231 Transfer Case Confusion

The one i'm looking at is out of a '92 XJ with a 4.0 auto. Looks like it's in decent shape.
The year is quite a bit off from mine but it seems close enough assuming it's a 23 spline?

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That looks like a short input to me, which isn't gonna reach your 32RH output seal. Do you have another input to swap in or did you get your hands on one of those seal extensions? According to Novak the AW4 (the auto used in the xj) was a short input, 23 spline after 1990 but some of their other info isn't correct.

Otherwise '92 should be ok. You want to stay away from pre-1990 as those were used with a disconnecting front axle and had an internal difference that you don't want - neutral isn't truly neutral. It disengages input from output, but it leaves the front and rear outputs engaged to each other.
 
That looks like a short input to me, which isn't gonna reach your 32RH output seal. Do you have another input to swap in or did you get your hands on one of those seal extensions? According to Novak the AW4 (the auto used in the xj) was a short input, 23 spline after 1990 but some of their other info isn't correct.

Otherwise '92 should be ok. You want to stay away from pre-1990 as those were used with a disconnecting front axle and had an internal difference that you don't want - neutral isn't truly neutral. It disengages input from output, but it leaves the front and rear outputs engaged to each other.

I have the input from my teralow unit. That should swap over? Unless that is part of the planetary gear and isn't compatible with stock?
 
I have the input from my teralow unit. That should swap over? Unless that is part of the planetary gear and isn't compatible with stock?

Almost certain that won't swap over. The input gear comprises the "sun" in the planetary gearset. Different planetary, different annulus, different sun all goes to produce the 4:1 ratio and are the core of what makes the TeraLow different than the standard 231.
 
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Inputs from other NPxxx cases will swap in so long as the gear cut is the same. Pre and post 94-95 if i remember right. Visually one has rounded teeth and the other is supposed to be sharp?
 
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Almost certain that won't swap over. The input gear comprises the "sun" in the planetary gearset. Different planetary, different annulus, different sun all goes to produce the 4:1 ratio and are the core of what makes the TeraLow different than the standard 231.

to add to this, not only are the gears different sizes, the TeraLow uses something called a "compound planetary", where the planet gears are stepped with one half riding inside the ring gear and the other half , with a different number of teeth, riding on the sun gear.

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I suspect this was the most practical/cost effective way they found to cram the 4:1 ratio into something that would bolt to the back half of a 231 case. The ratio is determined by the ring gear-to-sun gear tooth count so otherwise the input gear would have had to be made very small, or the ring gear very large.

The ratio is determined by S/(R+S), so for the 2.72 ratio in the 231, the ring gear has to be 1.72x the sun gear... for the 241OR it has to be 3x.

For the compound the math gets more complicated and I've spent enough time trying to find the right ratio equation without success.

If you look at the 241OR planetary you see the planets are huge in comparison, required to take up the space between the larger difference in diameter between ring vs sun. This probably also demonstrates why the 241 doesn't blow up when you rev past 2500 too much...large planet gears aren't spinning nearly as fast.

241OR:
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231

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TeraLow (note the smaller step in the planet gears is straight cut instead of helical, so even if the diameter matched up, the teeth don't work because the factory cases are all helical)
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and inside the teralow case, the straight cut ring gear appears to be pressed into the case, whereas the standard 231 is retained by a snapring.

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Ok thank you. I was able to find one from a 98 TJ, long input 23 spline, matches up with what I have. Sounded good when I rotated everything so hopefully its good to go. Will take the cases apart soon and try to merge the two.

I notice on mine with the SYE, the front and rear spin separately, on the one I picked up they don't. Any major modifications need to be done to the non SYE case before I put my rear half on it?
 
I notice on mine with the SYE, the front and rear spin separately, on the one I picked up they don't. Any major modifications need to be done to the non SYE case before I put my rear half on it?

turn the shift lever through all the detents and check it. The front and rear should only lock together in 4H and 4L. It may just be in one of those gears right now.
 
You don't need the rear case half from the original. Just the sye kit out of it. If there was metal grit in it i doubly wouldn't want more parts from it than necessary