2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Swapping 97 241DLD for 98 214DHD??

[zstroken]

What is involved to make this happen?? I think the shift pattern is different. ANything else I need to know. WHat is required of the linkages? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.

Dan

 

[Kirwin]

Differences

The transfer cases themselves were the same. The difference is that in 98 Dodge went to a floor pan mounted shift lever setup, vice the transmission case mounted shift lever set up on the 97. Ken Irwin

 

[zstroken]

aren't the shift patterns different? 97 is 2h-4h-n-4l and the 98 4l-n-2h-4h???

 

[Kirwin]

I don't think the shift pattern is different

I have the 241DHD in my 97 and its 2H-4H-N-4L. The 241DHD was built (modified?) because the dualies with the 3. 54 rear end ratio could snap the mainshaft in the transfer case if the rear wheels suddenly got traction and the mighty torque of the Cummins came to bear (with the 4. 10 ratio the wheels would spin before you would snap the transfer case shaft supposedly). Thus they were standard in the dualies for 97 and later and available in the 97 2500s for $100 extra. As far as I know the transfer case itself did not change for 1998 only the transfer case shift lever mounting. Someone will probably chime in here to tell you what the transfer case shift pattern was in the 98 model. I do not have the 98 service manual or I would look it up for you there. The way I learned about the differences is that the NV 5600 that I put in my 97 was not drilled for the transfer case shift lever mounting holes although the bosses were present on the transmission. The NV 5600 was not available until the 98 model year. The other thing that may be different is that in 98 they stopped using a speedometer drive gear in the tail stock of the transfer case and thus they may have used a tailstock with out the speedometer drive gear hole. Hope this helps. Ken Irwin

 

[zstroken]

Ken, I appreciate your help I have an 1997 automatic and you are correct there is a speed sensor in the tailshaft of mine, I do not think the 98's have it. hopefully I can just change the tailshaft housing on them and be good to go. I don't think it is a huge deal I can get a new tailshaft housing. I can plug the hole on the DLD transfer case and the 98 will be none the wiser. I haven't torn into this yet. I am hoping that someone out there has done this and will be able to guide me through it and offer some pointers behore hand to save me the headache. I am pretty sure that the 98's have a different shift pattern than our 97's. No biggy there either just meant I got to just mount the 98 knob upside down. Thanks for your help.

Dan

 

[Kirwin]

241DHD tail shaft

Make sure you look closely before you buy a new tail stock housing. I think one of the changes to uprate it to a 241 DHD was an increase in the rear bearing and shaft size of the transfer case. I also think that the 241DHD uses a different output ujoint cross. Obviously it can be done but you wouldn't want to buy too many tail shaft housings to use as ashtrays as I'm sure that they are not cheap. I guess its possible that the shift lever works the opposite way due to the shaft pivoting above the fulcrum point vice below it like on the 97. This would give you a reversed shift pattern on the shift lever, but I'm pretty sure that the transfer case itself uses the same shift actuator set upon the other end of the shift rod. Ken Irwin

 

[KHelfrich]

the shift pattenen is different the i think the 98 up is 4h-2h-n-4l where on the pre98 it is 2h-4h-n-4l i have the 98 up style shifter in my 96 cause i put the 6 speed in and the transfer case is hard to shift now cause every gear is real close together and i belive 98 up have one peice tail shaft housing and pre98 have 2 peice tail shaft housing i have the 96 dhd and it is defintally different than the 98dhd and i dont think the tail shaft housing would interchange



ken

 

[Kirwin]

I checked with my Dodge service professional

On his 98 the shift lever does not use a center pivot thus the shift pattern is reversed from the 97 even though the lever on the transfer case is the same. I can't say about what KHelfrich said but it makes sense. Maybe there was more changed to make it cheaper lighter and less HD. If you need more information let me know what else specifically you need to know and I will try to research it this weekend. Ken Irwin