Transfer Case Skid Plate Help

sam88jeep

New Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Location
Raleigh
I'm in need of some help!
I decided to take on replacing my NP231 transfer case in my 1998 TJ. The original was ruined because I didn't notice a fluid leak and drove it dry for 6 months :p

I figured getting the old one out would be the easy part. I was wrong...

I dropped the axles easy enough, but the 6 hex bolts holding the skid plate in aren't coming out. I used a breaker bar on the first couple, the first came out, the second just rotates. On the other side, 2 were already HAND LOOSE and just rotate (don't back out), and the other came out fine.

What's going on? Why won't they back out? Is the FRAME stripped?

What are my options?

Thanks!

Sam
 
If u have a impact try to tighten them untill they stop. then back them out. if they just spin hold down on the skid plate with a pry bar wedged betwen the frame and the plate hope u understand what I mean...
 
Either the frame is stripped or they have nuts on them that you aren't seeing. It could also possibly be welded nuts that have come loose from the frame. There should be some kind of access hols in the frame if there were nuts. IIRC the YJ I parted out just had welded nuts inside the frame.
 
sinbad said:
If u have a impact try to tighten them untill they stop. then back them out. if they just spin hold down on the skid plate with a pry bar wedged betwen the frame and the plate hope u understand what I mean...
Click to expand...
That's your best bet.
There were welded nuts inside the frame.
 
There are nuts inside the frame. If they have broken loose and come off of the steel tab they are mated to about the only option is to use a hole saw and cut access holes so you can hold the nut. My rig has an access hole drilled for each of the 8 skid mount bolts (custom flat skid). If you go this route make sure the hole saw is big enough to get your wrench in :)
 
Thanks everyone

I'll give those ideas a try.

Cutting 6 access holes makes me think I'll weaken the frame, hopefully it won't come to that :(

Wish me luck!

Sam
 
Success!

My skid plate is finally on the floor of my garage. I used a 2" hole saw on the frame to get access to the nuts holding the bolts. Once I got the hang of it, I started using a smaller diameter hole saw.

If you drill at medium speed and keep the surface lubricated, its not so bad. Its not actually a nut on top of the interior frame's surface, but instead a sort of threading cylinder that must have been welded in place, but broken lose. Anyway, a pair of needle-nose lock jaws did good to hold it in place while I backed out the bolt. A little bit of PB Blaster helped too.

Anyway, thanks all for the recommendations. It wasn't so bad once I got over having to drill my frame.
 
sam88jeep said:
It wasn't so bad once I got over having to drill my frame.
Click to expand...
Drilling a frame is OK if you go through the side of the rail the factory does this all the time & as long as the holes aren't too big, or too close together. Drilling through the top or bottom of the rail will weaken it some & is not the best option though once in a while, it's the only option.
 
All, need a little more help. I swapped in a similar NP231 transfer case from an XJ. I had a transmission shop swap the input shaft ($140). I had to swap one of the electrical connections too (speed sensor I think).

Anyway, otherwise it all bolted up the same, except I'm having trouble with the transfer case shifter. It seems to bind up, and I'm having trouble adjusting it. Does anyone have good pics of what it should look like. Any advice on how to adjust it? I'm not even sure which position on the transfer case is 2WD, which isn't helping.

Thanks,

Sam
 
sam88jeep said:
I used a 2" hole saw on the frame to get access to the nuts holding the bolts. Once I got the hang of it, I started using a smaller diameter hole saw.
If you drill at medium speed and keep the surface lubricated, its not so bad.
Click to expand...

2" :lol: I said just enough to get the wrench in :) I think I used 1". Glad you got it off. BTW, I have wheeled mine hard for several years and have had no problems from the access holes weakening the frame, it's non issue IMO.
 
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