I killed my transfer case NP 242 Selec Trac

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

I have a weird problem. It is mostly only noticable in reverse while in low range, If I try to back up in low up a hill the rear will start spinning and the front tires don't spin. The driveshaft will jerk like it is trying but there is no power to the front. If I put it in high it will back right up with power to the front. I get the odd scary pop out of it too even going forward. :shock:

I thought the front diff. was the weak point? :shock:

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

I am also wondering if the Liberty Selec Trac is the same case as the XJ's and Grands? I think I am going to just swap it. I only have 43,000 on it :cry:

spencevans · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 3:16 am

That's too bad. Well looks like you'll have to get the Atlas 4 speed as a replacement.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:19 am

dont be so sure that it is shot just yet
the 242's are known to have adjustment issues
find a good 4X4 shop or realy any good mech and see if it can be adjusted if not
a rebuild is fairly cheep

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:03 am

Sucks you gotta change your sig line now though.

At least it wasn't a CRD specific problem.

I think there is a NV241OR for sale on Pirate4x4.

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

I think it is funny that I managed to break one of the stronger parts of my drivetrain

LOVE THAT TORQUE. :lol:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:49 am

TDI4BY wrote:

I think it is funny that I managed to break one of the stronger parts of my drivetrain

LOVE THAT TORQUE. :lol:

The 242 t-case's used in Jeeps are not that strong,the 231's are way stronger.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:07 am

There are 3 different 242 transfer cases - light ones used on Jeep, Medium ones used on the Dodge Durango and Heavy duty ones for Hummers.
http://www.newventuregear.com/tcases.html

I'd still bet you have an internal adjustment issue - if you broke it - there would be more problems.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:13 am

ATXKJ wrote:

There are 3 different 242 transfer cases - light ones used on Jeep, Medium ones used on the Dodge Durango and Heavy duty ones for Hummers.
http://www.newventuregear.com/tcases.html

I'd still bet you have an internal adjustment issue - if you broke it - there would be more problems.

Hummers don't use the 242 anymore(stopped about 10-12 years ago),after many years of t-case failures(trust me I've changed probally a 1000 myself) they switched to the much beefier 218 fulltime t-case which is like 2 1/2 times stronger than the strongest 242.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:27 pm

I though KJ's just sucked trying to reverse up a hill/small bumps in general. Mine does.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:48 pm

CaKJFreedom wrote:

I though KJ's just sucked trying to reverse up a hill/small bumps in general. Mine does.

Ditto

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:02 pm

So a junkyard pull from a Dodge durango could be a cheap upgrade? what years?

chefdab · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:18 pm

Just because it's an Np242 doesn't mean it will fit. Just like all Dana 44's are not the same width, you need a transfer case that is the same length or you'll need a new driveshaft.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:55 pm

Jeger wrote:

So a junkyard pull from a Dodge durango could be a cheap upgrade? what years?

I don't know what years.

I saw the comment in an off road magazine a couple of years back, I'm assuming all - but I also assumed Hummers still used the 242 - so it could have changed.

NewVenture lists it as a NV242HD - 2028 ft/lbs torque cap vs 1486 -and double the oil capacity.
most cases have some stamping externally - but it needs extra space for extra oil - so expect the dimensions to be slightly different.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:06 pm

We have two Jeeps with the 242 and weve never had problems.

Sounds like its out of adjustment to me, that or youre not allowing it to fully engage into 4low before you allow the tires to spin.

Get on a straight road that is gravel, mud, dirt, etc, slow to 2-3mph and shift the tranny into N, then pull the tcase lever back into 4low and put the tranny back into drive. Give it some gas, then let off, then go have fun backing up a hill.

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

Trust me it is in low all the way.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:16 pm

I've had trouble with my 242 T-case in the last year. At Eagle Rock, the front diff kept losing all power, meaning the front wheels wouldn't turn, but the lever was still in part-time or 4-lo and the dash-lights showed it working. I had to keep disengaging and re-engaging 4x4 only to have it continue to do it. It only happens when accelerating and especially uphill, with a noticeable clunk. I only know it happens when I lose traction and hear the noise. I don't know if I was engaging the 4-lo and the 4-hi's wrong, but I never solved the problem. A few weeks later, I went up to local forest trail. T-case worked just fine, even uphill, until I left the area and disengaged the 4x4. At that moment shifting the lever down, all the sudden my dash lights showed part-time being on! For the next week, the 4x2 position for the t-case became 4x4 part-time mode. The Full-time and 4-lo positions stayed put, but the part-time position became 4x2. I did a couple test to find out that the 4x4 mode that was engaged was actually the one with the dash light on. The lever position was just out-of-whack positionally, not physically damaged or out of place. I took it to the dealership who wanted $400 to "replace the bad switch", but I took it home laughing. It fixed itself the following day, like it never happened :?:

TDI4BY · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:56 pm **Posts:** 644

RespectMyLibertay wrote:

I've had trouble with my 242 T-case in the last year. At Eagle Rock, the front diff kept losing all power, meaning the front wheels wouldn't turn, but the lever was still in part-time or 4-lo and the dash-lights showed it working. I had to keep disengaging and re-engaging 4x4 only to have it continue to do it. It only happens when accelerating and especially uphill, with a noticeable clunk. I only know it happens when I lose traction and hear the noise. I don't know if I was engaging the 4-lo and the 4-hi's wrong, but I never solved the problem. A few weeks later, I went up to local forest trail. T-case worked just fine, even uphill, until I left the area and disengaged the 4x4. At that moment shifting the lever down, all the sudden my dash lights showed part-time being on! For the next week, the 4x2 position for the t-case became 4x4 part-time mode. The Full-time and 4-lo positions stayed put, but the part-time position became 4x2. I did a couple test to find out that the 4x4 mode that was engaged was actually the one with the dash light on. The lever position was just out-of-whack positionally, not physically damaged or out of place. I took it to the dealership who wanted $400 to "replace the bad switch", but I took it home laughing. It fixed itself the following day, like it never happened :?:

Where you able to adjust the linkage externally? I sort of wonder if I bent a shift fork in the case.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:26 pm

No, but I did have a friend shift the lever for me a bunch while I was under the Jeep, and got to see the moving parts. I didn't want to do anything though. When I took it into a dealership the first time for the t-case/front diff problem, all the mechanic did (according to service rep) was pull massive amounts of dried mud out from the underside of the KJ. Apparently one huge clod got lodge somewhere where it prevented my lever/cable from shifting into 4x4 fully, and so they solved the problem, so they said...

I killed my transfer case NP 242 Selec Trac

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