99 XJ T-case swap?

Hey guys, I am in almost desperate need of some ideas here. I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4WD 4 Door Sport 4.0. I know (now) I have NP232 Transfer case undernearth.. Sadly only because It blew. the problem is I can get my hands on a NP231 No problem, the 232 however, is a LONG story. Would this swap work? Would it bolt in or would I have problems?

Any help at all would be GREATLY appreciated. If there are any other fixes out there please, I am all ears. The only thing I cannot do is rebuild what's already there because of the giant hole that was punched in it by one of the gears inside :(

Thanks again

Reply to
greenxj
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Hey guys, I am in almost desperate need of some ideas here. I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4WD 4 Door Sport 4.0. I know (now) I have NP232 Transfer case undernearth.. Sadly only because It blew. the problem is I can get my hands on a NP231 No problem, the 232 however, is a LONG story. Would this swap work? Would it bolt in or would I have problems?

Any help at all would be GREATLY appreciated. If there are any other fixes out there please, I am all ears. The only thing I cannot do is rebuild what's already there because of the giant hole that was punched in it by one of the gears inside :(

Thanks again

Reply to
greenxj

Reply to
Greg

I did as much reading as I could, but unfortunately it doesn't have anything on the 232... so I am really kind of in the same spot. I do thank you VERY much for your input. As I said, any and all is welcome.

My thinking was kind of this way. If the AW4 tranny is in both, than wouldn't it make sense that each t-case would bolt in relatively the same way? Disregarding drive shafts and all... wouldn't that kind of make sense?

Greg wrote:

Reply to
greenxj

?? NP23TWO ??

Maybe a NV242?

Was it part time or full time 4wd?

Here I am, jumping in like *I'M* the expert ;-)

(Wikipedia is your friend .)

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Reply to
noneofyourbusiness

I looked at going the other way when I swapped an AX15 in my 88 MJ and it seems that there are a couple of PITA items that may bite you in your process. These are from memory 5-6 years ago, so take them for what they are worth.

  1. I'm pretty sure that the np-232 is longer than the np-231 so you may have to change the drive shaft(s).

  1. The input shaft to the 231 had at least 2 different spline counts - Murphy says you'll get the wrong one if you don't check just what you need first.

  2. If you decide to change the tc input shaft, they come with 2 different bearing types and 2 different gear patterns, so you'll need to check what you have before ordering the part.

I can't tell you for sure about the tranny-tc bolt pattern, but the AX15, AX4, and AW4 auto all have adapters beh> I did as much reading as I could, but unfortunately it doesn't have

Reply to
Will Honea

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

Bummer. I would recommend getting the factory service manual for this vehicle or the Jeep Conversion Manual from Advance Adapters

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so you can be absolutely sure what you have, before buying stuff that might not fit. There is a round metal tag about as big as a half dollar, fastened to the back of the transfer case housing. It should have the model number on it. I haven't heard of a NP232, of course that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. As Will says, there were a number of different transfer case input shafts, not only spline count but also length. It is essential to get the correct one as it must mate correctly with your transmission output shaft. The Advance Adapters manual will help you identify this part. They should also have various versions of the part for sale.

Do you have a SelecTrac case in your XJ? That would be one, with a full time four wheel drive mode in addition to 2HI, 4HI, N and 2LO. The NP231 only has the four speeds listed above, making it a "part time four wheel drive" model. The full time SelecTrac model will have additional options such as "Full" or "Lock". The shift pattern will be printed on the Transfer Case shift knob, overhead visor, or inside the glove box. If so, the NP231 is a possible replacement but as has been said drive shafts, mounts and the crucial transfer case input shaft may be different.

You should be able to buy a new housing from the Jeep dealer, if for example the chain just jumped the sprocket and poked a hole in the case. Availability and cost might be problems, but if the chain and the case are the only unusable parts it would be reasonable to think of rebuilding what you have now. It won't hurt to disassemble your existing transfer case and take a full damage inventory. You probably need a manual for this.

On the Advance Adapters site they have transfer cases for sale with slip yoke eliminator. These are NP231 and NP241, both part time transfer cases. If you plan on keeping this vehicle for a long time, the available possible upgrades to the transfer case are worth considering. A slip yoke eliminator isn't strictly necessary on a Cherokee, but it won't hurt and you would have to have drive shafts fabricated anyway to use a different model transfer case.

Cheers,

Reply to
Earle Horton

Reply to
RoyJ

I spent some time on the phone with the dealer and they can't figure out what the sticker on it that says "NV232" on it means. But they can tell me from the vin that it is a 242. This phantom number on there i guess just was there to make my day just a little worse ;) I also did find that the 231 will fit... I am just not sure with how much finesse. I am going to be doing it, I just hope the damn thing works.

Thanks a lot again for the replies and help. I appreciate it

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

As long as the 231 is from a 6cyl and your Jeep is a 6cyl, it should bolt in. It will clock higher up, since the 242 hangs lower. This is no concern. The driveshaft is the same.

HTH

Carl S

Reply to
CarlSaiyed

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

[snip]

So the OP is going from a Selec-Trac (down?) to a Command-Trac? If so, he should relabel his xfr case shift lever ;-)

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Reply to
noneofyourbusiness

I did get the factory service manual... As a matter of fact here's the link for all that would like it. I printed it out and bound it... it's over 3000 pages. but well worth it.

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here is where you can get a lot of info on many others
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in case anyone wants info on other vehicles. Thanks Earle for all your help, I did the swap. I used both my axles andeverything seems to be running just fine. i did find out that the case i haveis a 242. It was marked 232, and the dealer still couldn't explain how, but Iswapped the 231 and everything went in nice and easy. Each was 23 spline andworked out well. I don't know if it was dumb luck or just plain stupidity that got me through this. But I will take it! I did see the 231 SYE already and do plan on getting it, along with a drive shaft... I have seen a lot here
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will do it. I just have to get the $ up first.Thanks everyone for their advice and help. I really appreciate it. I hope the manuals help some people somewhere. Good luck if you undertake any mechanical repairs.

Earle Hort>Bummer. I would recommend getting the factory service manual for this

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

This is the lowest cost one I have seen:

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Reply to
nrs

I did the swap. Other than a little weird whining noise, everything seems ok.

I haven't tried the 4wd because well... because I can't pull up the level past the 4 wheel part time >> I did get the factory service manual... As a matter of fact here's the link

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

[snip]

Whining is "fine"?

Anyway, ignoring the labels from your old setup, all the way forward is of course 2wd high. Pulling straight back engages 4wd high. Putting the tranny in neutral, and then pulling the lever to the right and back should get you 4wd low.

This, of course, assumes that I know what I'm typing about ;-)

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Reply to
noneofyourbusiness

Reply to
greenxj via CarKB.com

Your shift pattern is now different so the plate on the floor hump will not allow this shifter to move in it's new pattern?

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > I did the swap. Other than a little weird whining noise, everything seems ok. >

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Reply to
Mike Romain

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