Need 208 Transfer Case Help

[hotrodmtodd]

Guys,
I REALLY need some help here. I borrowed a friends '86 K-20 to bring my '68 Burb home to PA from MD. About half way home I realized that it was going to be TOO MUCH of a strain on his truck to try to drag that heavy Burb up and down the mountains on I-68, so I dropped it off at a gas station and went back on the weekend to pick it up with a BIG truck and trailer. BUT, I got his truck NEARLY home and wound up having to put a $673 TH-400 in it for him. 2 days later, the transfer case went south, so I bought an '85 Blazer with a 208 in it and gave it to him to help him out. The tranny shop failed to mention that there is a C-1 for TH-400 and a C-2 for 700R4. (I think I got that right) Anyways, what I need to know is, do you HAVE to use one for one, and one for the other, or can you swap parts from one to the other to make it work? I am starting to have more invested in my friends truck than in MY OWN. I have a tendency to ALWAYS do the right thing by people, so I want to make it right for him, but I need the help of the experts to get it done. I regret that I have been a 2WD guy for most of my 42 years, so I hope you guys can set me straight on this. Can I swap in a different T-case instead of the 208? Please help me get him back on the road with the least amount of problems. Thank you, Mike

[drink2mny]

If his rear driveshaft was a slip yoke style that went into the transfercase. You could look for a slip yoke 205 that I thought was in k-20's and k-30's.
Just an option.
What is the transfercase that went bad and how did it go bad??? Are you sure it was a 208??
You will definately need a different adapter to bolt the 208 to the 400..

I could maybe understand the tranny heating up and going bad but not so much with the t-case...

[hotrodmtodd]

Heres what I know: He took it to get gas, he heard a loud CLUNK, it would not move. The only way he got it to move was to lock in the hubs, and he drove it home in front wheel drive, WITHOUT moving the 4WD shifter. The tranny shop told me that the T-case had looked like it had been heated up pretty hot at some point, and that it may not be long for the world. He was right about THAT at least. I can't figure out why he didn't tell us that there are 2 types of 208s. I've ALWAYS known that the output shafts are different, but I assumed that he would just swap that from the TH-400 T-case and that would be it, but I guess I assumed wrong. Thanks for the input DRINKTOOMANY. Any other feedback?

[hotrodmtodd]

Moderator,
Can you please move this thread to the Message board for more exposure. Thanks, Mike

[Mudder]

PM sent.

[hotrodmtodd]

ttt

[hotrodmtodd]

Here's what I found out on Colorado K5. The TH350 & 700R4 have a 27 spline shaft. The TH400 & 4-speed have a 32 spline shaft. What I need to know is: Can you take parts out of the 32 spline T-case, and put them in the 27 spline case to make it work? There HAS to be at least one person on this board that knows the answer. If you know THAT person, could you PLEASE have him PM me. Thanks, Mike

[chickenwing]

Saw your frustration in your other post. I am impressed with your desire to "DO THE RIGHT THING". Your friend is rich to know you.

I usually do not answer unless I have something to contribute. I also am a 2WD guy. The only suggestion I have is to keep trying in the 4WD haunts. Pirate4x4?

[hotrodmtodd]

Always a kind word from my fellow AF guys. Your concern is appreciated, AND remembered. Sgt. T

[Bram]

Hope this helps?
http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/howto/3104/index5.html

[55454]

I am not a 4x4 man, but I believe you are out of luck on parts, On a two wheel drive the tail housing and output shaft are longer. The factory uses the same trans for the 4x4 but their is no tail housing and the output shaft is shorter. The 700 and th350 use fours bolts to go to the transfer case, which uses the same transfer case pattern. In other words you can take a two wheel drive trans pull the tail housing put the 4x4 short shaft and put in the 4x4 vehicle.

You can swap shafts in a 400 from two wheel to four wheel also.

If you try to put a 700 or th350 where a th400 was I think you are out of luck, It takes eight bolts to mate.

I pm'd you a number they may make an adapter, I dont know if this would change the drive shaft. Their is also an adaptor company, I cant remember the name.

I am not sure on all this but I believe thats how it works in Louisiana, I dont know about up north.

Tommy

[toroflow]

you can very easily swap out the female input shaft of the transfer case from a 27 spline (TH700r4 version) to a 32 spline (TH400 version) by splitting the case halves and removing the smaller input shaft and installing the 32 spliner. I did this very thing on my 241 transfer case. The 208s are very similar in this respect. Call around and see if you can source a used 32 spline input....I got mine new from: www.partsmike.com

Good luck.

[hotrodmtodd]

Bram: I got some good info from that site. I goes into more detail on what Tommy was saying. Lots of different bolt patterns between 203,205 & 208.

Tommy: I had always heard about the shafts being shorter in the 4X4 trannys. This is the first time I have been inside one to see that IS the case. I will be swapping 208 to 208, so the bolt pattern is the same. Sounds like it is going to work out fine now that I went on that Parts Mike website. The company you talked about was Advance Adapter (they are on there too)

Toro: I have the stuff out of the old T-case that should work now that I know I can swap it. I couldn't find a new female input on there (Parts Mikes). It must be on a page further down, and with dial-up, it takes forever to go page to page, so I think I will wait until I see what the old stuff looks like, and THEN go back on and find it if I need to. If you find a part #, please pass it along to me if you would. I'm guessing I will need SOME kind of gasket to put it all back together. Thanks for directing me there, it REALLY helped.

You guys got me headed in the right direction, I am TRULY grateful.
Take care, Mike

[55454]

Mike,

we may be saying the same thing differently, but the 400 short shaft mates to the transfer case with eight bolts and the 700 and th350 mates to the transfer case with four bolts which will be a major problem, unless you use an adapter or do what Toro said.Toro please correct me if I am wrong. Call light line they know. Call me, I dont care if you accent.

Tommy

[barraza]

Before you get too involved in replacing the transfer case, make double sure the linkage is adjusted correctly. I'm not sure about all of them, but mine has the shifter mounted to the floor of the truck, not the case itself. It had a recent rebuild before I got it, and it would pop out of gear (ie transfer case would shift into neutral) whenever it crossed a big dip at an angle. The adjustment was not perfect and any flex or movement between the frame and the body was enough to disengage it.

[toroflow]

you have to CALL Parts Mike to get the input shaft, he doesn't list them for sale. And the TH400 bolts to the 208 with a 6 bolt adapter, whereas the TH700 & TH350 use a 4 bolt adapter.

[Ratpowerd67]

all you have to do is swap the input shafts out. you can use the input shaft from the factory th400 . i know for a fact because i have done this twice. just be very carefull and put the parts back in as they came out. the dounfall to the 208s is they will leak all the fluid tru the inside of the output yoke, and over time you will be running dry if you dont check it now and then. i have swaped input shafts from the th350s and covert them for the sm465 4-speed. its very easy to do. as for the adapter, all mine where 6 bolt good luck...........