The T/C on my 87F250 went away on me about 10 years ago and I decided to open it up myself - just like you on my work bench. Very simple device - simple and easy to work on - but my case was broken - little nub that held the oil pump in place. Looked into welding - decided against that. Friend told me about Walt and Verns over in Buckley - I'm from Bremerton - Long story made short I bought a used one from them. Not saying thats the way to go here but if yours is toast it's cheaper than a new one. I drove that truck trouble free for 5 yrs prior to purchasing my 2kPSD. They have a website (waltandverns) and toll free 1-888-829-1263. Good luck!!!

 

Update: I tried to take the back cover off but it won't move without the use of powerful explosives. . I tried every trick in the book, uncluding the strong application of an air hammer on one of the ears that is in the casting for a press or something. . I don't have a puller that large, and besides the amount of force that would be required to get that thing loose would most likely warp the casting. So I gave up and called Ford. They don't offer a rebuilt unit, but have new ones available for $1560.00. I ordered one. Then I went back to the bench and with nothing to lose, I got it opened up at the middle section. I found that the shift fork had not broken, the tips had simply worn out. !!! The slider that it operated dug a nice groove in the face of the gear. There was nothing to hold it into gear anymore as the ears were completly worn off of the shift fork. You can see in the picture the big fork is still perfect, the small fork ears are worn off completly. I found plenty of debris laying around the magnet, including the plastic ears for the shift fork.
I hope the new transfer case has been updated with something stronger.
Here's a link to the full size image: http://home.comcast.net/~kwikkordead/P1010012.JPG

 

If it's not damaged too bad.....I'd rebuild it........couldn't hurt....make a good spare for someone.

 

I just noticed something.

Kwik posted this morning that he had a problem. He duplicated it over on DieselStop.

On this forum, there are now two pages of this thread, including seventeen replies and 191 folks that have read of his plight. And, some good helping advice. Over there, in the same time frame, there have been ZERO replies, and 26 readings.

Tells me two things:
1. Folks here much more hands-on knowledgeable.
2. Folks here care about their fellow trucker's problems, and are willing to pitch in to help.

Time to remove that other bookmark.

Pop

(On edit) In the last fifteen minutes someone posted over there, and his reply was spot-on. But still.....

 

That's the plan, and that someone is going to be me! The way that thing wore out, I have to think that the small shift fork is overloaded somehow and the plastic friction tabs melt away. After that it just works against the metal and wears out. I'll trade them out every 50k and make sure everything is good.
Edit: SpringerPop, I've gotten both results from TDS, (no answer and lot's of answers) so I wouldn't delete that bookmark just yet.

 

Seems there is an updated, drilled part for lubrication, re: DieselS....

Looks like we have something new to work the reliability bugs out of.

Hmmm..... Now we all have to pull ours apart to do a periodic inspection, just to be safe?

More fun!

Pop

 

That's the news that I was looking for. Something to upgrade that "mistake".

 

Rebuild kit

Too bad that the NV273 is unique to the Superduty...it would be easier to find salvage parts if there were another vehicle it was on.

 

I thought that Dodge was or maybe still is using the 271/273 as well?????

 

kwik,, sorry to hear about your mishap,, 1500.00 is a good chunk of change, but could have been much worse for sure.
So now that we know there has been an update for the TC,does anyone know if any of the later models already have these updates? And what Model year did these updates take place?

 

Are they? I don't now. I thought Dodge used the NP241/243, but I can't find a listing for anythng bigger than the 3/4 ton.

 

Thanks for the link on the kits Cookie. I am not going to do that route as I cannot for the life of me get the rear housing off. They don't include shift forks and the only thing wrong with this unit is what's in the picture. I removed the rear drive flange, the seal, all the housing bolts, and everything I could from the inside. (driven gears, etc.) All there is left on the inside is the shaft. I can see the oil pump and a very large ball bearing. The case is machined so that they must go out the other way from where I can see. There is some sort of compound that they used to seal up the flange to the outside and it refuses to let go. I am guessing that it's just RTV. I even leaned on it with an air hammer until the ears broke off. That's why I gave up and ordered a new unit. I am going to have to ruin the case to get it apart at that point. I called Ford and I can get just the shift fork, so I ordered one to try and fix this unit and keep it as a spare. But I am putting so much force on that housing that I am going to bend it to get it to release. I'll try and get it back together the hard way without tearing that housing up, but I don't have much hope of everything aligning back up and the case falling together. For now it's on the back burner until the new unit arrives and I install it on the truck. I still have to go back down and pick up my 5th wheel. I'll keep you all posted.

 

You know....I seem to recall that there was some real good pictures on how to seperate those case sections.....let's see where was it.....oh yes, their in those packages I sent you. Just a thought. The tool looks very easy to make.

 

Yes, I looked at it and it looks a lot like the porta power laying next to the door at the body shop next to me.

 

It's really a shame ... when my NP208 went out on a 1981 Bronco I own it was too expensive to rebuild it. Instead I went and bought an NP205 and mated it up. It is holding up well. I didn't even rebuild it. I just hung it on from the junkyard with new 90 weight oil. It cost me $250 plus the cost of driveshaft changes.