Transfer case Help

[DivineFord]

I was wondering if anyone could help me.. My 77 Chevy 4x4 seems to be missing a transfer range. I can only find three positions for the transfer case lever, instead of the four that is should have. what is the shift pattern for a 205. I can look right at the transfer as i go through, and both rods go in all the way. do they both come out all the way to, or is one supposed to move before the other? I would really like some help. Sorry if i'm a little unclear, but I'll answer whatever I can to clear thing up.

Matt

[plumbcut]

they arent supposed to always move at the same time. What range do you think you're missing? All the way forward is 4-low. one click back is neutral, one more back is 2-high and lastly, all the way back is 4-high.

[DivineFord]

I think 4 hi isn't working, but I can't tell because my front output is snapped off. Do you know how the rails are supposed to move?

matt

[Grim Reaper]

You sure it's a 205?

Shifter in 203's get gummed up and you don't get a positive stop. In 77 the 203 was MUCH more common then the 205. About the only way you got a 205 was if you had a manual transmission.

The couple 205's I played with were very positive when they shifted. There is spring loaded detent ball that determins what shaft moves when to give you the 5 positions. If your getting low and High I would start looking at possibly the spring breaking that puts pressure.

Now one thing of note especially truc on the 203. Thye shift a lot better ith tranny in Neutral and rolling just a little. Then they shift great. Sitting still in park and the 203 fights like a pit bull.

[DivineFord]

I know it's a 205. I have a manual and the truck used to be a six. It looks like a 205, and I have manual hubs. I don't need to fix it right now, as a friend is giving me his old 208. Not as strong, but a better low range and it works. It's even from a manual of about the same year. I even get the driveshaft to boot.


matt

[Grim Reaper]

I would see if you can get the transmission from that other truck. GM didn't start with the 203 till 81. There is some differences. The 77 is going to be a 10 spline for sure. The 208 is proably a 32spline and a different bolt pater for mating it to the 465. The 208 is also a slip yoke.

Personnaly I would keep the 205. It's stronger in every reguards and as slong as it's not full of water then what ever problem you having with the whifter is relatively minior.

I'm pretty good wit hthe 203s as far as working on the shifters but I'm a little lost on the 205. If you can get an answer here you might try the 67-72 forums. Bit more compn case for those years and the forum is a little more busy. www.ck5.com might find some help on too.

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by Grim Reaper

GM didn't start with the 203 till 81.

i hope you mean 208, and if not, check your sources.

[DivineFord]

I'll check the splines to make sure, but I'd rather use the 208 right now if it fits. The shifter is a minor problem, but the front output shaft of the 205 is snapped clean off, so that would need to be replaced too. I'm geting the 208 for free, so as long as it fits its a better option for now. It may give me the time to rebuild the 205 at my leisure. I would like to know if the splines did change though, so if anyone has any info please let me know.

matt

[plumbcut]

if you're getting the 208 for free, go look at the input shaft. Count the splines, if its any type of fine spline, it wont work with your current transmission. The 77 Np205 you have is definately a 10 spline like grim said. If you're not sure of the year of the np205, there is a rectangular tag screwed to the case which will have the build date on it. I would check. Your current rear driveshaft will not connect to the np208 either. It would be much easier and cheaper and IMO better to fix the np205 that you have now.

Chock the wheel, the drop the rear driveshaft. Now put the transfer case shifter all the way forward as far as it will possibly go. Get under the truck and turn the rear output yoke by hand and see if it turns whats left of the front. If its moving, you should not be able to stop it with the force of your finger. That is 4-low.

Now click the shifter back a notch. Its a pretty long throw back to neutral.. You should be able to move the front & rear independently of each other. Now move the shifter back one more click, thats 2-high. With the force of your palm on the front output, you should be able to hold it still while you spin the rear output...... Back one more click with the shifter, and thats 4-High.... obviously now they should both spin in unison and you should not be able to stop the front output w/ your palm..

That is Four shifter positions, not 3 not 5, etc etc. Trying to figure out if its working by looking at the shift rods is pointless if you're not even sure how the transfer case works in the first place. Dont waste your time. They DONT move same. Do my test and report back with the results. Otherwise you're just wasting everyones time. Going from a 205 to a 208 would be a big mistake. If you need the low range that bad you probably have a pretty serious rig, in which case you DONT want an aluminum slip yoke 208. You're already running a manual transmission, isnt the granny gear enough low range for you?

The 208 isnt going to bolt in as easy as you think. Consider--- front & rear driveshafts, slip yokes, U-joint conversions, crossmember moving, mounting the new shifter for the 208 which is much different than the 205, speedometer cable, etc etc.

I dont really care which way you go, I just think you're sort of a sucker to swap out a mostly good np205 in favor of a 208. Take my opinion with a grain of salt.

pc

[DivineFord]

I checked and the 208 won't work with my 465. In 80 the 465 went to a 32 spline output that would be what the 208 uses for an input. I'm going to check the transfer using plumbcut's suggestions if it stops raining tomorrow. I was only using the 208 because it was free and I had access to all the donor parts(drivshafts, slipyoke ect.) I would rather fix the case and keep it, so the 208 was just to be instant gratification of working four wheel drive. In light of recent information the 205 will remain in the truck and I will replace the front output and work on the shifter rails. I think that i'm missing either 4 hi or 2 hi, since i know nuetral exists and i beleive 4 low works. I'll post results.

Matt

[1FaastC10]

i've got a 10 spline 205 that could possibly be scabbed for parts.

[DivineFord]

1Faastc10
what would you want for the front output? The whole thing would be alot to mail, but the output might be reasonable. Best price for a used output so far is 100 bucks.

matt

[DivineFord]

just got all the positions to work in the 205. the pivot on the rail nearer the front output was stuck, so the two rails moved together. I freed the piviot so that the lower rail has 3 positions and the rail closer to the trans has 4 positions. Now I can watch and feel the 4 positions of the shifter. Thanks for eveyones help, I really appreciate everyone's time and efforts. i'm still looking for a front output right now, so this is not the last of the 205's problems. You guys rock

matt

[plumbcut]

What kind of front output do you want? If its a truely a 1977 NP205 then its the flanged style. Do you have the front driveshaft? Is it a yoke on both ends or does it have the flange'd end on the CV-joint side?

Report back, and Ill see what I can do as far as a front yoke

pc

[DivineFord]

i have the driveshaft and the yoke (no flange, but it could be a oddball or different year. From what I hear the only thing that is original is the frame and transmission.) I just need the 10 spline front output shaft and everything should be good to go.

matt