Kyle,
My experience with the NP231 is with a Jeep and the Dakota model may differ
slightly. The Jeep has a front axle disconnect system that is controlled by
the vacuum switch on the NP231 transfer case. there are two black vacuum
lines that come out of the transfer case's switch assembly that are then
routed to the front axle vacuum motor. Moving the shift lever on the
transfer case puts all of the drive mechanisms inside the transfer case into
the 4 wheel drive mode and the vacuum switch tells the front axle to connect
the right front wheel to the rest of the front axle. If you have a full
locker in the front differential you will still be in 3 wheel drive even if
the transfer case vacuum switch assembly, or the axle's disconnect system is
broken. In other words, the front driveshaft will still be driven via the
transfer case whether or not the vacuum switch is working.
Regards, Mike Klinke
-----Original Message-----
From: Kyle Kozubal <grndak4x4@home.com>
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Date: Saturday, July 08, 2000 4:08 PM
Subject: DML: Transfer Case Question; Vacuum??
>Norah, Bill, Others..........can anyone positively identify if the NP231
>transfer cases have a vacuum switch or is the 4WD system
>controlled/activated at all through vacuum? I do not think so, but needed a
>confirmation on this. My Hayne's manual identifies a vacuum switch on the
>exploded tcase breakdown picture, but the picture pertains to NP231 and
>NP241 tcases(I guess they are similar?). I found some online sources which
>pinpoint the tcase vacuum switch as a possible place to have 4WD engagement
>problems, but it really only talked about Rams having this; because it
>becomes dirty/clogged and this will affect the vacuum. I did look on my
>tcase and could not find anything which would resemble a vacuum switch, but
>who knows.
>***Would a vacuum switch have vacuum hoses running out of it or could/would
>it be a switch which utilizes an electrical connector? I found a
'something'
>where the Hayne's manual says the vacuum switch should be, but it has no
>hoses connected to it, just a 2 wire waterproof electrical connector which
>runs up towards the firewall.
>***Also, does anyone know if I can remove the detent nut(7/8" socket) along
>with the detent spring and pin, check the spring/pin for corrosion and will
>I be able to put it back in??? Since the detent spring/pin is located on
the
>bottom most area of the tcase, I thought it could possibly become filled
>with crud and won't allow the lever to fully 'lock' or engage into 4HI/4LO;
>this is the main responsibility of the detent plug/spring/pin, from my
>understanding.
>Thanks for any and all info you can send my way.!!!
>Kyle
>93 Dakota 4x4 V6
>
>
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