tranfer case questions

[eldickey1]

Hello everyone, Please educate me.
I have an 82 3/4 ton 4 speed. I recently blew a chunck out of the rear right side of the transfer case. I believe it was the chain which would make it a NP203. Am I correct?
I don't have any experience with transfer cases, so can someone tell me the difference between the 203 and 205 and if I can use the 205 in my truck.
I undrstand the 205 is gear driven and that there are a different number of spline involved. please elaborate.

Thank you,

Edward Dickey (DickEddie)
[email protected]

 

[jaredmajor]

check out offroaddesign.com, they have it all on there.

 

[eldickey1]

thanks Jaredmajor

 

[bigkennye]

81 chevy blazer

I have an 81 and from what i have gathered, chevy moved from the np205 (gear drive) to the np208 (chain drive) in 80-81 i think, so that would make yours an np208 if I am correct, I also believe that the np203 is a full time 4wd case, but dont quote me on that, i am sure it was the earlier transfer case used before the np205. and just like you I am curious as to the differences between the 205 an the 208, is the 205 stronger? I would like to know also, after all I am still a beginner an my rig sitting for the last 2 months with the wheels chocked, due to a tranny problem, should be proof enough that i am still a noob, LOL

 

[jonny reb]

205 is definitly stronger, it is gear driven and has a cast iron housing. a 208 has an alluminum housing that is not as strong. but the 208 has a better low range and if you still have stock axles the 208 is fine because the axles will break before the t-case

 

[bigkennye]

options

Thanks for the info, as with all vehicles different options and everything that are usually available, the 3/4 ton an the 1/2 ton stock axles could be the same, mine are stock 10 bolts with auto locking hubs, except for the engine swap everything on mine is stock, and I drove mine off a 15 foot cliff and it still ran, but shortly thereafter things are breaking left and right, as of now the brakes need to be done as well as the tranny, other things were that i had to reinstall one of the headlights and of course they all need to be readjusted, i did the best job i could, shocks were broken off, so i have replaced those, the drivers side electric window no longer goes up an down. but summer is right around the corner, and i am looking forward many hours under the truck and everywhere else on it also, hell i might become a pretty good fabricator by next winter. My friend who was in the passenger seat recommended that i get a roll cage and some good seats with 5 point harnesses, I think I may have skeered him a little bit.

 

[Hossbaby50]

There are 2 chain driven cases. The 203 which you shouldn't have behind a 4 spd. and the 208 which was behind the 4spd in the 80's. The 208 has an aluminum housing and has a little round plate on the back side that says the lowrange (2.61:1) and the model 208.

The 208 is usually a pretty good case except in extreme circumstances or with heavy usage and poor maintanence. They are pretty easy to rebuild if you need to and they are pretty cheap to find a replacement tcase in good shape.

Harley

 

[bigkennye]

is there any other maintenance than changing the fluid (ATF, correct?), that is necessary? and how often should the fluid be changed?

 

[big83chevy4x4]

The 208 is usually a pretty good case except in extreme circumstances or with heavy usage and poor maintanence. They are pretty easy to rebuild if you need to and they are pretty cheap to find a replacement tcase in good shape.

Harley

i agree, the only down side to a np208 is the aluminum case, it will break if you smack it, i have 1 broken case here from that.

i change my fluid every spring, unless i think i may have water in it, then i change it. most people use ATF in the np208, but i have found a while back that it was built to run 5w30. ATF works just fine though.