NP 231 vs NP242 shifter differences

[cruiser54]

[Eagle]

Great.

 

Awhile back I got a 242 transfer case, but I didn't think about grabbing the linkage or the shift gate because I didn't think they were different. Do you know if the 231 shift gate will work with a 242, or do I need to start hitting the junkyards?

[Dillithium]

Thank you! I was just wondering about this the other day. Now I know I need to grab the shifter gate.

[cruiser54]

Eagle, I believe folks have used the 231 gate on a 242. 

 

I'm thinking a guy might be able to just grab the "gate" itself though at the junkyard. 

[gogmorgo]

I ran the 231 gate on my 242 for a couple days, and it was manageable, but not optimal.

I particularly had trouble getting it into full-time 4x4, as the part-time spot on the 231 gate isn't quite deep enough (and if you adjust the linkage to make it work, you start having problems getting back into two-wheel), and it's pretty easy to go past into neutral (or part-time depending on which way you're shifting). But it did work.

 

I got an entire XJ with my 242, so I had the proper shift gate. I just didn't initially want to pull the interior apart any more than I had to due to serious hantavirus concerns.

[Eagle]

Eagle, I believe folks have used the 231 gate on a 242. 

 

I'm thinking a guy might be able to just grab the "gate" itself though at the junkyard.

Easier said than done, unfortunately. Connecticut hasn't allowed pull-it-yourself junkyards for more than 30 years. The chances of finding an XJ with a 242 that hasn't already been crushed are pretty unlikely.

[cruiser54]

I ran the 231 gate on my 242 for a couple days, and it was manageable, but not optimal.

I particularly had trouble getting it into full-time 4x4, as the part-time spot on the 231 gate isn't quite deep enough (and if you adjust the linkage to make it work, you start having problems getting back into two-wheel), and it's pretty easy to go past into neutral (or part-time depending on which way you're shifting). But it did work.

 

I got an entire XJ with my 242, so I had the proper shift gate. I just didn't initially want to pull the interior apart any more than I had to due to serious hantavirus concerns.

bleach solution. 

[cruiser54]

 

Eagle, I believe folks have used the 231 gate on a 242. 

 

I'm thinking a guy might be able to just grab the "gate" itself though at the junkyard.

Easier said than done, unfortunately. Connecticut hasn't allowed pull-it-yourself junkyards for more than 30 years. The chances of finding an XJ with a 242 that hasn't already been crushed are pretty unlikely.

 

That's the problem with living in a socialist state I guess. 

[cruiser54]

Thank you! I was just wondering about this the other day. Now I know I need to grab the shifter gate.

I'm moving all my used parts from up above the garage to another building on the property. Happened across the shifters and took the opportunity to do a comparison shot. Glad it was helpful. 

[gogmorgo]

bleach solution.

Something like that. The aggravation of the 231 shifter gate overcame my fear of mouse $#!&. I've found three nests in it so far, one under the radio, one under the centre console, and one behind the gauge cluster.

[cruiser54]

 

bleach solution.

Something like that. The aggravation of the 231 shifter gate overcame my fear of mouse $#!&. I've found three nests in it so far, one under the radio, one under the centre console, and one behind the gauge cluster.

 

Spray with bleach. Wear a mask. Don't make dust. 

[Eagle]

That's the problem with living in a socialist state I guess.

True. Unfortunately, I'm in one of those situations where I can't afford to live here and I can't afford to move.

[cruiser54]

sorry to hear that.

[Blue88Comanche]

Great.

 

Awhile back I got a 242 transfer case, but I didn't think about grabbing the linkage or the shift gate because I didn't think they were different. Do you know if the 231 shift gate will work with a 242, or do I need to start hitting the junkyards?

 

you can move the shift gate from one to the other. and it can be done while in the cab with the linkage hooked up.  i swapped mine after i did my novak cable swap

[mvusse]

The tab on the transfer case that the shift linkage connects to is different also. The one on the 242 is shorter than one for a 231.

[cruiser54]

The tab on the transfer case that the shift linkage connects to is different also. The one on the 242 is shorter than one for a 231.

So use the 242 tab and the 242 shifter gate? 

[mikekaz1]

is there a way to get the gate off without swapping the whole shifter?

[cruiser54]

is there a way to get the gate off without swapping the whole shifter?

I'm thinking there is. 

[mikekaz1]

Because it doesn't seem like it will slide over the rubber handle

[gogmorgo]

Short answer, yes. You take the lever out and slide it off the bottom.

Once you've pulled the trim stuff off to where the gate is exposed, I don't remember exactly what all is involved, but it should be obvious once you've got it apart.

The shifter lever is kind of a Z-shape, with the handle as the top bar if the Z. The bottom bar of the Z passes turns a cylinder. There are springs and/or pins that hold it in place, but they come out pretty easily, and once you've got them out of the way the handle slides out of the cylinder and comes right out. Then you can slide the gate off the bottom of the handle. Unbolting the gate and sliding it up the handle first will give you more room to see what needs done.

If that makes any sense. I'll see if I've got any pics from when I did it this summer. It was pretty clear to me how it came apart once I was in there, and I don't remember having any trouble.

The shifter and linkage are the same between the 231 and 242, only the gate is different. I mixed and matched components between the two sets (from my MJ and the donor) to get the better ones together.

 

Edit: doesn't look like I took a pic, but I'm pretty sure my donor's still pulled apart. I'll see what I can get.

[gogmorgo]

Okay, so my donor's too far pulled apart to be useful. But I'll steal Cruiser's pic from above.

You can see the cylinder the shift lever goes through at the bottom of the lever. There's a spring around the cylinder that hooks around the lever just under the gate and pulls the lever back to the left. The hook on the spring also keeps the lever from sliding back and forth in the cylinder. If you unhook the spring from the lever, you can slide the lever forward out of the cylinder and then up out of the gate.

[mikekaz1]

Yeah I'd probably just cut and notch the gate to remove without touching the handle at all

[gogmorgo]

Why? Much more work. Sorry if I'm not great at explaining things without using lots of words. But it's easy to pull the handle.

1. Unbolt shifter gate (keeps it out of the way.

2. Unhook spring from lever. It's not a very stiff spring.

3. Slide lever forward so it slips out of the cylinder. (There may be a cotter pin holding it in place, if so pull that out first)

4. Slide the gate off the end of the shifter.

 

Here's a pic of the shifter handle.

 

 

You can see the hole the spring hooks into at the bottom of the flat section. There's also a hole in the tip that I suspect is for a cotter pin, but can't quite remember.

 

No reason not to pull the handle. You aren't readjusting anything... It's just sitting there, and spins that cylinder deal. It just slides in and out if the hole.

[deziped1]

Short answer, yes. You take the lever out and slide it off the bottom.

Once you've pulled the trim stuff off to where the gate is exposed, I don't remember exactly what all is involved, but it should be obvious once you've got it apart.

The shifter lever is kind of a Z-shape, with the handle as the top bar if the Z. The bottom bar of the Z passes turns a cylinder. There are springs and/or pins that hold it in place, but they come out pretty easily, and once you've got them out of the way the handle slides out of the cylinder and comes right out. Then you can slide the gate off the bottom of the handle. Unbolting the gate and sliding it up the handle first will give you more room to see what needs done.

If that makes any sense. I'll see if I've got any pics from when I did it this summer. It was pretty clear to me how it came apart once I was in there, and I don't remember having any trouble.

The shifter and linkage are the same between the 231 and 242, only the gate is different. I mixed and matched components between the two sets (from my MJ and the donor) to get the better ones together.

 

Edit: doesn't look like I took a pic, but I'm pretty sure my donor's still pulled apart. I'll see what I can get.

[deziped1]

Using the 231 gate works fairly good.  If it bangs up against the end of gate when trying to return to 2wd grind it down  a 1/4", or what ever needed, to increase throw distance.   Going the other way if full time is not going far enough to engage grind the tab  down (dremel) some.  In short I ground down both ends of gate slot and the FT stop to make it work.  Drove it for several years that way with no problems.  But fell on to 242 components so changed to  that when I was switching some other parts. It works a little smoother with 242 setup of course.