Help! N231 lost 2HI and 4HI while on the freeway!

[BigTP2]

'96 XJ, Auto, N231

Driving home last night I was cruzing along the freeway at about 65-70 when all of a sudden it was like i had shifted into neutral! No bang, clunk, or grinding it just went into neutral and my RPMs shot way up.

I thought it was the tranmission at first, so I pulled over but found that it was infact the transfercase that was in neutral. Shifting transmission from drive, reverse, park doesn't matter. Checked transfercase linkage, seemed fine.

Was able to force the transfercase into 4LO and could drive the remaining 2 miles home at about 25 miles an hour. But shifting transfercase into 2HI or 4HI doesn't make a difference, just freewheels.

Anyone have any ideas before I tear the N231 apart? What would go wrong in the transfercase that would get rid of 2HI and 4HI at the same time? Again, the linkage is working and shifting the lever on the transfercase correctly. Shift fork? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Benji]

im wondering if the linkage came out of adjustment?

 

[BigTP2]

That could be true. So, you are saying that maybe the linkage can't get all the way up to 2HI. If that was the case, I would think that I could get it into 4HI before it went all the way down to 4LO. The problem is that it doesn't catch anywhere between 2HI and N on the transfer case.


Could the shift fork be out of alignment? If so, how would i still be able to get it into 4LO and drive?

 

[Benji]

i would have some one move the lever in the car. while you climb under and take a look. the shift rod has a adjustment on it. other wise it could be one of the two forks inside. i just dont understand how it didnt make any noise when it happend. if its some thing in the transfercase. you could drain it and see if metal comes out.

 

[BigTP2]

Ok, I tried a few things:

Crawled underneath with the tranmission in neutral.

I was able to shift the transfer case from 2HI, 4HI, N, to 4LO by hand from underneath.

In 2HI the front driveshaft freespins and the rear is engaged, which they should. In 4HI the front driveshaft and rear driveshaft are engaged and move together (but not able to spin becuase the wheels aren't moving), which they should. In N both front and rear spin freely. In 4LO, both front and rear driveshafts spin together, which they should. But, I can only engage the transmission in 4LO. All the other gears the tranny just freewheels.

So, it seems like one shift fork is working correctly. However, the transmission is not getting engaged to any of the transfer case settings except for 4LO. I am assuming there is another shift fork?

What parts should I go get? Anyone heard of this before? Does anyone have a link to an exploded view of the NP231 or a rebuilding guide?