Transfer Case Rebuild Questions (NP 231) What is a viscous

bigbrowndog

New member
1041271

Wwe cracked open the casing today. The chain is pretty stretched and drags on the bottom of the case when not under tension. It is so loose it tries to bind up on itself and this may be part of the problem (had heavy clunks when we turned the wheels one way or the other)....but I have also been told it could be the viscous coupler. We bought the Jeep used and there was no fluid in the transfer case when we checked it.



That said, my trusty Haynes manual does not show a viscous coupler. There is a drum shaped unit at the front of the mainshaft, but Haynes calls this the low range gear. Which is correct and which do you all think would cause the big clunks when we turned the wheels?



We found a transfer case rebuild kit for $109 online and a replacement chain for $62. My 16 year old and I are having a good time so far, and if you can help out with some expert advice, we would certainly appreciate it. With costs to buy a rebuild around $800, we can certainly save a ton of money doing it ourselves (even if it takes several times !!)



Thanks in advance.

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1041275

A viscous coupler, works like a clutch or like a limited slip in a differential. Usually found on full time 4 wheel drive models. My book shows the 231 to be a typical 2H, 4H,N,4L type transfer case and doesn´t have a Viscous coupler. If you have the model wrong and it does have a viscous coupler, you´ll usually find it on a seperate shaft, on the opposit side of the main shaft, from the front output shaft. Now that I have myself thoroughly confussed, I hope I haven´t confussed you also. Good luck Chuck.[addsig]
 
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