ZJ 231 Swap

[Rubber Chuck]

I am starting this swap tonight when I get home from work. My 4:1 kit should be in today. Did anybody ever do a write-up on a 4:1 install and if not...do we need/want one?

[DJJordache]

the more info the better, I'd like to see a 4:1 install writeup

[Rubber Chuck]

Ok.....got the 249 out tonight and threw the 231 in to get a driveshaft measurement.
The 1 bolt that Dave mentions in his write-up.....approximately the 10 o'clock position when looking at the t-case from the front was the only bolt that gave me issues.....the other 5 came out w/ a 14mm ratchet wrench. The last one I had to remove the crossmember and lower the tranny/t-case. I then was able to get both arms up and around the t-case to get at that last bolt. I used a small 3/8 drive flex head ratchet.....it's actually a 1/4" drive ratchet w/ a 3/8" head in it......can't put too much snot into it.....but after 263K....none of the t-case bolts were very tight.
If anybody wants.....I can take a pic of the ratchet I am talking about.

Now my 249has the long input shaft andthe 231 has a short shaft ....what really is the issue here??? Is it just a sealing problem??? I know it engages....I was messing w/ it when I had the 231 in for the DS measurement.

Hey Big Dave...do you still have any input shafts laying around??? 1993 v8 is what I have.......the 231 came out of an early 90s 6cyl YJ. From what I heard....if I ordered the 4:1 kit correctly....it should be a non-issue.

Has anyone seen the extended seals that Tera makes?? I have one and it looks like it should work if the shaft length difference was shorter....like going from an intermediate shaft to a short shaft.....or a long shaft to an intermediate shaft.....what it does is extend the seal out towards the t-case approx a 1/2"

Now as far as the 4:1 write-up is concerned.....I'll be happy to do it....but this is my first time doing this conversion.
Let me know.

[Jim311]

Was there ever a writeup on the 4:1?

[BigDaveZJ]

My understanding was that the 4:1 was UBER-easy to install, they just send you a new front case half and some other stuff and you just re-assemble the case with the new parts.

[Jim311]

Yeah, I looked at a writeup on 4x4 wire and it's basically just swapping over some parts to the new front half. I'm curious about the strength of the kit and the long term reliability.

[DJJordache]

I have a buddy with one in his TJ and he has had no problems for the past few years he has had it installed

[bigrubbers4x4]

anyone know where to get this 4:1 kit for the the 231, if so hook us up with a link. i will be doing the 231 swap within the next few weeks since my 249 is ready to explode, it grinds real bad in 4Lo.

[KDUB]

Here ya go. Next time maybe you should read the whole thread, it was in there.


http://www.teraflex.biz/pages/product_results.php

[tywilson88]

so do you have to do anything with the front driveshaft.

[jfowlzj95]

Nothing needed to be done with the front, the rear was the only change for me.

[RebelGT]

I think the concern is for us ZJ guys not to try to use one of the later TC's that have no speedometer hole at all. You can easily switch a sensor, but if the case has no hole, you have no speedo.

Well, if you use an SYE you'll gain a hole for the speedo, I used a 2000 Dakota 231 T-case, and put in an advanced adapters SYE.

[94laredo]

What would I have to do to put a 231 from an '89 blazer in my '94? The guy that has it for sale said that it is a 27 spline. Would the input shaft from my 249 have the same diameter and gear cut? Sorry for all the dumb questions but I can get it for cheap and if it works then I might get it rather than a Jeep 231.

Also, arent the internals of the Chevys stronger than the Jeeps?

[macka]

What would I have to do to put a 231 from an '89 blazer in my '94? The guy that has it for sale said that it is a 27 spline. Would the input shaft from my 249 have the same diameter and gear cut? Sorry for all the dumb questions but I can get it for cheap and if it works then I might get it rather than a Jeep 231.

Also, arent the internals of the Chevys stronger than the Jeeps?

you know junk yards are filled with Jeep cherokees that have 231's and they are cheap and pretty much any 94 on with a 231 case has the right output spline.

[cooperzj]

Nothing needed to be done with the front, the rear was the only change for me.

I'm doing a swap as well, but I'll be doing it the same time as my 8.8. The longer pinion may negate the extra length required by the 231. I'll have to wait and measure once everythings under there.

Anyone with a 8.8 and a 231 mind measuring their rear driveshaft?

[DansZJ]

I didn't think there was a need to post a new thread when this one has so much info. I think I answered my own question, but I need confirmation.
I just swapped a 242 in and got rid of the 249. The install went went well, and the input shafts matched right up. I also have a SYE and new drive shaft. I have the AW4 and that trans is huge. It was in the way of almost every bolt I had to remove!

The 242 has a new 3-pin VSS:


My 249 has a 2-wire vss that looks like this:

I was going to swap the sensors out, but the old one is cracked (shown in red) and I can't reuse it.
Anyone have the 2-wire and convert to the 3 wire style? is there a way to get the 3 pin sensor to work with a 2-pin harness?
If not, I'll have to salvage the old part that mounts to the tc and get a new 2-wire VSS.

Other than this small snag, I'm glad to have the 2 high option. Now I can start going to emissions every 2 years instead of every year! (They can't run the full-time 4 wheel drives on their dyno, so they make me come every year. Lame.)
I'm running without my speedo right now and using my GPS for a monitor my speed .

[fsjtrash]

I've got a 242, do I WANT to swap in a 231?
I've got one from a 98 4.0 XJ laying about.

[dads5.9]

Why??? The big gain was for all of us that had the 249 and a bad VC. The 242 is a good tcase. Keep the 231 as a spare or sell it for something that you need.

[fsjtrash]

ahh ok.

[grandmaster]

Ok so I'm going to pick up my 231 this saturday. Its out of a 97 TJ nd has a SYE. And the question im about to ask is kind of dumb. I have a friend who bought a new shifter linkage setup, they handle shifter thingy and all. Is this really needed? Also I'm wondering what kind of drive shafts people are using who have the SYE. I heard of one from J E Reel on another post, but I kind of dont want to spend too much money because im planning on putting my 8.8 in within the next 6 months. So im wondering what my options are, preferbly the cheapest. Will a drive shaft out of an XJ work? I have a friend who is selling 2 tom woods drive shafts, but i wont know the length i need before the swap is complete. Or am i down to getting my stock one shortened? Or just buying a whole new one. Thanks in advance for any help.

[DJJordache]

I just extended a stock front dshaft. It doesn't really matter if it is a front from an XJ ZJ WJ since it will need to be extended anyway.
It's been a while but if I remember correctly mine is almost 40" from UJ center to UJ center

edit: and the shifter thingy is not needed... I'm using the stock stuff

[grandmaster]

So i will HAVE to extend the front shaft and buy a new rear shaft due to the SYE?

[jfowlzj95]

I didn't have to do anything to the front shaft when I did the swap, only had to shorten the rear by 1" but you won't have to worry about that since you have an SYE. With the SYE you'll definatly have to lengthen the rear shaft, plus you'll wanna get a double cardan joint at the t-case end of the rear shaft since you got rid of the slip yoke.

[BigDaveZJ]

Shouldn't need to do anything to your front shaft.

[DJJordache]

So i will HAVE to extend the front shaft and buy a new rear shaft due to the SYE?

haha no silly! I was saying to run a front driveshaft (since it is dual cardan) in the rear for a cheaper SYE compatable rear driveshaft.