I had a 242 in my XJ. They are not a bad t-case; I really liked the full time 4 WD option. They are not quite as strong as a 231 and aftermarket parts are harder to find/more expensive. When I grenaded mine I put a 231 in. Not because I dislike the 242, it’s just a lot easier/cheaper to find a 231. My 242 was a pain to get back into 2 WD and the dash lights never did work right. The 231 shifts into and out of all positions much easier and it has a little bit better 4 lo. If your 242 is operating fine I’d keep it, it’s not worth the effort to swap it over. However, if you need to do major work on the 242 I’d go ahead and put a 231 back in. I picked up my 231 (someone rebuilt it and put in a new chain) for $50. The front yoke had to be swapped out, but that was $70 for a brand new one and 10 minutes worth of work. That price was not a fluke, I seen several in my area going for $50 - $100 depending on condition and exactly what it came out of. The 242 was much more expensive; $200 for a core (basically a good case/shafts/gears, need new chain) and $400 for a rebuilt one. If you want to do the swap a 231 D (or HD) out of a Dakota is the most desirable t-case. It already has the heavy-duty chain/gear and a rear fixed yoke. PM me and I’ll send you my notes to make it go smoothly. Its not that bad, you can do it in a day if you have all of the parts and someone helping.
