new member, big problem w/ my zj

[horkn]

well, my name is Tom. and i have a problem. no, not my drinking problem. i understand that

i have a 93 grand cherokee ltd with the np249 awd quadratrac transfer case.

well, it seems it only is a front wheel drive at the moment. which sucks since my other option to drive in winter is a one wheel drive chevy pickup

from what i hear, its common for the viscous coupler to fail, and from what i have seen, its pricey. the jeep has 140k on it, I6, and never really ahd an issue with it until now. (my moms newer 99 4.7 grand cherokee quadradrive whater is another story)


does it sound like the transfer case is shot, or just needs a rebuild? or maybe the rear ring gear broke? is that a common problem as well?

of course i have not driven it since i realized that it was only operating the front wheels. but how long it was operating in FWD only i couldnt tell you. it doesnt seem to be making any weird noises other than the normal ones a 4.0 I6 makes. and when i got the truck like 7 years ago, the 4wd selector hasnt ever budged form 4 high. i assumed it was rusted in place, and since it worked, i didnt ever mess with it. I have put at least 80k on it since i got it.


well, hopefully you guys can shed some light on this, and maybe you guys know of a good place to get a used good 249, or maybe even a swap for the command trac if possible, and easy.

this is my winter beater vehicle, and i really dont ant to stick any more $$ into it than i really have to.

thanks in advance
- tom

[horkn]

oh yeah, it stated moving after it has been put in park as well.
thats also something i hear that happens when the viscous coupler goes..

come on guys 31 views and no replies?

[sarah]

Welcome horkn, I can't answer your question, but I did move this to a tech forum so you might get a better response.
Sarah

[horkn]

thanks, i didnt know where exactly i should put this post to get some viewage...

[Dukes69]

the 249 is a piece of crap. find a 242 case and put it in there, thats probably your problem.

[horkn]

yeah i see the 249 has its flaws, but for as easy of a fix the VC is to replace, i really dont think its worth my time to put in the 242 TC.

i really only plan on keeping this jeep for a couple years. the original VC lasted til this summer.


basically i am sick of driving my one wheel wonder chevy pickup in the snow we have here in milwaukee

[scubatch]

[QUOTE=horkn]yeah i see the 249 has its flaws, but for as easy of a fix the VC is to replace, i really dont think its worth my time to put in the 242 TC.

I think its about $900 to have the VC replaced by a shop.You can get a junkyard 242 or 231 for $200-$300 and replace it yourself.I did the swap in about 1 1/2 hours in my driveway.

[blkTJ]

I think its about $900 to have the VC replaced by a shop.You can get a junkyard 242 or 231 for $200-$300 and replace it yourself.I did the swap in about 1 1/2 hours in my driveway.

sure but did you have to shovel first???

[horkn]

well, the best price i have found for new Viscous couplings is 330 dollars.

my mechanic told me it would be an hour - 1.5 hours to replace it. so, thats way under 500 bucks.

If it was summer, and i didnt have my mustang stored already, i would have done the VC replacement myself.

but thats not the case.

and if i planned on keeping it longer, i would probably do the 242 conversion as well.


is there even such a thing as a viscous coupler repair shop? i mean one that rebuilds just the VC? probably not, but i figured if anyone knew, you guys might.

[Clifton]

I love jeeps just as much as the next guy but if there is one thing that i have learned is that is if it says Jeep, it is kinda pricey. There is probably no quick solution of cheap fix on yours. If it was a ring gear that was out it would be making all kind of noise i do know that. I dont know if the Chrysler version of of awd is anything like the Gm version of awd or not but the way it works on most of the Gm versions is you could put it in awd and not all of the wheels would pull until the verhicle would lose traction and then it would engage the front differential, I think that the Chrysler version is similar for the main fact is that nothing lasts long in actual awd on hard surfaces, but i am not for sure. All that pretty much doesnt tell you a whole lot about fixin your problem other than it is probably gonna cost you a pretty penny to fix or go with a swap. If it were me and i was gonna keep the jeep i would fix it with probably doing the swap to a better transfer, it beats buying a new vehicle. Wished i could help more, i will do some checking with some of my transmision buddies.

[Clifton]

just wondering

Did you happen to put manual locking hubs on it. Chevroet came out with some older k-5 blazers that were all wheel drive and if you tryied tp put manual locking hubs on the front wither the front or the rear wouldnt pull, make sure that it has the oem hub locks on the front if any.

[zjmike]

There are many issues with the 249 case one of which is the VC, the other is actually the Low Range is not a true mechanical lock.

If your VC is blow, I would definitely get a NP242 and swap it, you can swap it in a about 3-4 hours, the linkage will mount right up.

Just find a 242 from another zj, OR an XJ, you need the 23 spline short input version.

BTW IT IS EXTREMELY RARE that you have a 249 in the I6 as that combination wasnt readily available until 97, but chrysler did some weird stuff at times.

Try putting the transfer case into 4wlo and see if that fixes it. you can check this by putting it up on jackstands, OR remove the front driveshaft and try it..

Where are you located??? I could walk you through the swap and you can find those 242;s all over the place, OR even 231's for under 200

[horkn]

well, i am back

the zj still has front wheel drive , but hasnt moved since i discovered the problem.

yes, it is a 93 4.0 I6 with the original np249 quadratrac, and i know that most 249 awd quadra tracs were fitted with the 318 v8. this is the only reason i think the VC lasted as long as it did, since the I6 has less power than the 318.

I have discovered that to replace the VC on the 249 would be 330 dollars plus 1.5 hours of labor at 45 dollars per hour (my local guy is good, and i dont have the time to fix it) .

i have decided that i can get a 242 and have the awd, as well as 2wd, and all the other fun modes for less money than fixing the 249.

i have found semi locally (other side of the state) a 242 out of a 94 zj for $220, and the guy at the shop said it would be one more hour (2.5 hours) to swap the TC over to the 242. so, for less $ i cna get a different TC, one that is apparently bullet proof.

i will check the classifieds here on the for sale forum, but this seems like the easiest fix to me.

i heard that 95-98 242s out of zj's will work, but the speed sensor is different and needs to be swapped, and that i can even use the same shifter frm the 249 on the 242, as long as i have the correct bezel so i know what mode the TC is in.

i also found out thta i could use a 242 out of an XJ, but i would need to swap the front output half from the old 249 to the 242 since the xj has a 21 spline, and the zj has a 23 spline front output.

so, does all that i have said sound right? just basically looking for confirmation, since i have put some research into this.

[horkn]

i guess my biggest fear is that i replace the transfer case, and it ends up being the transmission as well. if the truck would stay put in park, i wouldnt worry as much. it drives fine though, no noises, so it cant be the rear pinion, but i could drain the fluid from that and see if there are metal pieces in it. or i could raise the entire truck w/ jackstands and see / hear for cruching/ grinding from anywhere when i put it in drive