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4x4 w/ 2wd 5 speed and divorced NP205?

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Old 02-25-2010, 11:52 PM
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I don't know much about them other than they are a gear drive case. and were offered in lighter duty applications.
Old 02-26-2010, 12:04 AM
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Did a little research and its more than likly a Dana 24.

http://www.fordification.com/tech/transfercase.htm

The Dana 24 was installed in F-250 4x4's from 1960 through 1972. The transfer case accepts power from the transmission output shaft and transfers it to the front and rear axles. This model is a stand-alone unit sometimes referred to as a divorce-mounted transfer case. It has two-speeds: High and Low. The gear ratios are 1.86 and 1.00 to 1. There are four shifting positions: 4L-N-2H-4H (and an undocumented and not-recommended 5th position between 4L and N which will give you 2wd low). Defective transfer case bearings are a common source of drive-train vibrations. It is well worth the time and effort to have the transfer case rebuilt.

Dana 24's are PTO-capable. The Dana 23/24 PTO's are very rare and highly prized by early Napco conversion truck owners. There were 2 styles: The early style Dana PTO that was a big cast unit that bolted directly to the case and the later style that used the standard 6 bolt PTO pattern with a thick adapter plate to fit the 23/24 cases. The early style are worth their weight in gold.

If you are using 80 or 90W gear lube in your transmission or transfer case then it will not operate as smoothly as it should. Ford service and operating manuals both recommend using 50W engine oil in both the 4-speed manual trans and the transfer case when the operating temperatures are over 10 degrees Fahrenheit (30W engine oil is recommended when the operating temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

A big shortcoming of the Dana 24 case is it's lack of a strut rod or really any way to easily adapt one to it. Under heavy loading (such as towing conditions), a divorced transfer case tends to jerk forward-and-aft and makes for a rough ride and the truck's drivetrain takes a good beating from it.

Many, but not all, 73-77 F-250 4x4's with the NP205 case came with a factory strut rod that consisted of a plate that bolted to the NP205's lowest rear cover, a tube that bolts to one of several adjustment holes in the lower bracket and an angled bracket with rubber shock bushings that's riveted to a frame crossmember.

This strut rod (pictured at right, click to enlarge) is very easy to adapt to any '67-'72 F-250 4x4 after swapping in an NP205 case. The strut rod will have to be shortened several inches due to the difference in wheelbase from '67-'72 trucks vs. the '73-later trucks, but works very well and appears factory.
Old 02-26-2010, 01:32 AM
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Hello Bearkiller,

Looks like you have an NP203

http://www.fordification.com/tech/transfercase.htm

Old 02-26-2010, 02:45 AM
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I never knew they made a Divorced 203

looks like I should've read a little deeper
Old 02-26-2010, 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by pulltilbroke
Did a little research and its more than likly a Dana 24.
Thank you; you have went above and beyond the call of duty.

An old time Ford guy also told me that it should be the Dana-24 .


This strut rod (pictured at right, click to enlarge)
?? picture ??

Originally Posted by PapeCAT
Looks like you have an NP203



I just went out into the cold and had another look at the shifter-****; the one pictured is exactly the one I have.

After I decided it for certain wasn't a 205, I was hoping for it to be the Dana-24; but, the evidence you just presented has most likely incriminated it to be a NP-203.


Oh well, it is divorced, so it won't be any big deal to swap it whenever a 205 lands in my lap.


You guys are much appreciated for helping me with my mystery.
Old 02-26-2010, 09:31 PM
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You cant tell what T/C it is by a shift ****, although it is a "full time" case shift ****. It's real easy to tell a 203 from a 205 even if the tags are missing. The 205 is one case, the 203 is 2 cases. One is the "range" box and the other houses the chain and outputs. The range box sits infront of the output section and is smaller.

Stu
Old 02-26-2010, 10:31 PM
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Originally Posted by oly_fab
You cant tell what T/C it is by a shift ****, although it is a "full time" case shift ****. It's real easy to tell a 203 from a 205 even if the tags are missing. The 205 is one case, the 203 is 2 cases. One is the "range" box and the other houses the chain and outputs. The range box sits infront of the output section and is smaller.

Stu

Thank you.

The actual shift-pattern of my case in question exactly matches the pattern depicted on the ****.

In contrast, both the Dana-24 and the NP-205 have an in-line shift-pattern, straight forward and back.
Old 02-27-2010, 09:40 AM
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Is there anyway you could get a pic of the T/C? I can honstly say I've never seen a divorced 203. If it is you may beable to get top dollar for that adaptor as alot of guys use the 203 range box in rockcrawlers as doublers.

Stu
Old 02-27-2010, 09:55 AM
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Originally Posted by BearKiller
Thank you.

The actual shift-pattern of my case in question exactly matches the pattern depicted on the ****.

In contrast, both the Dana-24 and the NP-205 have an in-line shift-pattern, straight forward and back.
Actually, the 92 and 93 Cummins first gens I've owned have had gated 205 shifters. My 91.5 is straight forward and back though.
Old 02-27-2010, 11:25 AM
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If it is, in fact, a 203, and all evidence so far is pointing in that direction, it for certain has had a "part-time" kit installed, because there are some very serious looking hub lockers on the front axle and they are set on "FREE".


If I can gather enough courage to lay on the cold wet snowy icy ground, I may crawl under there afterwhile with a flash-light and wire-brush and see if it has an i.d. plate.
Old 01-20-2015, 03:54 PM
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Good day, Bear Killer:

Did you happen to ever solve the mystery of your T-Case model? An np203 would be easy to spot, the range box is in front, chain drive cast iron center section, and a larger aluminum drum looking output housing that houses the T-Case Differential.

Not sure what the Dana 24 looks like.

Either way, the divorced np203 is very rare, but did in fact exist in your era ford.

One thing to note is that a divorced ford np205 shares the same type of crossmember as the divorced np203, they just used different interface plates - in case you wanted to do some swapping. I have (2) ford divorced np205 t-cases sitting in my garage right now. (for my 87 ford F350 CCLB cummins project.)
Old 01-31-2015, 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted by PapeCAT
Good day, Bear Killer:

Did you happen to ever solve the mystery of your T-Case model? An np203 would be easy to spot, the range box is in front, chain drive cast iron center section, and a larger aluminum drum looking output housing that houses the T-Case Differential.

Not sure what the Dana 24 looks like.

Either way, the divorced np203 is very rare, but did in fact exist in your era ford.

One thing to note is that a divorced ford np205 shares the same type of crossmember as the divorced np203, they just used different interface plates - in case you wanted to do some swapping. I have (2) ford divorced np205 t-cases sitting in my garage right now. (for my 87 ford F350 CCLB cummins project.)
Some Dodge w300s? had divorced 205s I put one in my 68 Chevy. I bought it from the Dodge wrecker in Rancho Cambodia.
Old 01-31-2015, 07:38 PM
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Originally Posted by pulltilbroke
Transfer Case Basics - FORDification.com

The Dana 24 was installed in F-250 4x4's from 1960 through 1972. The transfer case accepts power from the transmission output shaft and transfers it to the front and rear axles. This model is a stand-alone unit sometimes referred to as a divorce-mounted transfer case. It has two-speeds: High and Low. The gear ratios are 1.86 and 1.00 to 1. There are four shifting positions: 4L-N-2H-4H (and an undocumented and not-recommended 5th position between 4L and N which will give you 2wd low). Defective transfer case bearings are a common source of drive-train vibrations. It is well worth the time and effort to have the transfer case rebuilt.

Dana 24's are PTO-capable. The Dana 23/24 PTO's are very rare and highly prized by early Napco conversion truck owners. There were 2 styles: The early style Dana PTO that was a big cast unit that bolted directly to the case and the later style that used the standard 6 bolt PTO pattern with a thick adapter plate to fit the 23/24 cases. The early style are worth their weight in gold.

If you are using 80 or 90W gear lube in your transmission or transfer case then it will not operate as smoothly as it should. Ford service and operating manuals both recommend using 50W engine oil in both the 4-speed manual trans and the transfer case when the operating temperatures are over 10 degrees Fahrenheit (30W engine oil is recommended when the operating temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

A big shortcoming of the Dana 24 case is it's lack of a strut rod or really any way to easily adapt one to it. Under heavy loading (such as towing conditions), a divorced transfer case tends to jerk forward-and-aft and makes for a rough ride and the truck's drivetrain takes a good beating from it.

Many, but not all, 73-77 F-250 4x4's with the NP205 case came with a factory strut rod that consisted of a plate that bolted to the NP205's lowest rear cover, a tube that bolts to one of several adjustment holes in the lower bracket and an angled bracket with rubber shock bushings that's riveted to a frame crossmember.

This strut rod (pictured at right, click to enlarge) is very easy to adapt to any '67-'72 F-250 4x4 after swapping in an NP205 case. The strut rod will have to be shortened several inches due to the difference in wheelbase from '67-'72 trucks vs. the '73-later trucks, but works very well and appears factory.
A lot of this is bull.

If you run 80w-90, they shift smoother with less grinding, IMO.

You can run in 2 low all day long and never have any problems.

It is stupid simple and easy to build a strut rod for the Dana 24.

Very few, if any strut rods were installed on '73 to '77 F250's with manual transmissions. I have never seen one and none have been documented being factory installed, ot my knowledge. They were more common on autos.




Divorced 203's in F250's aren't exactly hard to come by but most all of them are behind autos. It is quite rare to see a 203 behind a manual from the factory in a highboy.
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