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My tranny/transfer case is stuck in neutral

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coopdog

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Truck: 1972 Chevy 4x4 pickup with turbo 350 transmission (not sure what type of transfer case)

Circumstance: I recently dropped a new motor in and simply moved the tranny back a few inches leaving it in place...the tranny has recently been rebuilt and worked great before taking out the old motor. And yes I am sure to the tourqe convertor was pushed all the way back (filled with fluid) and tightened the torque converter/flywheel bolts. I also hooked up the vaccum line, detent cable, and shift linkage...all of these seem relatively simple and I dont see how I could of made a mistake in these areas. Yes the rear drive shaft is hooked up (however not the front drive shaft) and the tranny is full of fluid (checked while running). Of note...when I was seperating the tranny and transfer case from the motor I used my floor jack (on the transfer case) to lift/pry the tranny free...maybe this jammed something in the transfer case. Also...when you look at the transfer case linkage underneath(there are two rods/levers) that appear to work together...I noticed a hole that can line up between the two levers...is there suppose to be a bolt/screw between the two levers binding them together (i.e. the both move together)...does anyone have/know of a 70's transfer case digram that may help solve this issue.

Symptoms: When you go to place the transmission in any gear it sounds like the drive shaft is locking up....but nothing happens...I then shift to park and it makes the grinding to a stop sound.

My Guess: The transfer case seems to be stuck in nuetral as the truck will not go into gear....ya know when your shifting out of four wheel drive and the transfer case sometimes gets stuck in neutral...this is what it seems like.

Please help...and thanks in advance
 
Is the front output yoke on the transfer case spinning when you put the transmission in gear?
 
you have a np203 full time 4x4 transfer case and you are not in 4 lock. the transfer case has a differiential in it, without the front driveshaft the front yoke will just spin. i've had the same problem with mine. see if you can shift the transfer case into another gear or put the front driveshaft in.
 
the front yoke will spin freely when the t case is in neutral...when you push the lever all the way forward it lock up as if it was in 4 wheel drive...I have not had someone watch the front yoke to see if it is spinning while in gear
 
coopdog said:
the front yoke will spin freely when the t case is in neutral...when you push the lever all the way forward it lock up as if it was in 4 wheel drive...I have not had someone watch the front yoke to see if it is spinning while in gear
Click to expand...

I would have someone look at that front yoke to see what it does when you put it in gear. Like mentioned above, I'm guessing that you have a 203 transfer case and all the power is going to the yoke with the least amount of resistance. If this is the case, you should be able to put it in low/lock or high/lock and move the vehicle. Thing is, the shifters on the 203's tend to wear out over time and it can be tough to get them in the lock ranges.
 
i have a 203 and i took the front shaft out to replace the u joints in the cv joint so for $#!ts and giggles i tryed to move it because of what i had learned so far:D (wanted to see what would happen for myself). it made the same noises you are talking about. front output just spins up real fast. and my case wont shift into the lock positions so it wasnt moving anywhere even though it bumped into gear and seemed like it would move.
 
shut motor off put tranny in neutral and try getting it to go all the way in to lock. may have to rock the truck back and forth . the little shifter boxs can get crap in it and it wont let the levers move far enough. I had a small rock get into it and wouldnt let me move it quite enought to hit lock
 
Well,since the zhombie thread has been risen--I think the holes that were mentioned in the linkage levers is for alignment purposes when adjusting the shifter linkage--you put a drill bit in both lever's holes and adjust the linkage rods to the correct length to connect the shifter levers to the transfer case..
 
Had the same problem.
The 203 is a solid t-case but the shifters suck.
I installed an ORD twin stick, and haven't had a problem since.
 
That's what I'm gonna do. ∆
The first time it happened, stuff in the linkage was no surprise.
The second and third time? Something else is going on. Internets research says the shifters suck. OK, I'm alright with that. It IS 40 years old!
Is the ORD twin stick 203 install fairly straightforward? Any tips, tricks, or comments regarding?
Priced very reasonable, IMO.
 
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