Transfer Case
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,436
Likes: 0
From: South Dakota
Originally Posted by The SnoMan
Yes and they were likely never serviced and lubed properly too. Kep tproperly lubed and up to spec they are very solid unit. What happens when they are not lubed and service properly, the chain wears prematurely then it gets loose and then it trys to jump a tooth and then the strain of this can snap the chain. In proper order you will not break them even with 400 HP. They are stout but you would know that too if you had a engineering and design background and could appreciate the logic of its design and its heft. I was driving 4x4 before those cases came out in 73. How many of you were? I have seen them take a terrible beating and survive and even survive years of snow plow duty too. To "dish" a Tcase because it is now 27 years old at the newest if still stock and it is not "fresh" and properly serviced is just plain uninformed and improperly biased judgement. With a fresh rebuild and proper lube you will break the drive shafts or stock axles before you damage that case. It was originally designed for a 10,000 GVW rating. Back in 75 GM did a stunt (this is not a Ford slam but a example of the 203's strength) where they took a stock 3/4 4x4 with a 400 and 4.10 gears and towed a 747 with it. (it is in the genisus book of records too) for over a hour and at one time even exceeded the speed limit for towing speed at airport with 203 in low range the whole time. That Tcase is one tuff cookie when in good order. Try that with a new truck/tcase and see how long it takes to tear it up! (BTW the yukes that they normal tow those things with weight about 60K and have fulltime 4x4 too and about 140 HP too. THose yukes are beasts too as I whatched one once drag a fully loaded tractor trailer badly stuck in the mud a few feet deep with all wheels effortlessly with no drive effort from semi.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
Snoman there is a whole world of difference between steady towing of way to much weight, and actually abusing something, heck I pulled a loaded semi tractor trailer up a 2% grade on pavement with a 95 F150 with a 300I6 and the POS m5OD tranny that is not exactly known for it's strength to begin with, and in low range on the tcase which is the borg warner unit and didn't break a thing, big deal, so what, who cares, I tore the tranny out of the truck 6 times running it unloaded through my farm fields. so by your reasoning that tranny should have never held up towing that semi or should have stood anything Iput it through in the field. So which one is it huh?
Another little thought for you, you claim all it needs is regular maintance and it will hold up just fine, well even the tiing chains that are used in engines stretch and those have continuous oiling so take your "engineering" background and explain that. Besides which I could take any new tcase and go tow a huge load but give it some time and it will eventually cause a problem, yes the 203 will survive for a short time but in no time the chains stretch expeciall with high HP figures and abuse which this type of build will be subjected to, and since you keep pointing out that you have to spend a lot of time maintaning the 203 and most people probably won't, then once again why would you suggest it when other choses can take the abuse without all the extra maintanence time just to get it to live long enough to prove a stupid point that makes no sense to start with.
I can't believe you are still posting this type of BS in here, really just make it stop this is getting to be rather stupid.
Another little thought for you, you claim all it needs is regular maintance and it will hold up just fine, well even the tiing chains that are used in engines stretch and those have continuous oiling so take your "engineering" background and explain that. Besides which I could take any new tcase and go tow a huge load but give it some time and it will eventually cause a problem, yes the 203 will survive for a short time but in no time the chains stretch expeciall with high HP figures and abuse which this type of build will be subjected to, and since you keep pointing out that you have to spend a lot of time maintaning the 203 and most people probably won't, then once again why would you suggest it when other choses can take the abuse without all the extra maintanence time just to get it to live long enough to prove a stupid point that makes no sense to start with.
I can't believe you are still posting this type of BS in here, really just make it stop this is getting to be rather stupid.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 3
From: Spokane, WA
Originally Posted by The SnoMan
In proper order you will not break them even with 400 HP.
EDIT Rob posted at the same time as me, sorry for the redundancy. I guess that makes 2 of us that don't know anything about transfer cases.
Last edited by ivanribic; Dec 23, 2005 at 06:25 PM.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,772
Likes: 0
From: Spokane WA
Originally Posted by The SnoMan
Yes and they were likely never serviced and lubed properly too. Kep tproperly lubed and up to spec they are very solid unit. What happens when they are not lubed and service properly, the chain wears prematurely then it gets loose and then it trys to jump a tooth and then the strain of this can snap the chain. In proper order you will not break them even with 400 HP. They are stout but you would know that too if you had a engineering and design background and could appreciate the logic of its design and its heft. I was driving 4x4 before those cases came out in 73. How many of you were? I have seen them take a terrible beating and survive and even survive years of snow plow duty too. To "dish" a Tcase because it is now 27 years old at the newest if still stock and it is not "fresh" and properly serviced is just plain uninformed and improperly biased judgement. With a fresh rebuild and proper lube you will break the drive shafts or stock axles before you damage that case. It was originally designed for a 10,000 GVW rating. Back in 75 GM did a stunt (this is not a Ford slam but a example of the 203's strength) where they took a stock 3/4 4x4 with a 400 and 4.10 gears and towed a 747 with it. (it is in the genisus book of records too) for over a hour and at one time even exceeded the speed limit for towing speed at airport with 203 in low range the whole time. That Tcase is one tuff cookie when in good order. Try that with a new truck/tcase and see how long it takes to tear it up! (BTW the yukes that they normal tow those things with weight about 60K and have fulltime 4x4 too and about 140 HP too. THose yukes are beasts too as I whatched one once drag a fully loaded tractor trailer badly stuck in the mud a few feet deep with all wheels effortlessly with no drive effort from semi.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,306
Likes: 0
From: Bryan/College Station
I wanna be cool like Snowblower or whatever his name is. I have some ornamental chain in the shed that I used to build the t-case in the truck I use to tow the space shuttle with.
Face it, Ivan, pro and Rob know absolutely nothing about trucks and their educated opinions mean nothin here.
Oh yeah, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I know everything.
Hey SnoMan, I have a heat gun here for you.
Chris
Face it, Ivan, pro and Rob know absolutely nothing about trucks and their educated opinions mean nothin here.
Oh yeah, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I know everything.
Hey SnoMan, I have a heat gun here for you.
Chris
Its Comin Right for us!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,194
Likes: 2,657
From: GA
i bet you could have put a dana 28 ttb under the front and rear of that chevy pulling the 747 and it would have held up fine...flat towing something at a steady speed does not take near the strength that say, topping a hill at 20 mph catching air and hitting the ground at 8000 rpm with 48's and rockies...shockloads and chains dont mix.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,739
Likes: 3
From: GANS
I am not going to say that the NP203 is the best case in the world, but my cousin has abused 2 of them under both his K5 blazers without a problem. They both had 33s, 3.08s, and 350s.
However, I'd pick the NP208 over the NP203 just for the shear weight savings.
Ramboss-
Snap a few picks of that bad boy and post them.. also, which one of your kidneys did you sell for it?
However, I'd pick the NP208 over the NP203 just for the shear weight savings.
Ramboss-
Snap a few picks of that bad boy and post them.. also, which one of your kidneys did you sell for it?
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,985
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
LoL that's funny Ivan did he say properly lubed? does that mean the proper lube that is in the 203 wears out or disappears? Oh wow a chebbie towed a 747 over flat ground i probly could have towed with my 87 F150 with my 435 and yes bw1356 Tcase with no problems well i might need 4.10 gears tho.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,436
Likes: 0
From: South Dakota
Originally Posted by bremen242
Ramboss-
Snap a few picks of that bad boy and post them.. also, which one of your kidneys did you sell for it?
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,544
Likes: 2
From: okc
My 78 F-250 has a NP 203 in it, that truck spent most of its life as a PENN-DOT truck plowing snow in the mountains, so im pretty darn sure it was maintained considering it was a fleet vehicle...but for some reason the chain slips like a lubed up prostitute on a waterbed...this truck has a 351m that i guess only has about 225HP, and has had 31inch tires most of its life...tell us again how an NP203 is gonna hold up to 800HP and MUCH larger tires....personally im planning on running a 600HP 460 and 39-44 inch tires, id rather not test my luck rebuilding this 203 and just get me a gear driven 205 and be done with it.....but thats JMO.....
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,561
Likes: 5,595
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i'm with snoblower on this one. my 79 has a 203 in it, and i have to say it is excelent!! not!!! it is so smooth that you can not even feel it shift between 2 high and 4 high. oh wait a minute, i forgot, you don't feel it shift because the damn chain snapped with 80 thousand miles on it. and yes, it was properly maintained, and i was only going 20 mph when it happened.