Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) NP241 HD - How to remove ext. house snap ring?

[MAHarrison]

NP241 HD- Got the extension housing off...

There are 2 snap rings around the output shaft that retain the bearing on the shaft and one snap ring seated in a grove around the outer bearing race that retains the bearing in the housing (or the housing on the bearing depending on how you look at the problem). If you look into the snap ring opening with a mirror you will see the ends of the ring you need to spread. If you look into the end of the extension housing you'll see the outer bearing retainer and be fooled.



I took a pair of ordinary external snap ring pliers, heated and and bent the tips to about 45 degrees. The original problem was that I was trying to remove the outer bearing retainer through the access cover and not the extension housing retainer... I did not look with a mirror until the folks at GV told me







I've tried all the tricks I know (short of removing the T-case) to remove the snap ring in the extension housing of my NP 241HD transfer case. none of the snap ring pliers I have or seen fit through the access slot because the outer race of the bearing covers all but about 1/8 the of the slot. Has anyone come up with method or tool that might help? Thanks!

 

[Nate]

You used snap ring pliers? I'm not very familar with the 241, but I've pulled apart a few other T Cases and these pliers worked for most of the snap rings.



http://store.ambtools.com/browse.cfm/4,3123.htm



I got the pair I have at Sears for around $15 I believe. I guess they might be called lock ring pliers?

 

[MAHarrison]

Thanks for your reply!. Snap ring pliers are the first thing I tried. The "access hole" for this ring won't let anything thicker than 3/16" thick and 2 " wide through. The ring is about 2" inside the access hole. I can see the snap ring by looking along the output shaft. I went shopping for pliers and did not find anything that would work. I've tried using 2 small screwdrivers but the snap ring takes more force than the screwdrivers can stand... I'm trying to install a Gear Vendors overdrive, and If I can get this ring off, the rest is easy. I'm sure that several TDR folks have done this in their garage and ran into the same problem. One of them may have a good solution.

 

[GarrettPetersen]

I have a pair of 90 degree needle nosed pliars that I have ground the points flat on the outside. all I do is pull the pliars apart and cuss and pray that the dont slip off cause its a pain to do

 

[Nate]

That's bascially what the lock ring pliers are that I posted a link to.

 

[Alphacowboy]

ok... . so I wana know, how hard is it to snap this ring? as my dealer snapped mine, then charged me a boat load to fix it, because they said since the ears broke off, they could only get it apart by cutting the damn thing apart, which didnt really bother me alot as they were replacing a cracked tailshaft anyway. BUT they then cracked the oil pickup and somthing else, and charged me for it. They said the breakage was a result of the snap ring breaking, and wasnt the techs fault as it was rusted due to the 95k miles on the truck at the time.

 

[MAHarrison]

How hard is this one? If you leave the T-Case bolted to the transmission it's real painfull (so far).

Picture the snap ring pliers shown at the link in Nate's reply. Then, bend the jaws 90 degrees, lengthen the jaws to about 3 inches then grind them to a maximum thickness of about 1/8 inch. .

I've thought of right angle needle nose pliers, but I haven't sacraficed a pair because I'll need to grind the jaws flat. I've considered the sawzall route because I don't need the extension housing but I'm not ready for the truck to be dead in the garage in case it fails.

I guess its

1) ask Dodge if I can buy what they use.

2) do a web search for the tool I described, or

3) pay someone to do it and hope I don't end up with a huge bill. .

 

[kscheffler]

I just had a GV installed and the shop that did the work was Glen's Welding in Seattle. They used a 90 degree snap on snap ring plyers. You might neeed to call them I do not have a phone number... . You will love your GV. .

 

[ACoyle]

This thread closed at the request of the thread starter - AC