Tom Woods NP242 SYE

[Mudderoy]

Many of you know that I have another stretched chain. Of course I won't know this for sure until I pull it a part but it fits all the past symptoms. It's the only problem I have ever had with this t-case.

Well I guess I can't say the only problem. Apparently the other problem I have with it is my inability to repair it correctly! I'm not putting factory chains back in but then again I'm not using ultra cheap chains either. I believe the two I have put in were TRW chains, about $110 each.

So this time I'm changing out the drive gear and driven gear, along with the chain.

I contacted Mark (PayLess 4x) one of our vendors and ordered the goodies for the transfer case repair Friday.

I've needed to do the SYE for years now, although I know some don't run a SYE and do just fine I'm going to go ahead and put one in. I was looking at a hack and tap for a while, but decided I'd go with my first choice, Tom Woods.

Doing this at the same time of replacing the gears and chain makes much more sense than cracking the case more than once. It's actually pretty easy if the snap rings would actually come off on the first attempt!

They want two measurements when you order.

http://www.4xshaft.com/SYE/M_E&D.JPG

They list two choices, 3 5/8" or 3 7/32" I'd say mine is closer to the 3 7/32"

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SB2zJQ4uVJg/Tm1Z6E3U_CI/AAAAAAAABMA/oEOelvi1B10/s576/2011-09-11%25252015.32.07.jpg

Then I had to measure the drive shaft length...

http://www.4xshaft.com/SYE/M_231L_BeforeText.JPG

I came up with 35 3/8" for my drive shaft length.

Identify the transfer case...

http://www.4xshaft.com/SYE/ID_SpeedoHsgText.JPG

http://xjtalk.com/images/special/np242transfercasetag-a.jpg

http://www.4xshaft.com/SYE/ID_SpeedoPlugPortCleanedText.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eQdPGU9CmcI/Tm0jXZOsKsI/AAAAAAAABLw/rdRl21FJBXo/s800/2011-09-11%25252015.23.21.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z7FVsfJ3o8k/Tm0jd0cINkI/AAAAAAAABL0/bR8y2tCUOEE/s800/2011-09-11%25252015.22.59.jpg

So I think I have all the info I need to order my SYE and driveshaft from Tom Woods...

[4.3LXJ]

Tony

The reason your chain stretched was that you did not replace the sprockets (drive gears) with the new chain. Now that you are doing that, the chain will last.

[Mudderoy]

Tony

The reason your chain stretched was that you did not replace the sprockets (drive gears) with the new chain. Now that you are doing that, the chain will last.

That's what I was thinking MUST be it. I had a very minor leak which over time would make it pretty low. I think I finally resolved that issue. I think/hope it was a combination of the two.

[4.3LXJ]

That's what I was thinking MUST be it. I had a very minor leak which over time would make it pretty low. I think I finally resolved that issue. I think/hope it was a combination of the two.

When the chain stretches, it wears the sprocket out and the larger areas in between the teeth cause the chain to conform to them.

[Mudderoy]

Ordered. I ordered the drive shaft with the long spline. :p

[4.3LXJ]

Is there more lift in your future?

[Mudderoy]

Is there more lift in your future?

6.5" is all I have planned. I'll raise the rear up 1" after the SYE, then I'll see if it sits level or ass high. I'll have 4.5" front and 6.5" back at that point.

[Mudderoy]

Well ordered the goodies yesterday, and received the invoice (via e-mail) today. I think that means it's been shipped!!!! I should have pictures soon.

:camera: :popcorn:

[Mudderoy]

The Tom Woods package arrived today, and Houston (or Katy) I think we have a problem...

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oZIemEPwiqc/TnPxoGG51kI/AAAAAAAABOg/yzKRwA630jU/677.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KRiCoRfWV3w/TnPxeyX9gXI/AAAAAAAABOc/OLDT1WPzfho/s800/2011-09-16%25252019.59.34.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GHnWPKwxM4E/TnPxbhJRIDI/AAAAAAAABOY/CNrustEFLxc/s800/2011-09-16%25252020.00.07.jpg

I need a hole! :D

On the bright side I get to experience that wonderful Tom Woods Driveshafts customer support I have heard so much about! :cheerleader:

[4.3LXJ]

They are good, they will make it right

[Mudderoy]

They are good, they will make it right

Yep I bet so. Funny thing is I think the tail cone is labeled correctly. :out:

[Mudderoy]

Sorry for the delay, just been busy...

So I realized the issue about 6pm Friday night, and Tom Woods was closed. I sent an e-mail explaining that I thought the problem was and left a voice mail as well.

I received a call from Mr. Tom Woods the following Monday morning. He said they obviously had made a mistake and after apologizing he wanted to know if I needed the correct part immediately. Was it holding me up, in other words. I told him no that some parts I had ordered for my transfer case had not come in last week, so I wasn't going to work on the SYE install until the upcoming weekend. He verified that it would be okay to ship the part regular (like the prior shipment) and I said of course.

So he was very concerned that I didn't have what I needed and wanted to figure out a way for me to have it as quickly as possible. I was only answering questions here, no inquires from me about why, and how. Tom was on top of all of that. And people, that's the way it should be from any vendor you deal with. :D

So Thursday I received the replacement part.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kI9kT3gMyOI/Tn9GsVYsokI/AAAAAAAABQU/1ubJSKkCVss/s640/2011-09-25%25252010.07.55.jpg

Friday morning I e-mailed a thank you to Tom Woods, letting him know that I had received the replacement part and it looked like the tail cone I needed. I received a phone call from Tom Woods about an hour after that and he verbally checked that I had the right part over the phone.

In the updated invoice he sent me (no additional charges) he included a return shipping not only for the wrong part but the rest of my $400 in core stuff I needed to return for credit. So my out of pocket cost on this venture will only be Tom Wood's excellent goodies and no shipping. Shipping to me was free, I was only going to have to pay shipping back on the core return.

Oh and some of the parts I already had...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5NEkhjKTBVQ/Tn9EakYAO9I/AAAAAAAABP8/iAL6DKiHXx8/s800/2011-09-25%25252010.05.02.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6DRAWkAKAX4/Tn9EQ7smMcI/AAAAAAAABP4/Mv9th264ebk/s800/2011-09-25%25252010.05.40.jpg

So just I have read many times before, Tom Wood's takes care of his customers. Thanks Tom, and of course all the people that work for him that help make their products.

BTW, The tail cone had the right words on the label it just didn't fit the part it was attached to.

[bluedragon436]

I'm glad to hear that Tom Woods' customer service is truely as good as I contiue to hear that it is.. I can't wait to pick my SYE & DS up!!

[Mudderoy]

Well I finally got my lazy ass out in the garage. It wasn't so bad since it wasn't 100 degrees out today.

I learned some more about the NP242, specifically needle bearings! Fortunately I had some new ones in a NP242 kit that I have purchased previously from Mark, Payless 4x.

I also, for some strange reason, had purchased some heavy grease today which was perfect for holding the needle bearings in place.

Oh this was a replace the 3rd stretched chain, drive and driven gears, AND install the SYE.

Mission accomplished!

Here is the number 1 reason I went with Tom Woods SYE solution instead of an inexpensive hack and tap. Yes it's basically the same thing but I don't think the shaft is THIS short on the hack and tap.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GaWz-J4n2n8/Tok7WBT3ZZI/AAAAAAAABVc/9FrPVzQQPyg/s640/2011-10-02%25252021.03.17.jpg

This gives you an idea how far this shaft stuck out. Of course it's purpose is to act as the slip, but look at the Tom Woods replacement.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vHEI-TRoko0/Tok7id1YsZI/AAAAAAAABWU/eO-p9fLT-S0/s800/2011-10-02%25252018.48.58.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-d9YNlPJjcPo/Tok5QFWTuDI/AAAAAAAABVs/BnavhMACXVc/s800/2011-10-02%25252022.52.33.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LbPKnIlv0Xs/Tok5bMF-j_I/AAAAAAAABVw/AKpuQ9h-1ek/s800/2011-10-02%25252022.52.05.jpg

I haven't removed the 1" transfer case drop yet. I wasn't sure if I had 4 of the shorter bolts I needed. I'll have to pull one off of the 99 and then get 4 grade 8 bolts. I may go ahead and replace the transmission mount at the same time. You know after Ray's radiator damaging fun.

[Mudderoy]

Why am I getting vibrations now?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dEznAgS7Ups/TopTB7JW4DI/AAAAAAAABWs/ZP8V45TmgTg/s912/2011-10-03%25252019.07.57.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F1nXh7HC_Zs/TopSz9PeowI/AAAAAAAABWk/ZQaNX-p4mjo/s912/2011-10-03%25252019.08.31.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TsZPcxEqxXg/TopS8Woy5NI/AAAAAAAABWo/e6mpQ45U66o/s912/2011-10-03%25252019.08.15.jpg

It looks like to me the transfer case is a little low, but not a lot I can do about that.

[LizardRunner]

did you check your angles? just cause that is normally where to start looking when you have vibrations.

[Mudderoy]

did you check your angles? just cause that is normally where to start looking when you have vibrations.

No, I took pictures! :frog:

Yeah I need to check the angles.

[Mudderoy]

So I ran a string today, just messing around. To see if I could tell how far I am off.

Running the string from the middle of the diff yoke to the front.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oOau0CkOFPk/TpEcf230NNI/AAAAAAAABYI/UqaYg1if-P4/s912/2011-10-08%25252018.09.07.jpg

http://www.4xshaft.com/images/cv_angle.gif

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-75lIQM_SVo4/TpEiDFYioYI/AAAAAAAABYk/p-2wdEAbfAY/s912/2011-10-08%25252018.07.15.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H5l_1IzOPl8/TpEi5aXQSbI/AAAAAAAABYo/4T2nl_01-vI/s912/2011-10-08%25252018.09.44.jpg

Well I'm not sure now looking at this pictures. I think it may be right.

[ike]

use a angle finder. off the flat on the back of the dif and on the ds.
can't tell from the string pic's, but kinda looks like diff is up too much.
have you pulled the tc drop yet?
went through this with tom woods, it's really hard to see 2* down between the two.

[Mudderoy]

use a angle finder. off the flat on the back of the dif and on the ds.
can't tell from the string pic's, but kinda looks like diff is up too much.
have you pulled the tc drop yet?
went through this with tom woods, it's really hard to see 2* down between the two.

Yeah I was in the middle of a bunch of changes at the time, so I just played with the string while I was taking a break.

The vibes are almost gone now that I have removed the transfer drop, but still there.

The RC leaf springs came with 3 degree shims. I hate to just remove them without knowing how much I am off, and possibly replacing them with the correct shims.

I'll get some readings with pictures here in the next several days.

[ike]

FWIT after i did mine, tom woods told me (he called me after i emailed them to confirm the 2* down angle on the pinion) that some vib is just the nature of the beast, comes with hanging about 12lbs off the tail shaft. :wtf:

[Mudderoy]

Just in case someone trips over this old post... chain has stretched again. I still need to drain the fluid and check it through the drain hole, but it's the typical pop pop pop. I haven't used 4x4 but a few times since I replaced it. Not sure why it would stretch unless something got really hot in there. Maybe the pump went out. Know more when I open it up.

[4.3LXJ]

I have to admit Tony, you have more bad luck with chains than anyone I know

[finneys98xj]

TIme for a dana 300.

[denverd1]

TIme for a dana 300.

yes!!

[finneys98xj]

yes!!

I have one i bought for 175. It probably going in my new mj project after I blow the np231 Im putting in it out. That way I have time to build it and get it ready.

[denverd1]

I have one i bought for 175. It probably going in my new mj project after I blow the np231 Im putting in it out. That way I have time to build it and get it ready.

that's awesome!! need a rebuild or what? that's dirt cheap.

[finneys98xj]

Nope doesn't need a rebuild just flip or a doubler

[bluedragon436]

Yeah I'd say a D300 or 231J would be a good replacement... especially if you do the wide chain upgrade and 6 gear planetary upgrade to the 231... But I'm almost wondering if you don't have some issue with the 242 itself tat is causing some unevenness inside that is causing the wearing of the chain.. like maybe a worn out bearing, or even seized bearing or something...