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NP208: Who's broken one?

C

Chris in Idaho

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I have a 1986 short bed with SM465/NP208. I will be converting it to 1 tons soon and also have to opportunity to swap in a NP205. At first this seemed like a no-brainer but the more I think about it the more I think I like the low gears of the NP208. I know the obvious answer is 203 doubler to the 205 but that's not an option right now. I've searched and found a few 208 vs 205 threads and the general consensus is that the guys running 205s think the 208 will break, but the guys running the 208 don't actually break them...
I'm not a hard core rock pounder or anything like that but I do like to go way back into the woods with big heavy loads of firewood on severely rutted/damaged logging roads and such. I can't have anything break (hence 1 tons).

So who here has broken a NP208 or knows of one that broke?

How/why did it fail?

Thanks.
 
they arent as bad as some say. a mild sbc and you should be fine. maybe look into a 89' k5/sub 241. it bolts in, its stronger and has 2.72 low range

when my brother bought his k5, he drove it for a month with no fluid in the 208. and it held up for 2 years after with 383 power.
 
The weakest part on a 465/208 is the adaptor.

I have seen 208s break but it is due to other things, rather than an inherent weakness of the actual transfer case. Put a good skidplate on it clock it up a bit and be done with it
 
Besides internal failure causing parts to get jammed against the case breaking it and smashing it on a rock or something there good for me.But that can happen with any unit.The main problem i see with people is they install headers and cant bolt the brace that goes from the case to the block so they leave it out.The problem with that is if the slide joint on the front shaft becomes bound from rust or extreme cold the case can flex enough to the point it cracks.Then the excuse its a junky 208 comes up.
 
I only had one problem with my 208. I had a leak and didn't keep up on checking the fluid, then the leak stopped because there was no fluid left. I drove it like that for a few months before one of the internal shifting components broke and got me stuck in 4hi. I still drove it home an hour of all highway driving like that. I just replaced the case because I figured the rest of the case had to be about to go at that point. Since replacing it never had a problem and I am definately confindent in it. Did I mention I had a built 355 with fully locked 35s and I am a fan of the skinny pedal too.
 
1BEATK5 said:
they arent as bad as some say.
.
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X2 on this, ive had my truck for almost 10 years now and never had a problem with it, normal issues jumping out of gear but thats it.. you a rock crawler? if so then a custom skid plate might be a good way to go
 
I broke one. Too much wheel speed off a a 5 foot drop of at 20mph. Slip yoke hit the floor of the truck. Tore the rear case apart, broke the output snout. Drove it back to the trailer. Replaced it with a 241 w/sye.

This breakage had nothing to do with it being a 208.
 
i poped one in a 1/2 ton with th350 tranny.

4wd low got me to my buddys house thanks god. then i swaped in a 205 tcase and havent looked back.

now i have a 203/205 setup for extra low range if needed.
 
I broke one Broke the case rite were it goes from the small part too the chain case. Went wheelin wheeled pretty hard, ran out of gas... got pushed to town and noticed it was leaking looked under n there was a big ol crack, it was working just a broken case, had a skid plate too. :confused:
 
Chevy305 said:
I only had one problem with my 208. I had a leak and didn't keep up on checking the fluid, then the leak stopped because there was no fluid left. I drove it like that for a few months before one of the internal shifting components broke and got me stuck in 4hi. I still drove it home an hour of all highway driving like that. I just replaced the case because I figured the rest of the case had to be about to go at that point. Since replacing it never had a problem and I am definately confindent in it. Did I mention I had a built 355 with fully locked 35s and I am a fan of the skinny pedal too.
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Had the same set up gear wise, and drove the piss outa it. Same happened to me once, all I should have done was replace the front seal, heck, I'm.sure I had no fluid in if for over a year. Eventually put a junkyard 208 in and had no issues.

Different blazer, Second 208 I lost was cuz I was flying through some high weeds, caught a 20+ inch rut while turning and the rut caught the RF tire. Snapped pin on leaf.spring, and shoved front drive shaft into the 208 busting it in half, and somehow ripping the back corner of the trans off also.

Wasn't a good day to be a transfercase.
 
My shifting forks slip and lets it pop out of 4L. I had it rebuilt but it still pops out when I get a significant amount of wheel hop combined with lots of skinny pedal. Other than that it works great.
 
pblaze725 said:
My shifting forks slip and lets it pop out of 4L. I had it rebuilt but it still pops out when I get a significant amount of wheel hop combined with lots of skinny pedal. Other than that it works great.
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Adjust your linkage and check your engine/trans/body mounts ;)
 
I'm pretty sure I stretched the chain in my I was drive across abunch of ruts in a feild while giving it a hole lotta skinny pedal, the front started bouncing and it bad a loud bang. Needless to say 4x4 still works but you can feel it jump everyonce in a while just been to lazy to pull it apart and see what's broken.
 
Chris in Idaho said:
These are pretty interesting stories. It sounds like they take some abuse...
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They will take quite a bit . My only complaint is the slip yoke. But that isn't.stopping.me from running the one in my new k5 for.the summer till I get the doubler put together
 
the only ones I have seen broken where either run out of oil,smashed on a rock after some one took off the skid plate or the most common is on lifted blazers with stock drive shafts and to much angle.when the ujoints go out from the angle and not being greased the drive shaft takes out the tail shaft houseing when the ujoint breaks.

people will give you 208`s free or cheap I got a couple spares for the 88 for when the shift forks wear out or something strange happens.

i gave up looking for the one year 241.And didn`t want to have to do both drive shafts when changeing over to a 205.

there probably stronger then the 700r4 that there mated to.
 
The NP 208 in my '82 K2500 has been trouble free,despite me using it to plow mercilessly--ever since I got the truck,when its in 2wd,the front driveshaft still gets power to it,evidently its not unlocking when I put it in 2WD,so I just leave my hubs unlocked all summer and let the driveshaft spin..hasn't seemed to affect it any and my u-joints probably have lasted longer being "spun" instead of sitting still and rusting the needle bearings away..

I'm not impressed with ANY aluminum case transfer case ,but I have no complaints about the NP-208 in my truck--I have a "spare" I bought for 30 bucks with a TH400 adapter at a swap meet about 5 years ago,in case the original one peukes,but since I have it,I bet it never will..
 
I wheeled mine pretty hard for a bunch of years. Only problem is won't stay in 4high. Never run 4 high so didn't matter. I like them. weight and ratio is good and never had a problem with the slip yoke but I was only up 4". Rig pecs are in my sig.
 
pblaze725 said:
My shifting forks slip and lets it pop out of 4L. I had it rebuilt but it still pops out when I get a significant amount of wheel hop combined with lots of skinny pedal. Other than that it works great.
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Hey man, i had a similar problem, a couple of months ago i took mine down cause i have issues with the drive train and i figured the transfer case was the problem took it to a shop near my parents house they took it apart and nothing wrong with it, it sliped out of 4high and it was hard sometimes to set up the gear, well the issue eas that the out put shaft from the tranny was rubbing against some part in the t-case and if you looked at the parts they have wear due to friction the guy told me "ive seen this before, get a clocking ring but dont clock the t-case just use it as a spacer" i did it and no more jumping out of gear, trail tested on bumpy ass roads and sand dunes.

Are you guys suing the support rod???? my truck does not have it...:dunno:
 
I guess I'm the lucky one who's 208 never pops out of gear or gives any sort of trouble... Sounds like as long as I keep it well lubed and don't smash it on a rock it should keep working.
 
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