Megadan Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Ok, I am posting this here mainly to get more results than my project thread, so forgive me up front for being a post lady of the night...it's not intentional. Anyway, I decided to open up my recently aquired 242 and inspect the insides. The results were surprising considering the XJ it came off of had 165k miles on the odomoeter and the fluid poured out in a very dark brown/back color at the wrecker. The magnet at the sump side was actually stuck to the chain, which leads me to believe that someone has taken this apart before and didn't put it back together correctly. That being said, there wasnt a horrible amount of metal stuck to it. The filter is pretty plugged up, but not completely blocked. The chain has a bit of slack in it, but it's definitely not stretched badly. With the magnet out of place it almost leads me to believe that somebody replaced the chain at some point in the past and that's why the magnet was not where it was supposed to be in the case. You be the judge.My plan is to put in a new chain anyway. A bit pricey, but nice insurance that I won't have to pull the thing apart anytime soon. Most of the bearings roll freely but do have a slight gritty sound to them, so I want to go ahead and do an overhaul/rebuild of this T-case. So that brings me to the second part of my title. What are recommended brands of kits and/or individual parts for both bearings/seals kits and the chain? I'm willing to spend more to get quality, but obviously if there are good parts that are priced reasonably I am willing to go that direction. I should also note that this would be my first T-case rebuild, so if there are any write-ups, vids, or resources I could reference online it would be handy. Searching google just brings up thousands of posts asking "is the 242 worth rebuilding?" and people responding with "no, use the 231!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfrog Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 The slack shown in your picture is normal if the case is split, as the shafts are unsupported. Actually looks fairly tight to my eye. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 The slack shown in your picture is normal if the case is split, as the shafts are unsupported. Actually looks fairly tight to my eye. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Thanks for making that observation. That supports my suspicion that somebody did some sort of work to this thing not too long ago. I've never dealt with a chain driven TC before, so it's a learning experience. Think I can skip replacing that chain then? I still want to do all of the bearings and seals for sure, but not needing a chain cuts the price of my rebuild in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 And, those needle bearings seldom feel smooth like old roller bearings do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schardein Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I wouldn't listen to anyone saying replace a 242 with a 231. I think those comments stem from the fact that 231s are more readily available, and it's quicker fix to do a remove & replace instead of a remove & rebuild. I've got a 242 waiting to be gone through for my future 4wd conversion. Interested to see what responses you get for parts/write-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I wouldn't listen to anyone saying replace a 242 with a 231. I think those comments stem from the fact that 231s are more readily available, and it's quicker fix to do a remove & replace instead of a remove & rebuild. I've got a 242 waiting to be gone through for my future 4wd conversion. Interested to see what responses you get for parts/write-ups. Agreed. I have a 242 waiting in the wings for my 90 MJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 It's not the needle bearings I am really concerned with, it's the input and both output bearings that have seen better days. Same with the input and front output seal, which both leak. In the time I had that case turned upright to take a look inside it had left a decent size puddle that just dripped out the input side. I was eyeballing this kit in particular http://www.americanpowertrainwarehouse.com/np242-np242j-transfer-case-rebuild-kit-fits-95-jeep-fits-98-dodge-94-hummer-w-16mm-input-bearing-bk242b/They also have the correct Borgwarner brand chain for $78, and I figure with a new filter, and pump ( because why not) it comes out to a total of roughly $180 to just completely re-do everything. If that chain it currently has is actually in good running order I could either cut that down to roughly $100 and retain the current chain, or spend the extra money and keep the current chain as a backup for those just in case moments.As far as the 242 vs. 231 debate. I went out and specifically bought this transfer case, so that should show you my lack of faith in most internet opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timhump63 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I rebuilt my 231 with a kit from CobraTransmission. It worked well. I'd probably order from them again. https://cobratransmission.com Interestingly, I see that they have the same kit number that american powertrain ^^ uses, but AP is on sale for quite a discount. I'll have to bookmark them as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Since you are going to rebuild the whole thing, you might as well upgrade the 3 gear planetary with a 6 gear one and see if the 1.5" chain upgrade for the 231 (out of a 241 or 231HD) will also work on a 242. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 It isn't worth rebuilding. Because it isn't worn out. I'm serious. The bearings in these tcases go an extremely long time. Unless you're getting play with the case halves bolted together and the yoke on the front output, those bearings are fine. Likewise, on the rear (with the slip yoke off), unless you're getting play (up/down/side/side) the bearings are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 I am getting play, as well as a lot of gritty sounds. The bearing and seal kits are not expensive, nor difficult to install. I already have one on order. For me it's peace of mind. Since you are going to rebuild the whole thing, you might as well upgrade the 3 gear planetary with a 6 gear one and see if the 1.5" chain upgrade for the 231 (out of a 241 or 231HD) will also work on a 242. The 6 gear planetary set isn't worth it to me. Show me 1 instance where somebody broke the 3 gear under normal road use and light off-roading.The wide chain is a good idea, but at this point in time, I'm not concerned. If/when this chain goes bad I may look into it more, but for now I just want to clean everything up, put in new seals/bearings, and rock it like it is. I didn't budget or plan around an $700 T-case build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvic90 Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Def a good idea to just replace bad sounding bearings no matter what they are in. I rebuild Honda manual transmissions all the time and that's how I determine what I'm going to replace. Clean them and roll them to check for smooth rotation. I'm also planning to use a 242 when I convert my Comanche. I like the idea of full time option in a road driven truck that will just be light duty offroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfrog Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 The 6 gear planetary set isn't worth it to me. Show me 1 instance where somebody broke the 3 gear under normal road use and light off-roading. The wide chain is a good idea, but at this point in time, I'm not concerned. If/when this chain goes bad I may look into it more, but for now I just want to clean everything up, put in new seals/bearings, and rock it like it is. I didn't budget or plan around an $700 T-case build. I've seen a few 231 and 242 failures, all were either case failures (smashed on something), seized (due to no fluid) or a snapped output shaft, and these were beat repeatedly. My own case still has the stock chain, stock 3 pinion planetary but does have an SYE. For general use, a stock case is plenty up to the task, just protect the casting as aluminum cases are brittle when smashed on rocks. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 The 6 gear planetary set isn't worth it to me. Show me 1 instance where somebody broke the 3 gear under normal road use and light off-roading. The wide chain is a good idea, but at this point in time, I'm not concerned. If/when this chain goes bad I may look into it more, but for now I just want to clean everything up, put in new seals/bearings, and rock it like it is. I didn't budget or plan around an $700 T-case build. I've seen a few 231 and 242 failures, all were either case failures (smashed on something), seized (due to no fluid) or a snapped output shaft, and these were beat repeatedly. My own case still has the stock chain, stock 3 pinion planetary but does have an SYE. For general use, a stock case is plenty up to the task, just protect the casting as aluminum cases are brittle when smashed on rocks. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk And that's why I would rather spend $100 on a skid plate instead of $100 on a planetary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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