1996 cherokee transfer case

i recently bought a 96 cherokee and the transfer case was bad. so i replced it. now it act like its is stuck inbetween 4 wheel drive and 2 wheel. if i put a load on it and the back wheels start to spin in 2 wheel the transfer case will start grinding and the front end is poping like its trying or is locking in and out of 4 wheel drive could this be caused by a vaccum switch? i almost forgot it is a model 231 j transfer case.

a 96 will not have a vacuum switch.

what year/model did your new transfer case come from???

right now i'm having a little bit of a brain fart. the only thing i can think of right now is either wrong transfercase, or shift linkage not adjusted properly. and i'm sure somebody else will put up some better ideas that i'm not thinking of right now.

THE TRANSFER CASE IS OFF OF ANOTHER 1996 CHEROKEE .ON THE TOP LEFT SIDE THERE IS A VACCUM LINE AND THERE IS A PLUGIN FOR AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT I THAUGHT IT WAS A VACCUM SWITCH THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT PLUGS IN TO THE TRANSFER CASE IS THE SPEEDMETER.THE WIRING HARNESS THAT CARRIES TO THE PLUG IN SPLITS AND CONTINUES TO THE OXYGEN SENSOR.

Asking the obvious - both '96 t-cases are NP231, right? You didn't sneak an NP242 in (or out) of there?

The electrical plug up front is for the 4wd light on your dash; there's no vacuum to deal with on this. More than likely the linkage got rearranged improperly while installing or removing. FSM has the details, and I don't have the FSM with me at this time. I'm pretty sure it's been discussed once or thrice locally though.

Jim www.yuccaman.com

no its an NP231 i have readjusted the linkage when i put it in it's not doing this all the time just while at low speeds or sometimes when taking off.

The mystery line is most likely the x-case vent line, not a vacuum line. On my '96, the linkage is a little "off." I stretched it doing a clutch a while back, and I've just learned to deal with it until I go Novak ( http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_sk2x.htm ). To see if you have probs with the case, or the linkage, try going into 4-lo first, the ease back forward into 4-hi.
Or, try pulling back (from 2-hi) just far enough to engage the x-case. If I pull the lever all the way back to where it stops, I get the same kind of noises...gears grinding, popping out of 4 wheel, etc...

Try it out, and let us know,

Steve

i tried that yesterday its adjusted in correctly it just feels like when its in 2 wheel its just on the verge of going into 4, but the shift lever and linkage is in the correct position. im wondering if the transfer case might be bad?

You can also disconnect the linkage and shift into 4wd from below. Eliminate the variable of the linkage to find out if the t-case is bad.

Luck,
steve