Rockwell T-221 Guru Needed! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

kingman · 10-28-2003, 12:26 PM

I have a 67 K20 with a SM420 and a Rockwell T-221. I have read about the noise level of the T-221 and I am wandering if that is what is making the whining noise in my or if there is something else wrong. The whining noise I get is loud enough that a radio can not drowned it out. It whines badly when accelerating and deccelerating, but is totaly quiet if I give it enough gas to keep the truck from speeding up or slowing down. I have seen some guys say that theirs stops whining at 60 mph, mine does not. Any thoughts?

NAPCO ken · 10-29-2003, 06:56 PM

I run the T-221 in both my '60 and '64 GMCs. They are noisy as heck. One of mine got louder and louder on the freeway one day until I had to plug one of my ears from getting a headache. 5 miles later the transfer case grenaded itself!! These cases are not heavy duty by any means, the bearings in them are on the smallish side. If I wasn't such a stickler about retaining the original running gears in my trucks, I would swap it out in favor of a 205 transfer in a hot-rod second!

1969 GMC · 10-30-2003, 02:33 AM

i also have the 221...it is a very noisy case. but mine is not as loud as you say yours is. i can crank my stereo and not hear too much else.

ken...as far as your exploding 221, i have to believe that it was probably lack of maintenance on a p/o's part that caused something like that to happen, not just the 221 being a piece of crap. i have heard that the 221 can burn up quick if there isn't enough lube inside. when i got mine it was pretty low, so i changed the lube out. i parked the truck sideways on a small hill and overfilled i, something i heard recommended on this board. mine doesn't leak that bad, but i check it every time i change the engine oil. no problems here. maybe i am going out on a limb here, but i think the 221 is a perfectly stout tcase, just as strong as the 205...but no one knows about them, and the parts availability isn't as good, which hurt its reputation. just my 2 cents

ckhd · 10-30-2003, 11:20 AM

What 1969 GMC said.

Mine are loud, but fine.

My '69 used to be my brother's. The transfer case was pretty dang loud, and he went to a junkyard and bought another one. We knew the guy that owned the junkyard and he told us that when he took the cover off the old t-case, that a rust cloud poofed up. He said there was no oil in it!

I also think they are just as strong as a 205, and they have their good points too, like a lower output shaft for the rear driveline, and a shift pattern that puts the shifter forward far enough that people don't have to trip on it.

kingman · 10-30-2003, 02:05 PM

Was the junkyard TC quieter?

NAPCO ken · 10-30-2003, 02:23 PM

All true, and the 221 in my '60 GMC (which had only 51,000 original miles when I bought it) is much quieter than the '64s. And yes, the one I grenaded was probably ill-maintained throughout it's life.

ckhd · 10-30-2003, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kingman
Was the junkyard TC quieter?

Yes, but it still whined. Just a characteristic of the case.

10-28-2003, 12:26 PM	#1
kingman Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 2	Rockwell T-221 Guru Needed! I have a 67 K20 with a SM420 and a Rockwell T-221. I have read about the noise level of the T-221 and I am wandering if that is what is making the whining noise in my or if there is something else wrong. The whining noise I get is loud enough that a radio can not drowned it out. It whines badly when accelerating and deccelerating, but is totaly quiet if I give it enough gas to keep the truck from speeding up or slowing down. I have seen some guys say that theirs stops whining at 60 mph, mine does not. Any thoughts?

10-29-2003, 06:56 PM	#2
NAPCO ken Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: anaheim, ca Posts: 187	I run the T-221 in both my '60 and '64 GMCs. They are noisy as heck. One of mine got louder and louder on the freeway one day until I had to plug one of my ears from getting a headache. 5 miles later the transfer case grenaded itself!! These cases are not heavy duty by any means, the bearings in them are on the smallish side. If I wasn't such a stickler about retaining the original running gears in my trucks, I would swap it out in favor of a 205 transfer in a hot-rod second! __________________ ken '58 Chev NAPCO 4x4 short '60 GMC Suburban 4x4, restored '60 GMC 3/4T stepside 4x4 '64 GMC Suburban 4x4, restored '90 Chev Suburban 4x4, dually, ZZ502 '77 GMC Suburban 4x4, one ton axles, 12" lift, 39.5"s '88 Chevy crewcab dually 4x4, 10" lift, 42"s (x6!) '03 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon '79 Chev 3/4 Suburban 4x4, 400-400-203

10-30-2003, 02:33 AM	#3
1969 GMC Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The Rubber City Posts: 5,498	i also have the 221...it is a very noisy case. but mine is not as loud as you say yours is. i can crank my stereo and not hear too much else. ken...as far as your exploding 221, i have to believe that it was probably lack of maintenance on a p/o's part that caused something like that to happen, not just the 221 being a piece of crap. i have heard that the 221 can burn up quick if there isn't enough lube inside. when i got mine it was pretty low, so i changed the lube out. i parked the truck sideways on a small hill and overfilled i, something i heard recommended on this board. mine doesn't leak that bad, but i check it every time i change the engine oil. no problems here. maybe i am going out on a limb here, but i think the 221 is a perfectly stout tcase, just as strong as the 205...but no one knows about them, and the parts availability isn't as good, which hurt its reputation. just my 2 cents __________________ 1969 GMC K2500 1996 Honda Accord 2007 Kawasaki KLR 650

10-30-2003, 11:20 AM	#4
ckhd Registered User Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: St. Johns, Arizona Posts: 2,660	What 1969 GMC said. Mine are loud, but fine. My '69 used to be my brother's. The transfer case was pretty dang loud, and he went to a junkyard and bought another one. We knew the guy that owned the junkyard and he told us that when he took the cover off the old t-case, that a rust cloud poofed up. He said there was no oil in it! I also think they are just as strong as a 205, and they have their good points too, like a lower output shaft for the rear driveline, and a shift pattern that puts the shifter forward far enough that people don't have to trip on it. __________________ my 2¢ - t.i.o.l.i. Bowen 1968 K20 fleet 1969 K10 swb fleet 1972 K10 Suburban 1972 C10 lwb step 1992 K1500 'burb 1995 K2500 'burb 1997 C1500 'burb 1999 K1500 2000 K1500 'burb Why do I own so many Suburbans?

10-30-2003, 02:23 PM	#6
NAPCO ken Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: anaheim, ca Posts: 187	All true, and the 221 in my '60 GMC (which had only 51,000 original miles when I bought it) is much quieter than the '64s. And yes, the one I grenaded was probably ill-maintained throughout it's life. __________________ ken '58 Chev NAPCO 4x4 short '60 GMC Suburban 4x4, restored '60 GMC 3/4T stepside 4x4 '64 GMC Suburban 4x4, restored '90 Chev Suburban 4x4, dually, ZZ502 '77 GMC Suburban 4x4, one ton axles, 12" lift, 39.5"s '88 Chevy crewcab dually 4x4, 10" lift, 42"s (x6!) '03 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon '79 Chev 3/4 Suburban 4x4, 400-400-203

10-30-2003, 02:05 PM	#5
kingman Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 2	Was the junkyard TC quieter?



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