Dana 20 in a K5?

[K5dreamer]

Purousing the classifieds for first gen blazers to give myself a baseline for whats available, and what prices are, while i'm waiting for the M1009 to sell, and I sumbled across a 1970 with a SM465 backed by a.... Dana 20???

At first I thought it was a owner modification, but a little searching on the web of knowledge gleaned me this...

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/model_20.htm

which states the Dana 20 was a factory option in the first gen K5's.

Just wondering what everyone thought of this transfer case vs the ones I'm used to, NP205, NP203, NP208 etc. etc.

 

[imiceman44]

Purousing the classifieds for first gen blazers to give myself a baseline for whats available, and what prices are, while i'm waiting for the M1009 to sell, and I sumbled across a 1970 with a SM465 backed by a.... Dana 20???

At first I thought it was a owner modification, but a little searching on the web of knowledge gleaned me this...

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/model_20.htm

which states the Dana 20 was a factory option in the first gen K5's.

Just wondering what everyone thought of this transfer case vs the ones I'm used to, NP205, NP203, NP208 etc. etc.

The Dana 20 was put in the first gen K5, and it's OK, it's an all gear tcase but it's not as strong as the 203 and 205.
It's more for smaller jeeps.
I have one that was in a full size jeep behind a th400, and I wouldn't use it on a K5 but would on a jeep.

 

[jt512]

Weren't they also used in first gen broncos? I kind of remember a buddy had one in a 75 bronc back in high school

 

[K5dreamer]

Weren't they also used in first gen broncos? I kind of remember a buddy had one in a 75 bronc back in high school

Again, according to that site, yes. And also international harvester, and the really confusing part to me was that it is apparently a "1 ton" rated TC used in the jeep J4000 truck.

 

[diesel4me]

I've seen a few Dana 20's behind Muncie 3 speed manuals in the first generation K5's,one had a straight six,another one had a 307 V8,I think they were 1970 Blazers ...they used a funky tranny to t-case adapter that incorperated the shifter rods for the tranny in it........................................................................................................I also saw a '68 K20 we had at the junkyard that had a 307 V8, and a SM420 with a Rockwell T-221 transfer case factory...the ONLY one I've seen like it since too!..had the Eaton HO-72 rear axle too,with 4.56 gears..

 

[76zimmer]

brother had a 66K20 with the Dana 20 in it, durable unit for plowing, etc. No real off road experience, but the shifter tends to fall out of gear due to bad detents, rework that and it should be good for light/medium duty behind a mild engine.

 

[imiceman44]

Yes the D20 came first then the Rockwell T221 until the 205 came out and replaced them all.
The D20 rated ofr 1 ton in a J4000 is like some of the small toyota dually trucks, they have smaller parts but they are smaller too, a Jeep is much lighter than a K5 and what a stock jeep 1 ton was capable of is nothing compared to what we subject our K5's to, that is why we are looking at 1 ton axles and stuff to put in them.
As said you can use it for mild off road or anything you want to do on road, but don't expect it to compare to a 205 off road.
And it has been used in all the other brands as you mentionned, none were interchangeable though: Early Bronco, Scout, and jeep.
DOn't know of any Dodge application, but there might have been.

I've seen a few Dana 20's behind Muncie 3 speed manuals in the first generation K5's,one had a straight six,another one had a 307 V8,I think they were 1970 Blazers ...they used a funky tranny to t-case adapter that incorperated the shifter rods for the tranny in it........................................................................................................I also saw a '68 K20 we had at the junkyard that had a 307 V8, and a SM420 with a Rockwell T-221 transfer case factory...the ONLY one I've seen like it since too!..had the Eaton HO-72 rear axle too,with 4.56 gears..

 

[K5dreamer]

Solid, thanks guys. The K5 currently has the 350 out of a 1973 Corvette, which should mean its either 190 or 280hp, which falls under my category of a mild engine. and the goal at some point wayyyyyyy down the road would be to put a 6.5TD in there with 220hp 440lbsft, which is pretty mild. And I certainly dont do "serious" wheeling, so it would be mostly trails and camping and bad weather and such. so it sounds like it should do what I need.