JB SS SYE on spare 231j. Woods is the only true SYE for the 242 that I am aware of. I already have the TW SYE halfway installed on the 242. I am rebuilding the 242 and installing the SYE, just waiting on a couple parts to be delivered.
I need to start selling shit. I have too many parts taking up space
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
Finally got the 242 put together with SYE and now a long input shaft. Should’ve had it done sooner, but my paranoia over fucking up had me moving very slow. So hopefully I still didn’t fuck up. I’ll try to drop the 231 and install it tomorrow.
Measure input stick out distance for us on both cases and where the seal rides on your 231 shaft please
The 231 and 242 with the long shaft are basically identical. The 231 is right at 1.5” and the 242 looks like it sticks out maybe a 16th of an inch more.
231:
242:
There’s approximately 2.5” of splines on the 3550 output shaft. It protrudes about 1/8” beyond the mating surface on the tranny. The long input shaft on the 242 protrudes 2 1/16” beyond the mating surface on the TC. So that’s about 2 3/16” of spline engagement with the long input shaft. Since the longer input shaft is 5/8” longer than the short input shaft you would basically have 1.5” of spline engagement with the short.
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I'm hoping to put a 242 in mine as well. Did you just source the handle insert from a Liberty? what shifter gate are you planning to use?
Insert is from a liberty, the shift gate in the picture is for a 242, those were the 2 hardest pieces to find. I still need to adjust the shift cable (novak shifter) as I am not able to get all the way into 2wd even with the correct gate.
Some junkyards around here give the VIN for the vehicles, I used that to pull the build sheets from Chrysler to find a liberty with a 242
That looks good. I kick myself for getting rid of the 3 I had plus all the shifters.
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
From what your showing.. Sounds like the 231 on the Nv3550.?? in its strongest form would be around 2.5" engagement. IMHO that is best thing to want to match...
Sometimes Bean Counter's make engineers kick back on later models if something to them looks over kill. Sooo manufacturing starts to skimp.
Besides.. if you got it open to re-new it and/or SYE.. might as well go long for the extra 50 bucks. Maybe more importing to go long.. if you beefed up the case with a 6 planet from the oem 3 as well.
What engagement length did they do with the 241? (4:1) version to the trans options? Would think an Auto Trans would have some absorption of forces; a standard transmission wont have, so am curiou what they did with those behind the different Trans.
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
what re-wire did you do on the plug (or replace it) to mate with that part of the TJ harness underneath?
The 231 plug wont fit the sensor. You need this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089VHHCD7?tag=wranglerorg-20
Part S638 if link dies in the future.
I tried to add a new pin to the empty spot for the light in the dash connection, I went to a JY and found a 2000 Cherokee, all Cherokees are pre-wired for the light whether they have a 242 or 231, I removed the gauge cluster and took both the left and right connector in case I needed a spare (glad I did) I could not find a way to depin the connector without destroying it, even with a fancy depin kit. Even after I got one of the pins out there is no way I could get it into the empty spot on the existing TJ connector, In the end I cut off the existing connector and spliced in the Cherokee connector. You have to run a new wire from the connector all the way to the new plug for the sensor.
Even though I had diagrams for both 231 and 242 connectors I had a hard time getting the wiring right, it took a lot of trial and error. Maybe I am just not smart enough to read the diagrams right. Plus the connector from Amazon has an extra wire. What worked was:
White wire on new connector to new wire to dash
Yellow wire on new connector to black wire with red stripe on old connector
Red wire on new connector to black wire on old connector
Black wire on new connector unused
Also, even though I am using a shift gate from a 242 I had to modify it. not sure why but I needed more throw in both the front and back to get all 5 options.
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
@jwilkinson01 can you recommend a Np242 rebuild kit (or anyone else). One with GOOD diagrams, good identification of what seal is what etc... I got a kit all the parts just chunked into bags and into a shipping box. After complete confusion..... discovered after some phone calls and emails.... the kit ended up being a multi - vehicle one.... so some seals in kit are are used on some vehicle's by spec...... where other seals are used by other vehicle's by spec.. so you have "extra parts" that will end up NOT used in your version (such as Jeep).... well NONE of that is specified by the kit seller...they offer zero paper work, etc to show you what goes where and with what vehicle versions of 242,.... .. the seals have NO numbers on them so you can only Mic. them out to see what matches and looks similar... but that still leaves huge doubts cause they are still just little different in what you removed .... then some superseded parts are in the kit too....... so you end up with seals from the 242 you pulled a part..... with seemingly NOTHING in the kit your confident should actually be used , much less where to use them!!! AKA what should have been a simple swap out old parts for new..... turned into an absolute NIGHTMARE of a month of daily work on it (and other things).
Needed my TJ driving 2 months ago..... didnt have a choice but put 231 back in. Anyway..... maybe this winter will attempt finishing rebuilding the 242 ... thus seeking advice on a second rebuild kit so at a good point; can start all over.
Became so !@#$%%^&* frustrated that every single seal I removed..... didnt have a match in the kit .... sadly gave up after nearly a month of trying to search everything and get things to match in a way was confident that 1000 miles down the road the T-case wont blow up due to putting wrong seal in.. or backward. Closest affordable T-case rebuilder I can find is an hour away... since got nothing to drive unless I rent a car that threw a wrench in that idea. Stupid piece of shait 242 kit cost me HUGE in time and money
Modifying generic H. Freight style jack to transmission jack with an adapter and installed the 231 ... Sadly they dont make that adapter for H.Freight type jacks so you got to modify one of the adapters on the market to get it to work. Not a complaint..... knew would have to do build or buy a used transmission jack no matter what. Trivia 242 is heavier than 231 as well. Granted; 20yrs ago would have just bench pressed it and used my third arm to start the nuts.... but yee ol' shoulders cant do what what use too or. Anyway..... finally got 231 back in.
Working to start engine now (it is new to me also)... slow progress forward
Once again- Any good rebuild 242 Kit suggestions out there? one's with with real parts breakdowns, instructions, etc..
Needed my TJ driving 2 months ago..... didnt have a choice but put 231 back in. Anyway..... maybe this winter will attempt finishing rebuilding the 242 ... thus seeking advice on a second rebuild kit so at a good point; can start all over.
Became so !@#$%%^&* frustrated that every single seal I removed..... didnt have a match in the kit .... sadly gave up after nearly a month of trying to search everything and get things to match in a way was confident that 1000 miles down the road the T-case wont blow up due to putting wrong seal in.. or backward. Closest affordable T-case rebuilder I can find is an hour away... since got nothing to drive unless I rent a car that threw a wrench in that idea. Stupid piece of shait 242 kit cost me HUGE in time and money
Modifying generic H. Freight style jack to transmission jack with an adapter and installed the 231 ... Sadly they dont make that adapter for H.Freight type jacks so you got to modify one of the adapters on the market to get it to work. Not a complaint..... knew would have to do build or buy a used transmission jack no matter what. Trivia 242 is heavier than 231 as well. Granted; 20yrs ago would have just bench pressed it and used my third arm to start the nuts.... but yee ol' shoulders cant do what what use too or. Anyway..... finally got 231 back in.
Working to start engine now (it is new to me also)... slow progress forward
Once again- Any good rebuild 242 Kit suggestions out there? one's with with real parts breakdowns, instructions, etc..
Coachgeo
TJ Enthusiast
little late now.... but think I included in this thread a write up on this ..... which had run across some place else. knowing what you did would help clarify is why asked tya.
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