Re: transfer case swapability

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

As the little green aliens inserted a searing hot probe into the sternum of
n9ads@domain.elided (Howard R Pletcher), a blood curdling scream was heard...

>I cut a small hole
>in the side of the tunnel and pulled the pin first when swapping mine
>because that seemed to be the easiest way to do it.  I think you probably
>can drop the case down far enough to get to the pin also.

I've dropped my Dana-20 numerous times and other than doing the
hole-in-the-tunnel mod that Howard has done, here's what I have found works
best for me.  The reason I have to remove the shift lever from the xfer case,
is because with the jack stands I have, I cannot lift the truck high enough to
have the xfer case clear the underside of the truck with the shift lever
attached (and the xfer case on my large floor jack).

1. Support the xfer case with a jack (I use one of those transmission adapters
on a floor jack).

2. Remove xfer case bolts (Howard mentioned the particulars about the bolts).

3. Place xfer case in 4L and if you want to avoid scraping the paint on the
shift lever, tuck a rag around the edge of the transmission tunnel cutout.

4. Slide xfer case reward off the transmission output shaft.

5. Lower the xfer case sufficiently to allow access to the shift lever pin.
NOTE: If you haven't removed this pin recently and it's not greased, you may
need to use a liberal dose of penetrating oil.

6. Remove shift lever.

7. Finish lowering and removing xfer case.

Installation is essentially the reverse.

Of course, if you're a big burly man like Tom Mandera, you don't need to worry
about a wussy floor jack like me.  You can simply bench press the xfer case
out and back in while at the same time threading the mounting bolts in at the
same time!

Hope that helps,

John L.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
jlandry AT halcyon DOT com       | For such a promiscuous conglomeration
Conservative Libertarian         | of numbskulls as generally constitutes
Life Member of the NRA           | an army a six pound pull is well
WA Arms Collectors               | enough.  With an easy pull soldiers
Commercial Helicopter - Inst.    | would decimate their own ranks more
http://www.halcyon.com/jlandry/  | than those of the enemy. T. S. Van Dyke