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Transfer Case ID

BadDog

BadDog

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I was at a salvage yard a few weeks ago and spotted what appeared to be an iron xfer case that I didn't recognize. The operator said it came out of a 1 ton GM truck but couldn't remember the year (late 80s he thought). He claimed it was a 205 but it was not like any 205 I've ever seen. It almost looked like a 203 range box (but smaller) in front of a 205. And NO, it is not a lucky doubler find, these 2 pieces were bolted up hard together with no adapter. Both sides were fixed yoke, passenger drop, and it had a 27 spline female input if I remember correctly. It also had shift levers in the side of the forward case section without the shift rods in the front of the "205" looking section.

Any ideas? I've never seen a 245 or one of the new HD cases, could this be one?

Anyone know a link to pictures like Steve has for axle ID?

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Everything you said is consistent with an NP 203

Still Poundin' "pavment" after all these years!!!
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I'm sure it wasn't a 203 (unless my mind is slipping more than I thought, but then again, how would I know?
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). The "range box" portion was more square, longer, smaller in cross section, and had no PTO port. The back portion was iron and looked like a 205 rather than the much larger thick aluminum chain section of a 203. When I first saw it, I thought it was a 205 behind a manual tranny but there was no adapter, the two pieces were bolted together like a 203.

Oh well, I doesn't really matter to me, it's just one of those things that stuck in my mind and has been bugging me. I poked around on the web for pictures of cases (surprisingly hard to find) but had no luck.


Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Ok, it is official, my mind is gone. What you said got me thinking so I decided to try to scout out a 203 picture. I finally found one <a target="_blank" href=http://www.chuckschevytruckpages.com/drivetrains.html>here</a>

In my mind (obviously not very dependable) I remembered the 203 having a big thick chain housing much different than the 205. Well obviously I was wrong. Oh well, the last time I fooled with a 203 (or even looked at one) was my 76 Scottsdale SWB which was back in the early 80s. I don't remember the differential housing on the back of the one at the yard but I'm guessing that it was there.

My bad, please disregard the ramblings of a senile old man…

Thanks for the help.


Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
No problem. We can only cram so much stuff in our noggins before some of it starts to get shoved to some back corner in favor of the more important stuff.

All this proves is that you have more of a life than I do since all I have to do is stare at 4x4 parts and type stuff on here.
smile.gif


Still Poundin' "pavment" after all these years!!!
smile.gif
 
A 203 only has a cast aluminum tail cone. the chain section is still iron. I think ALL 80 and after went to slip yokes so if it has fixed yokes I don't think its 80's anything 1/2 ton. The 208 is all aluminum housing as is the 241 I believe.
If it's a 203 look above the front yoke. Thats where the tag is and it clearly says 203 on it if it's still there..
The only thing throwing me is the lack of a PTO cover on the foward section on the driverside. Without that I don't know what to tell you. The Ford 203 looks just like a GM version other than the chain section is canted the other way. The Dodge version is darn near identiacl other than the input.
Maybe it's not a GM case at all. Maybe it's something like a Jeep Quardatrac full time case. Some ran TH400's (modified bell housing to fit the AMC motors) so the input would look like a GM TH400 input and could explain the guy thinking it's a GM case. I think they also ran a passengerside drop on the output.

Women dig dents and flat paint!
<a target="_blank" href=http://communities.msn.com/OffroadK5s>communities.msn.com/OffroadK5s</a>
75 Jimmy, Dollar
Grim-Reaper
 
Hmm, didn't think about the Jeep possibility. He owes me a gas tank anyway (sold me SWB TBI tank with a cracked baffle) so, if it is still there, maybe I can remember to grab the digital camera and snap a picture (if this new info doesn't provide the answer without it).

Thanks

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Hey, thanks for the pics. Just Identified my transfer as a 203
smile.gif
. So, is this good or bad, normal, etc? It won't be seeing anything too harsh.

Brian
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.saddletramps.com/BlazerK5.htm>www.saddletramps.com/BlazerK5.htm</a>
 
Well, I may have forgotten how to visually ID a 203 but I'll take a stab at this...

The 203 has the same 10,000 lb. rating as the more popular 205. It also has the same rather anemic low range (1.96:1). The 203 is a differentiated, chain driven, full time case. When *not* in a "Lock" position (Hi-Lock, Lo-Lock) there is a differential that allows the front and rear drive shaft to turn at different rates like the wheels on an open axle.

The chain is generally considered the weak point but, Grim and others have had good longevity with proper maintenance. Another drawback is size and weight. The 203 is much bigger (longer) and heavier than the 205. As long as you don't mind the full-time aspects of it (and weight/length), it seems to be a pretty good case. If you don't like the full time, you can get a kit to convert it to part time. The cheap kits can cause problems, the better kits (more money) seem to be ok. You can not unlock the front hubs without a part-time kit. Otherwise, unlocking the front hubs would be like trying to drive with an open axle diff and one tire off the ground.

Anyway, Grim-Reaper is the ultimate authority on 203s so look back through his old posts. Search for 203 and look specifically for posts by Grim. He has discussed the merits of the 203 and various part-time kits on several occasions.

And hey, don't forget, you have a leg up on a doubler kit (requires the front half of a 203 bolted to the tranny) to fix that anemic low range!
wink.gif


Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Hmmm, I would have sworn that they had exactly the same ratio. Ahh, well, we've already seen that my mind is slipping so, no big surprise.
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I guess they were so close together that I just mentally filed them away as actually being the same...

Er, I meant to say is, "for all practical purposes they have the same anemic low range". Yeah, that's the ticket! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Obviously Grim doesn't have the market cornered on 203 info, looks like RedDwarf (love that show) can probably help you with your questions. What I already said is pretty much a brain dump of everything I know (or thought I knew
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)

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Hey man, everything else you said was right. The ratios are so close that I debated whether to say anything or not, but I figured what the heck.

I am no 203 expert though. The one I have is on the ground out back.

The first two seasons were the best, wouldn't you agree?

Still Poundin' "pavment" after all these years!!!
smile.gif
 
Hey, no problem here. If I get something screwed up in my head, I'm happy to have someone straighten it out. Especially if I'm giving out incorrect info that may screw up someone else.

Yeah, don't remember where exactly it started to turn down but the later shows were a stretch even for RedDwarf. I think I've got most of them on tape. We caught one of the RD marathons on PBS and fed in tape after tape.
laugh.gif


Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
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