the other hand isnt so smooth
berings seem a little noisy and the chain seems to have a lot of slop
here is the thing
the jeep was stolen out of my yard one fine evening
and when the police found it i went to get it right away
when i got there i jumped in started it up put her 1st and tried to drive away
no luck
i jumped out ...looked underneath...no driveshaft
so i jumped in and threw it in 4wheel-peel to get it home and when i accelerated i heard the most heartbreaking noise a jeeplover could ever hear.....the worst grinding noise IVE ever heard
so here i am with it apart and found that the main shaft was broke in HALF if u can believe that...
so i located a used one
slapped her back togeather
slapped the whole thing back togeather and put it in the jeep
put it in gear started her up
tried to move and grinding again
but it would move alittle
so out it came and here it is apart again
i noticed that there is quite a bit of slop and am wondering if maby the chain got streched and it could possibally be slippin on the gears....
i am definatlly no expert so ant guidence or opinions or anything would be greatlly appericeated
thanks alot
ogg

you can rebuild one for about 150 bucks or you can get one from the junkyard for about the same

sounds like when you drove it home all the fluid may have leaked out of the rear seal and could of spun a couple of bearings

i'd say rebuild it, its a good experience to do

i had it towed home....wouldnt move, main shaft in tcase was broke in half.
there was no fluid loss
it dumped all over me when i took it apart
lol
could it be chain slop?
how can i tell if a bering has been spun
ogg

In addition to the likelihood the chain is damaged, your 231 uses a sliding synchromesh just like a standard transmission. Could it be that the internal teeth of the synchro are stripped? I think you're going to need to take the whole thing apart and check every bit for damage, because whatever stress was great enough to snap your mainshaft is likely to have done other damage too.

i have it all apart as we speak....
all teeth look good on all the gears which is suprising....i cant see any other damage then the main shaft
which i replaced
how much play can thier be in the chain b4 it will slip or will it slip at all?
i'll take another look at all the parts but i believe they r alright
if i can turn both shafts on the tranny and everything feels and sounds good is there a possibility that it could be in the tranny?
thanks for all ur info
\ogg

i have never had my t/case apart but i would think that if the abuse was hard enough to break the mainshaft it definatly tweaked something else in there.. i might gamble on a used t/case so you eliminate any other issues down the road even if you get it right this time around..

Ogg,

I would change the chain. $70 approx. It's common for a 231 to need a chain if you wheel it even mildly after a while. Mine went bye-bye at about 90k and I figure I'm about due for another one. I agree that if you TC took the abuse enough to break the main shaft, that chain is got to be shot. While your in there, you might as well put in bearings and seals. Simple to do if your just a bit mechanically inclinded and there's a lot of write ups if you do a search here and on the web.

You really might as well. You've got half the hard part already done.

Steve

If it has been driven hard enough to break the main shaft I’d be leery. The prices for transfer casework are all over the map, but in my area (Anchorage, AK) the shops will rebuild a 231 for $150 + hard parts or sell you one that they have gone through for about $300. I’d get the refurbished one for $300, put it in and never look back. Or this could be the prime opportunity to get that Atlas you’ve always wanted :laugh3: