Pulling NP231 tailshaft housing

**foggybottombob** · 11-21-2009, 08:13 PM

I started to put the SYE on my NP231 today but it looks like you need a 3 jaw gear puller with at least an 8" reach to get the aluminum tailshaft housing off. I can't find any 3 jaw puller in town big enough to reach that far. How did you guys get the tailshaft housing off?

And do you have to pull off the front output yoke to be able to pull the chain assembly out of the NP231. That step is not mentioned in my instructions.

SkinnyMe97 · 11-21-2009, 08:36 PM

There was a post on this last week . You have to pull the seal around the output shaft , then remove the snap rings before you can pull the housing off .

**foggybottombob** · 11-21-2009, 09:18 PM

I have pulled the seal and the snap ring. The tailshaft housing will not budge. It has 3 tabs around the edges of it which are meant to be pull points for a 3 jaw puller. I pulled the tailshaft housings off my dana 300 using a 6" puller but that one will not reach far enough to pull off this NP231 housing. I just wondered how anyone else got the tailshaft housing off.

**Mayfair_Jeeper** · 11-21-2009, 09:25 PM

use a mallot and whack it a few times...if you removed all the bolts, you will just have to break free the RTV....

**foggybottombob** · 11-21-2009, 09:28 PM

I beat the snot out of it with a BIG plastic hammer. If I hit it any harder it is going to break into pieces. I have a rubber mallet and a plastic dead blow hammer too. I'll see what those do.

SkinnyMe97 · 11-21-2009, 09:34 PM

BFH and a piece of 2x4 .

Damonec · 11-21-2009, 09:37 PM

When I was installing my SYE I just used a dead blow hammer and tapped on those tabs a little at a time and the housing came right off.

**MFortie** · 11-21-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foggybottombob

I have pulled the seal and the snap ring. The tailshaft housing will not budge. It has 3 tabs around the edges of it which are meant to be pull points for a 3 jaw puller. I pulled the tailshaft housings off my dana 300 using a 6" puller but that one will not reach far enough to pull off this NP231 housing. I just wondered how anyone else got the tailshaft housing off.

Two snaprings...

**foggybottombob** · 11-21-2009, 10:56 PM

I have a 91 and it has one snap ring on the shaft holding the tail housing.

I got the tail housing off by using a pry bar under the tabs meant for a 3 jaw puller. I went at it gingerly so as not to break the fragile looking case. I pried on two tabs and got the tail shaft to move then it came off easily.

Then I could not get the case halves apart. I beat it a lot and it never seperated at all. Finally I took the pump off the rear shaft so I could use a pry bar between the rear output gear and the inside of the case. That got the case to separate a little. Then I used a screwdriver and went around the periphery of the case twisting the flat blade. That got the case to finally come apart.

**foggybottombob** · 11-21-2009, 10:57 PM

And as for my second question, it appears that I do need to remove the front 1310 CV yoke to be able to pull out the front output shaft.

**xjfever** · 11-22-2009, 04:33 AM

Yes, you have to remove the front yoke to be able to pull the gear and remove the chain.

nostaw22 · 11-22-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foggybottombob

And as for my second question, it appears that I do need to remove the front 1310 CV yoke to be able to pull out the front output shaft.

You shouldn't need to remove the front output shaft to do an SYE where you replace the main shaft. When you pull out the main shaft the chain should come off and you can leave the front output alone. Once you separate the main case halves it should be pretty straight forward.

Be careful of the oil pump when removing the tail housing -- the pump is on the outside of the main case (covered by the tail housing), but the intake tube is inside the main case and comes through the opening covered by the tail housing (actually, the pump goes through the opening and to reach the pickup tube). The tail housing and pump can stick and seem hard to get off because the pump will hang up on the intake tube. If you pull too hard you can break the pump intake (it is aluminum) -- new pumps are special order from a dealer (I found out the hard way), but not super expensive -- just a PITA. Sometimes the RTV causes the pump to stick to the tail housing, so break the RTV free first (carefully), remove the tail housing, then free the pump from the intake tube and remove the pump.

JW

**foggybottombob** · 11-22-2009, 09:39 PM

I got the N231 put back together. But I did have to pull it apart one time too many since I left out that spring on the shifter fork shaft. The JB Conversions appear to have one instruction wrong, they don't mention putting a retainer snap ring after the speedometer drive gear but there is an extra snap ring and a groove right there so I put it on. I'll call them tomorrow to make sure that was the right thing to do.

This is part of changing from a 3" lift to a 4.5" lift so the next step is pulling out the 1" t-case drop pucks.

Damonec · 11-26-2009, 06:34 AM

Make sure you can shift to 4Lo, when I put mine back together it would only shift between 4Hi and 2 wheel. Ended up putting it together in 4Lo I think. Also after I installed the SYE without the T-case drop I still had driveshaft vibrations, I ended up having to keep the 1" T-case drops.

**foggybottombob** · 11-26-2009, 08:29 AM

I'm making another thread about shifting the NP231 after a SYE.