NP231 to 242 Swap -- Need Clarification

[Prefontaine]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking on these forums since I bought my XJ a few months ago, and I've learned a lot. Thanks for this excellent resource. I bought my XJ and, of course, had the dreaded cracked cylinder head issue (shame on me for not knowing to look carefully for that before buying it but, I got it cheap, and lesson learned). I just finished replacing the cylinder head (and lots of other stuff while I was at it) and now I'm considering swapping the NP231 I have for a NP242.

A little background -- I sold my previous car and got an XJ because 1) I love Jeeps and 2) I'm about to PCS to Elmendorf AFB in AK and really wanted something with 4WD. I had a tough time finding an XJ with selec trac, so I went for the command trac and figured I'd see if I really needed full-time 4WD and, if required, I'd swap it out.

I just got back from house-hunting in Anchorage and now believe it would be best (especially for my wife) if I had the full-time 4WD option. With this in mind, I do have a few questions (I have found lots of answers through searching this forum and others, but there's a lot of conflicting information, so I figured I'd start fresh with a new thread):

1) After lots of disagreement, it looks to me like the driveshaft for both TCs is the same length -- is this the case? Or should I look to buy a new one too?

2) My Cherokee is a 2000. My understanding is that as long as I get a TC from 1992+ that is 23 spline and doesn't have any sort of vacuum associated connections, I should be fine. Is this correct?

3) I hear a lot about the TC gate in the console -- people say the 242 one needs to be longer to allow the selection of 4 low given that there's an additional selection option on the NP242. However, after looking at the parts diagrams I have access to, I can't figure out exactly which part is the "gate." I've ordered the bezel which labels all of the options (http://www.ebay.com/itm/20098368978...iewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:OC:US:3160&vxp=mtr). Is this all I need, or is the TC gate for the 242 anther item?

4) I've been in contact with Davey's Jeeps (http://www.daveysjeeps.com/parting.html) for a replacement. Anyone have experience with this place? Can I trust them?

5) Once I have the TC itself, the bezel, replacement fluid, and possibly the gate (if it's a separate item) is there ANYTHING else I should order in terms of parts? I'd rather knock this all out at once and not have to keep ordering parts, thus delaying getting the Jeep back on the road.

Thanks for all the help guys, and like I said, sorry to start another thread but there's a lot of conflicting information out there. Also, here are my Jeep's specs. Thanks!

2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport
4WD, NP231 TC
76,000 miles

 

[Alexia]

1.) The drive shafts are the same lengths.

2.) It needs to be 1996+ as 1992-1995 has a different tail cone.

3.) The gate is a metal piece with notches on it under the plastic console. I did not need to modify mine, but the notches do not match up with the positions so I just know where to put it by feeling the shifter thump. I have looked at the parts diagrams and it is not listed or even drawn on the diagrams. However, it looks like the entire NP242 shifter can be bought with part number 52104102AB for around $50.

4.) Davey's is cool. They do not ship many large or heavy items though.

5.) Nope. All I did to put a NP242 in my LJ was simply swap the transfer case in place. I made no other changes to get it working. The bezel and shift gate would be needed if I was looking to achieve completeness.

 

[Prefontaine]

Thank you for the reply! Just to clarify, the part number you provided is for the entire assembly, correct? I can't tell just by looking at the corresponding diagram if it's the assembly or just the shifter. Thanks again

 

[Alexia]

Thank you for the reply! Just to clarify, the part number you provided is for the entire assembly, correct? I can't tell just by looking at the corresponding diagram if it's the assembly or just the shifter. Thanks again

It should be the entire assembly that mounts to the floor and hooks up the linkage underneath. It would be best to ask at a dealership for clarification to be entirely sure.

 

[Prefontaine]

OK, sounds good, thanks again!

 

[Tim_MN]

The shift gate is the metal part with slots for each mode. All you need is the bezel and the shift gate, the rest of the mechanism is the same. The 242 shift gate has the extra slot for Full-Time that the 231 gate does not have.

If you want the dashboard light to show Full-Time you will need to get the 242 wire harness and as much of the body side harness as possible. There are some older 242 swap threads that mention a no longer available factory adapter/jumper and also tell where to tap into the main wire harness if you do not get a 242 wire harness.

.

 

[djgrayxj]

Note from DJ
Happy reading
Google search [231to 242 Swap]
http://www.google.com/search?q=%5B231+to+242+Swap%5D&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLR

 

[JeepZJlover]

I found that the adjusting arm in my linkage was not long enough in the 231 assembly to reach 4lo in the 242. I had grabbed the wiring, and the whole shifter linkage from the 242 that made life much easier. I also warn you of something no one seems to mention in this swap if you live in an area they use salt the bolts that hold that shifter gate down to the floor screw into nutserts in the floor, the bolts freeze up in these things is not an impossible task but they are a pita to deal with.