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helpme ID this sound/where is the drain pulg on my np242?

J

jmg222

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
US
two related questions --
1) Just got black magic brakes on my front axle. Been driving for a few days, and noticing a kind of a grinding noise--- hard to describe, not sharp or high-pitched, but definitely like metal on metal. At first I thought it was coming from the rear brakes (almost sounded like shoes rubbing against pads) or maybe the front brakes, but I noticed I only hear it in pt/ft 4wd or 4lo, not in 2wd. Transfer case going? any thoughts?

2) soon as the truck cools down I'm going to check the fluid in the transfer case. Looks like I have weird drain and fill plugs, usually they're allen bolts, right? Anyway, just want to make sure I don't have a one-off np242 they only used in 1988-- where is the fill plug? The rusty bolt on top?
Thanks!!1

2d1v5nl.jpg
 
ok, so I'm convinced the sound is coming from the transfer case -- I checked the fluid, and it was low - at least an inch or so from the bottom of the drain plug.
I also noticed that the u-joint between the transfer case output shaft and drive shaft is dripping what could be oil, but I see nothing coming out of the transfer case itself ... not from any of the seals, or running down the shaft.

How is this possible?

Also, I re-filled the transfer case, but I still hear the noise (like a periodic bang, maybe once a second, but a lot more muffled now that I put fluid in the case)... again, only when I'm not in 2hi.. is the xfer case screwed ?
 
Are the new brakes bedded in ? Is the dripping liquid engine oil or transmission fluid ? If you hear a rubbing/scraping noise, and/or the transfer case makes a loud popping noise in 4wd, the transfer case chain is likely worn and needs to be replaced.
 
Tim_MN said:
Are the new brakes bedded in ?
Click to expand...
the rears definitely, the fronts definitely not. how much of a difference would that make?

Is the dripping liquid engine oil or transmission fluid ?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure its transmission fluid...tough to tell used transmission fluid from used oil. Definitly less viscous than engine oil, and not quite as dark.

If you hear a rubbing/scraping noise, and/or the transfer case makes a loud popping noise in 4wd, the transfer case chain is likely worn and needs to be replaced.
Click to expand...

Yeesh. It's more like a thumping noise, but its definitely there. How big a deal is it to fix that? Just blew a ton of $$ on brakes, long arm kit, tires, etc...
 
The 242 uses transmission fluid for lube, like the 231s, right? Could be the fluid you see is coming from the transmission then.

Rebuilding the transfer case is pretty easy. This would be an excellent time to do a SYE. ;)
 
burntkat said:
This would be an excellent time to do a SYE. ;)
Click to expand...

I was going to do an SYE when I did the long arm suspension, but the shop that did the work talked me out of it -- I have a 350 in my truck, and because of the way it's mounted, the driveline angles are fine, I have zero vibration on the highway, and at full droop no issues with the driveshaft falling out.

Anyway, that's what he told me... since he was talking himself out of money, and since he's done a ton of work for me in the past and I trust him, I took his advice.
 
All sounds like sound reasoning... till you break a rear shaft and need to pull the driveshaft to get out on FWD. ;)
 
burntkat said:
All sounds like sound reasoning... till you break a rear shaft and need to pull the driveshaft to get out on FWD. ;)
Click to expand...

Break a rear drive shaft? Not likely --- something else will snap far earlier than that :)))

Anyway, I have to trust someone -- guy I work with has a solid rep, all he does is offroad work, he's never steered me wrong, and I trust him. Everyone on the forums has an opinion on something, SYE is one of those topics... and cutting through the static is near impossible.

And anyway, it's an academic point. I decided to just replace the transfer case, going with a 242 with a 32 spline fixed yoke.
 
Green XJ Jeep said:
Pretty sure he meant axle shaft. Ujoints breaking are a possibility also
Click to expand...

on an 8.8? I'm not sure I'm there yet -- I'm still developing my skills, so the stuff I'm crawling over isn't all that tough.

But like I said, all academic at this point.
 
Correct, and if you cant put it into 4wd you cant be breaking much.
Chains are easy. They can be done in vehicle. But it sounds like you have unkown leaks so you might just want to pull the case and replace all the seals
 
Green XJ Jeep said:
Correct, and if you cant put it into 4wd you cant be breaking much.
Click to expand...

not sure what this is responding to, but... like I said, it's all academic, since I decided to just replace the transfer case, see above.

:rof:
 
apparently there's an amazing transfer case guy 15 minutes away from me. called him last night, he already built me a new case... hopefully dropping it in today :)
 
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