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need some questions answered

D

droptopltd

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i have been working on cars and trucks along time. Haven't done a lot with transfer cases. So here goes. I have been reading post after post and still confused. Heres what I have. I bought a 1978 K5 I know it has a np203. Anyway the truck had a bad engine in it wasn't running. I built a 350 and installed it. Got it running and went to put it into gear and it wouldn't pull. I then tried to put back into park and it started grinding come to find out the transfer case was in neutral I shifter it forward and tried again still wouldn't pull but went into park with no problems. This truck has locking hubs on it but don't know about the conversion kit. A friend said to try pulling the truck it while it in park. I did and it moved forward without any effort and then I pushed it back by hand. which means something isn't engaging. I removed the transfer case and checked shifter also I will go forward neutral and back but how does the diff lock work shifter only has three clicks I checked transfer case while out and you can hold the front shaft and rear turns or you can hold rear shaft and front turns if you engage center diff lock all engage.My questions are 1 if front axles aren't locked and center diff isn't locked should truck pull or is it going to free wheel 2 how to you get shifter to lock center diff? 3rd I checked trans with transfer case out and it is definitely in park, can't move output shaft.
 
if you have the t case not in the LOCK position, and the hubs unlocked, the truck will roll away in park.
 
I've had a couple 203s and they can be a challenge to keep the shift patterns working right...righteous adjustments and lubrication help alot. There is a HI-LOC and a Lo-LOC position with the shifter, either of those selections get you equal output to the front and rear driveshafts, effectively taking out the differential part of the 203...if you have lockouts you may have a part time kit in the 203?
 
Some people install lockouts without using the part time eliminator kit.

Martin
 
I have a 203 as well, and for the first time this winter yesterday I put in 4 lock. It took me 20 minutes just to get it to shift and have no idea how its going to be coming back out. What im looking for is if someone has photos of the linkage so I know where that alignment bit goes, do I take the trans cover off and do it from in the truck or under. (I dont have carpet)
 
I have a NP-203 that was in my 74 GMC originally--I removed it in favor of a NP-205 I had from another 72 k-10 because I think the chain in it was skipping--under hard acceleration it would stutter like the chain was too slack...maybe it was just out of adjustment,I did not bother messing with it--I just assumed use the NP-205 since I had everything to convert it over---I only kept it in case I got the urge to make a doubler out of it..

The shifter in the NP-203 ,from the procedure I read in a chiltons manual,has to be dissconnected from the levers of the case,and a drill bit is inserted into two alignment holes on the shifter's levers--then if need be,you adjust the swivel ends on the linkage rods till the align with the lever holes (in neutral ,both the levers and the shifter)...
 
Im still trying to figure out how the shifter goes into loc position is it suppose to shift 5 times. mine only goes forward and backward 1 click from neutral. Any explanation
 
Been awhile since I shifted a NP-203,I think you had to move the lever to the side as well as back and forth,to engauge the "loc" positions?..kind of like shifting a typical manual tranny-..
 
Starting from closest to the center console, the pattern is HighLock, High, N, Low, LowLock, straight line. IF it has the part time conversion, HighLock is 4x4 hi, and High is 2x4 High.

I would think that if it won't go into either lock position, you need to adjust the shift linkages (picture below).

I had to remove my shifter box and completely open it up to clean it to get it to work.

203shiftdiagram.jpg
 
I have an oem shifter and NP203 and there is no side to side...it is all an inline shift
2 clicks up from neutral and two clicks below it

I got the part time installed but don't have the front driveshaft in yet...there is one position that it will engage in and move...not sure which one. it's been so long
 
82355 said:
NP203 shifters are junk.

Martin
Click to expand...

I had one made by Hurst......It sucked too.:laugh:

Spent many a happy hour laying in the mud prying and beating with a hammer until it would go back in gear.

Best cure is a 205.
 
I've had no issues with mine, but I haven't been banging rocks either...
 
Depends on which NP205 you came across. Early ones are generally fixed yoke (like your NP203), later ones are slip yoke.

Either way you would have to change the lengths.

Martin
 
All the NP203 shifters are Hurst shifters.
Click to expand...

I was going to say the same thing......

If you have ever setup and adjusted a Muncie 4 speed shifter, it is the same exact sequence....line up the neutral gates in the shifter,,put a drill bit through the holes to line everything up, then adjust the swivels on the arms to line up with the arms on the side of the 203....install the clips in the swivel ends...pull out the drill bit and your done. I set up tons of old school hurst shifters this way...my favorite shifter of all time was the Hurst vertical gate shifter....that and an old school M22 rockcrusher.....

Man you could bang some gears with that dude.......:woot::woot::woot:
 
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