HELP! np205 re-assembly ?

[IIVIIoonshiner]

HELP! np205 re-assembly ?
I am re-assembling/re-building my chevy np205 and I need some help. I am working on the front output side of the transfercase and I have everything back together except the snap ring on the butt end. (it is the last snap ring on the shaft facing the 8 bolt aluminum cover, with a cup and needle bearing inbetween) I took apart the low gear (biggest gear and replaced the needle bearings under it... then put it back in place with the tiny pin and two flat washers that have the bent tabs on them. Next there was a snap ring (big heavy duty thing that took me about an hour to get off) My rebuild kit came with replacement ones but both the replacement snap ring and the original are A. too hard to get back on with regular snap ring pliers, and B. seem to be too fat to go down in the detented area of the shaft...

If I take the snap ring and just push it against the shaft it WONT go into the groove because the big gear and two washers are taking up too much room. VERY strange because I don't remember this from dissasembly. I can't seem to compress the gear/washer combo onto the shaft any more to gain any room for my snapring. But I know it has to go on there.... any advice? If I take off the skinny washer then there is room for the snapring so I am maybe missing a millimeter of space. Am I missing something or doing something wrong?

please? I need to get this thing back together

 

[goldwing2000]

Check out this web page:
http://okcnetworks.com/bronco/205/np1.htm

 

[IIVIIoonshiner]

thanks I've seen that before actually... but he didn't dissasemble the low gear (big one on the same shaft as high gear) so that doesn't exactly help. he didn't remove the snap ring I am talking about... anyone else have anything??

 

[IIVIIoonshiner]

here's how i put it together...

greased the shaft so that the needle bearings would stick. I then layed one complete layer of needle bearings then the thin washer that goes inbetween the two layers of needle bearings... then the second layer of needle bearings... then I put the low gear over the bearings and made sure that none of them fell over. then i pu in that tiny pin into the tiny hole on the shaft... then i put the thick washer that has a bent tab on one side on the shaft. (this thick washer has a detented area to allow for the tiny pin sticking out of the shaft) then I put on the thin washer that has a bent tab on it... and now I assume the snap ring goes back on but there is not room for it.. (the snap ring groove is not entirely visible due to the fact that the washers hide part of it...)

????????