• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

NP242 rebuild questions

jtippett10

NAXJA Forum User
Location
las vegas
First time poster on NAXJA. I have however used the posts here to do a few projects to my XJ. Here is my story....1998 jeep xj 145k miles. Few months ago, xj started slipping out of gear and grinding while I was driving. It would slip back in after I let off the accelerator, and it wouldnt happen again for a day or two. I lived like this for a few weeks, but then it got worse, and I took it to the nearest shop. They drove it, made it make the sound, got under it, drained the transfer case, and showed it to me. There was plastic pieces just falling out of the T-case, and they quoted me $2,400 for a replacement. I figured I could just find a junkyard t-case, but that didnt happen. rebuilt np242's were over a grand, so I decided to do the t-case rebuild myself. I got the t-case off and on my work bench and took it apart. here are the problems I have found.
1. found the mode shift fork to be ground down to a stub on one side due to the plastic pads being desinigrated (bought replacement for $50)
2. the T-case lacked the seal plug underneath the linkage (making it easy to remove the forks, which I had read was supposed to be a PITA)

and now I have a few questions on what parts to replace, and how to reinstall everything.
Question 1. How can I replace or repair the "roll pin" and the seal plug that is missing, and is it necessary?
Question 2. How do I reinstall the forks so that the shifter rooster tail is in the correct position?

thanks for any help guys.
 
It's been a few years since I rebuilt mine. Any chance you can provide a visual of any kind of what exactly you are having trouble with?
 
I suggest searching on Car-Part.com for decent T-case. Around here $150 will get you a usable 242. Use the Google and do some research, ZJ Grand Cherokee and KJ Liberty 242 share many of the same parts, or may be a bolt on replacement.

If you are going to rebuild it, purchase a genuine Jeep Factory Service Manual for $ 7.95 from PacificCoastManuals.com. The FSM contains complete step by step disassembly/repair/adjust/re-assembly directions with pictures.

You can't just leave out random parts and have a successful repair.
 
Did you actually successfully remove the roll pin to be able to slide out the shift rail? I tried and could not. I was able to wiggle things around enough to avoid that. I lost the little plug and just put a small bolt in the hole and used rtv to seal it

What a rooster tail?
 
Just replace the roll pin with one found at your local hardware store. I had to push the roll pin inward and snap it with a sharp chisel into 3 or 4 pieces to successfully remove it. That was the hardest part of the rebuild. For the rear bearing that requires a blind hole puller I rented one from AZ. Had to heat it, spray it with PB blaster several times but it eventually came out and I was able to replace it. That is the biggest complaint I have read on these T-cases, most are not able to remove that bearing and just leave it in since it lives in fluid its whole life but mine wheeled hard for 8 hours with nothing in it so I had to replace it.
 
Back
Top