My friend has a 2000 24v 6spd 4x4. It currently has the frnt drive shaft removed and he has bn driving like that 4 a while. Today while driving his truck, when he goes to down shift, the t case pops into neutral every time, so the truck wont go, and u have to stop and put it back into 2h. What cld b the cause of this. Does t case need to b dropped,if so how does it come out. Someone told me it could b sum kind of ring or retainer inside?? Any help is appriciated

 

I thought the output bearing retaining ring was only a real problem on the np231's in 1/2 ton pickups, but if it is broken it will act as you say. It is a retaining ring that holds the output shaft towards the rear, and is inside of the tail shaft on the rear of the transfer case. Drive shaft (and fluid inside t/case) must come out, then unbolt the tail housing to check that. If that ring is in place, next would be to check inside the transfer case for worn/missing shift fork pads, which requires dropping and opening up the case, which is actually pretty easy even for a beginner. 6 nuts hold it to the transmission, undo the linkage and vacuum lines (on top) and slide it back, weighs about 70-80 lbs so you can usually do it with some help if need be.

Good luck.