231 issue and I've searched....

I have a 98' XJ, AW4 and a 231 with a SYE kit in it. Last year I broke the front output off the original t-case. My brother in law gave me his old 231 out of his mid 90's YJ. Spline count was good. I pulled the mainshaft out of my XJ 231 and dropped it into the YJ 231 I was given.

All seems good. It was hard to get into 4wd and 4lo but a little muscle and it eventually worked but didn't seem right.

I few runs and some street driving and I'm getting a chain slap on the case. I decide to pull it all apart again and the ATF is silver when I drain it....uh oh.

I get it apart and the range shift fork is riding on one of the mainshaft gears. It appears the collar it sits in had dropped below the fork and the fork was riding on the gear.????????

So is there some major difference between an XJ and YJ 231 I don't know about? Are the sectors the same. I believe the YJ linkage on the t-case mount with the arm on top and the XJ linkage has the arm below (if that makes sense) Either way I'm confused.

I can't post pics here but here is a link to the pics, its just one page so its not alot of reading and there are some good carnage pics. Any help would be great.

http://reno4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28293

I thought the only difference was in the "clocking" or angle of the case, and that shouldn't be the cause of what you are describing.

ok.

I wonder if the fork pads were wearing out and caused it to slip off.

Anyone else?

nobody else huh?