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Can I drive my Selec Trac '85 229 with no DS?

B

barillms

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Eastern Ohio baby!
I'm waiting on a new front driveshaft, in the meantime I was wondering if I can drive my '85 Selec Trac with no front ds or yoke in place? It won't move in 2wd, but once I lock it into 4L it will go. Will TC fluid leak out of the front output because the yoke is missing? Could it hurt anything else?
 
It won't move in 2WD? Are you certain it's in 2WD? 4WD high range is differentiated (full-time) and I would expect that it would not move in full-time mode, but in 2WD it should move. I think.
 
I have never tried it but you should be able to. I would leave the yoke it though if it is the old cansiter style ds yoke. I think Eagle is right about being able to drive in 2wd without the front ds. As fas as you having to put it into 4lo to get it to go that sounds a little wierd to me. Is your select trac switch behind the tranny shifter in 2wd? Make sure it is and you should be able to go.

Kim.
 
It's a full time 229, so I guess it's not a true 2wd even though the vacuum switch says "2wd". No, it won't move in 4H. The center diff. in the TC will just spin, right?
 
barillms said:
It's a full time 229, so I guess it's not a true 2wd even though the vacuum switch says "2wd". No, it won't move in 4H. The center diff. in the TC will just spin, right?
Click to expand...

Mine is the same exact thing as yours and I just pulled my front ds and put my switch it 2wd and it would of drove around but I did it in my garage since my rear axle is damaged. If your switch is in 2wd and it still wants to engage 4wd you have a problem with your vacuum switch. You should not have to be in 4hi or 4lo to drive around without your front ds.
 
Sounds like your Range fork is hanging up in Neutral.

The 22X cases don't care if the Front D-shaft is attached IN 2WD ONLY.
4High it WILL NOT move..4low it WILL.

Are you SURE it's getting into 2wd? that Vac. system was gutted about 2 min. after I got mine.


Replaced it with a PTO cable from my local heavy truck guy, and never looked back.

Plus, I get a BIG HONKING RED knob under my dash, that people ask about.
 
You should not drive in 4wd AT ALL. You CAN drive in 2WD with no front driveshaft. If you are in 2WD and not moving you have other problems. If you put it in 4WD and the resistance is not there you will burn up the viscous coupling.
 
LRRH said:
You should not drive in 4wd AT ALL. You CAN drive in 2WD with no front driveshaft. If you are in 2WD and not moving you have other problems. If you put it in 4WD and the resistance is not there you will burn up the viscous coupling.
Click to expand...
That's what I thought, I just wanted to be sure. I know the viscous coupling acts like a center diff.
 
i have an 87 and drove it for 3 months with no front driveshaft in 2 wd so it sounds like you have other prombes in the tranfercase
 
barillms said:
It's a full time 229, so I guess it's not a true 2wd even though the vacuum switch says "2wd". No, it won't move in 4H. The center diff. in the TC will just spin, right?
Click to expand...
No, it is not a full-time box. The factory service manual says it offers the following modes:

2WD
4WD high range (differentiated)
4WD low range (undifferentiated
Neutral

The vacuum switch controls whether it is in 2WD or 4WD -- the lever controls whether 4WD is in high range or low range.

I am not certain, but since it offers a 2WD operating mode there is no reason why in 2WD it should not drive without a front driveshaft.
 
xj87 said:
i have an 87 and drove it for 3 months with no front driveshaft in 2 wd so it sounds like you have other prombes in the tranfercase
Click to expand...
You probably didn't have the NP229 Selec Trac in your '87, it has a center locking viscous coupler that operates differently than most other transfer cases.
 
barillms said:
You probably didn't have the NP229 Selec Trac in your '87, it has a center locking viscous coupler that operates differently than most other transfer cases.
Click to expand...
The 229 was not used in 1987, so you're correct on that count.

But the 229 does have a 2WD mode, and therefore should be capable of being driven with no front drive shaft. The viscous coupler is not used in 2WD mode, only in 4WD high range.
 
Eagle said:
The 229 was not used in 1987, so you're correct on that count.

But the 229 does have a 2WD mode, and therefore should be capable of being driven with no front drive shaft. The viscous coupler is not used in 2WD mode, only in 4WD high range.
Click to expand...
Eagle, I just checked this morning to see if she'd move in 2wd. NOPE! Sounds like its not engaged all the way or somthing. She'll only move in 4Low. That other guy said "DO NOT run it in 4wd without the front DS, you'll burn up the viscous coupling" - Is he correct? In 4Low the coupler is locked, right?
 
What you need to do is get a friend over to help you with this. Have your friend start the truck while you are under it with all wheels blocked off. Have that person move the switch from 2wd to 4wd and back. Look for the vacuum plunger to be pulling the linkage back and forth on the tranfer case. If it is not moving you need to move it yourself. If you are laying with your head towards the front of the jeep and feet at the back axle you need to pull the lever forward for 4wd and push back for 2wd. I have had to do this with my old 228 tranfer case. You need to get that jeep into 2wd again. If you are driving it around now it is in 4wd this entire time. If you need more help let me know. It is a tight fit to get your hand in there but there is a way. I reach up from behind the crossmember and pull back for 2wd.

Kim.
 
barillms said:
Eagle, I just checked this morning to see if she'd move in 2wd. NOPE! Sounds like its not engaged all the way or somthing. She'll only move in 4Low. That other guy said "DO NOT run it in 4wd without the front DS, you'll burn up the viscous coupling" - Is he correct? In 4Low the coupler is locked, right?
Click to expand...
You are correct. 4WD low range is "undifferentiated." Not having dismembered a 228/229 case, I don't know if the coupler is locked or by-passed, but it does not function as a differential/coupler in low range, so you can drive it that way w/o the front drive shaft. The coupler is functional only in 4WD high range, which is "differentiated" (to use the FSM terminology).

If you can get it into low range, the vacuum linkage must be in 4WD because the setup with the 228/229 is that you must first use the vacuum switch to engage 4WD, then you use the lever to get into low range. Suggest you follow up on 85xjwoody's advice and try moving the 2wd/4wd selector manually.
 
It seems like the vacuum works somtimes. Before the front ds was removed I drove it around on the street for 2 weeks before I started working on it. The thing had a big drag on the motor at first ( I assumed it was just really slow). After wiggling the 2wd/4wd vacuum switch I realized it suddenly popped out of 4wd and back into 2wd b/c it was alot faster.
It seems like the whole vacuum thing is a pain, I think I'll just rig up a PTO cable connected to the linkage and use this method, SO I'M SURE if it's engaged. Thanks Woody! I'll check that linkage to see.
 
No problem for the help. I just didn't like the sound of you always driving around in 4wd. To much wear and tear on your drivetrain. Let me know how the cable swap works. I would still check the linkage to see if the vacuum is pulling it at all. You may just have a vacuum leak somewhere that will solve your problem. Either way go with the cable setup so you don't have to worry about whether or not your in 4wd or not.

Kim.
 
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