More Chev 4X4 problems.

old · Feb 26, 2013

Well we got snow last night. Wet and windy so it was blowing a good bit. Son got stuck on hie way home from work and called for help around 5AM. Fired up the Chev truck that I have been having lock out problems on. 4 wheel drive worked good since it would not have moved if it didn't. Got to about 100yardsform the car the boy was driving and all at once the truck just stopped dead in its tracks. Acted like the drive shaft had broke or some such thing. Looked under it and the transfer case had fell of the back of the transmission. Got it towed home and it looks like the bolts that held it on all but two had fell out over time. So not I need to find a spacer plate that goes between the transfer case and the transmission so I can bolt it back up. There is a place broken where the last 2 bolts had been holding
Oh well I got home after a 2 hour fight with the snow to get 5 miles in the car the boy was driving

John B. · Feb 26, 2013

That don't sound good.

old · Feb 26, 2013

Well at least it looks like if I can find the spacer/adapter plate for it I should be able to just bolt it back on but finding that part for a 1980 Chev 4X4 maybe hard to do

TGIN · Feb 26, 2013

Plenty of the spacer plates around if ya look , They may even throw in a few bolts

old · Feb 26, 2013

Wish I could agree with you. Checked at 2 places so far today many are closed due to the snow and one is a maybe but then it is the Chev dealer the salvage yard said heck no and they do not no of any.

TGIN · Feb 26, 2013

check with the offroaders , hillclimers , mudboggers and rockclimers , that is where ya find old 4x4 parts .

DENNIS MIN · Feb 26, 2013

old,

I save old chevy t-case stuff...

What transmission/t-case have you?

D.

Big 86 · Feb 26, 2013

old,

I believe the 1980 Chevy 4x4's are somewhat unique because that year was a cross over between the older and new body style, with the drive line parts being a bit mixed. I think your truck has a NP205 transfer case?? The 73-79 trucks had either a NP203 (full time 4x4) or NP205 (part time 4x4), and the 1980 trucks kept the NP 205. In 1981, the K10/20 trucks went to the NP 208C, and the parts from these will not work.

How many bolts hold the T-case to the transmission? If I recall, there are 6 bolts holding the t-case to the adapter, and 4 that attach the transmission to the adapter?? I can't remember for sure, as different transmissions used different adapters. I know the TH 350 and TH400 transmissions are different, and I don't recall if the manual transmissions use the same.

Am I correct?? It has been some time since I worked on these trucks.

old · Feb 26, 2013

Not 100% sure as to which one it is. I do know it is the case iron one and heavy as can be. Has the 2L, N, 2H and 4H. If we get a warmer day I plan on puling it out from under it so I can clean it up and remove the broken drive shaft bolts for the front drive shaft and then if it would help I can post a picture. This truck is a 350 4 bolt main 4 barrel carb with a 4 speed if that helps any

old · Feb 26, 2013

Do not have many of them in this area any more. I do know of one guy who I guess I'll have to check with

old · Feb 26, 2013

Have not had a chance to count bolt yet but it is either 6 or maybe 8. All cast iron transfer case and transmission 2 gear with 4 wheel and 1 with out and neutral of course. All the way forward is 4L then one back neutral then 2H and then 4H. Some how with the snow on the ground and the lack of sleep today not done much plus it being around 35 out all day the snow it wet. Hope to unhook the rear drive shaft and drag the transfer case out in a day or so it the weather lets me. Calling for another 1-2 inches of snow tonight

Jeff B. · Feb 26, 2013

Cast iron case in 1980 should be the NP205 part time case. '79 was the last year for 203, and besides the adapters on those were short, and almost never broke.
Automatic trans would almost have to be a TH350C. 700R4 didn't start till '82. Outside possibility of a TH400. What shape is the pan, old? Square with a corner cut off and modulator out the back is TH350, odd shaped with the vacuum modulator out the side is Th400.

Bill in IL · Feb 27, 2013

As stated it should be the 205 provided no major changes throught the years. 205 would have a cast iron case as would the 203. The newer 208s had aluminum case.

The other most notable thing from a drivers standpoint is the 205 were hard to shift at times cause they were all gear driven. If you get a bind between the front a rear axles it was a bear to shift out. I usually had to back up slowly till it would relieve the bind and shift out.

old · Feb 27, 2013

No pan this is a 4 speed stick shift. Yep adapter looks to be all or 2 inches thick. Only reason it appears the have broken if because most of the bolts seem to have vibrated out or some such thing. Since I have owned it I have not ever done any thing to the transfer case so who know what who ever had done to it before I got it

old · Feb 27, 2013

Ya sounds like I have a 205 then because yep at times it was very hard to put back into 2 wheel drive if you had been in 4. Plus the lock outs could be fun to unlock also

chevytaHOE5674 · Feb 27, 2013

Trans [i:a5e19737b2]should[/i:a5e19737b2] be an SM465 and being that the transfer case is cast iron and has the option of 2wd then it [i:a5e19737b2]should[/i:a5e19737b2] be an NP205. Now there are 2 styles of adapters for the 465-205 the early style is a "figure-8" to "figure 8" adapter and the other is a "figure 8" to "6 round" depending on if the 205 is an early (figure 8 ) or a late model (6 round). Both are very available both new and used on the internet as that is a very popular combination with offroaders.

Huskers86 · Feb 27, 2013

I think the 1980 chevy's had the gear drive transfer case also. I have a buddy of mine that finds wrecks and is currently hoarding a dozen or more of them. Good luck to you.

old · Feb 27, 2013

Well so far coming up zero as for the part. I could put it back up with 2 bolts missing but hope that I do not have to do that. I do hope it is the gear type since I know there a whole lot better then the chain type

old · Feb 27, 2013

Ya I do not do flea bay but next time I am in town will be stopping at the Chev dealer to look at what they can get. I have not been under it yet to be sure but I think it is also the back mount for the transmission as in that is part of the adapter plate

chevytaHOE5674 · Feb 27, 2013

Yeah the adapter is also the rear trans mount. They are known for breaking the mounting "foot" off the bottom.

Jeff B. · Feb 27, 2013

1980 4spd will be the SM465. The adapter will have mounting surfaces that both resemble a figure 8.
Round style mounting adapters didn't start till they switched from 10 spline output to 32 spline output and went to the aluminum 208 T-case in 1982.
Those 10 spline units used a sleeve to connect the transmission output to the transfer case input. The splines were notorious for wearing so bad lots of them stripped completely out. The sleeves are rather cheap. Be sure to put a new sleeve in if you have more than a tiny amount of slop in the splines.

chevytaHOE5674 · Feb 28, 2013

Jeff there was indeed an NP205 with a 6 bolt round pattern and a 32 spline input IIRC they were only put in 85-91 one ton chevy's. His truck should be the figure 8 adapter on both sides, but being 30+ years old there is no telling what may have been swapped in over the years.

Old there is a place called offroad design that used to sell the adapter you need used for something like 125 bucks if you can't find one anyplace else.

old · Feb 28, 2013

I will have to look to see if that sleeve is there or if it might have fell off when the transfer case hit the snow and if it did fall off it is now long gone

old · Feb 28, 2013

$125 that sounds a tad bit high but then they are not a part you can buy just any place or so it seems

More Chev 4X4 problems.

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads