Twin Stick Conversion

[bblue]

I just installed my J.B. on my t type today. great product. I purchased it on ebay it sold with a blemish, a tiny mark on the threads for the handle. saved myself 30.00 I havent droped the case to pull the pills I dont need to be doing front digs with the 30 in the front....shifts very nice and I have 2 low. the stock shifter it would jump out.

 

[farnorthdan]

I looked at those shifters but went with the Duffs instead. A little more expensive but I like the look better and they match the 3-speed shifter.

http://www.jamesduff.com/eb/shifters.html


dan

 

[marcus]

i bought the JBG twin stick and its very nicely made but it comes w/ very vague instructions.

 

[SDlivin]

Newbie question.

how do I know if I have a T type or J type?
I think I figured this out before, but it has escaped me....
Thanks
-Robert

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

T Style has a T-handle shifter with a push button on the drivers side. You push it and the shifter will only go forward or backward.

J Style just has a round knob and the shift pattern is a J pattern.

If you do a search for either one you will find many pictures. I hope my description didn't confuse you. I'm sitting waiting to board a plane to return from a six month deployment.

 

[gearida]

I think the easiest way to describe the difference looking at the two is the T shift has two rods that are bare coming out of the case. The J has the two rails attached by flat bent metal tieing them together. I had trouble due to all shifter pcs. where missing. So look at the shift rails as they come out of the case. I installed my T twin stick from JB Fab and with the excellent customer service of JB and a phone call from Viperwolf it was fairly easy.I did have to make a specail tool out of a socket to keep my roller bearings in during installation.

 

[JB Fab]

Here are our instructions, if this helps........

 

[mattt]

Isn't there an internal mod you need to do to one of the shift rails in order to get the twin sticks to work correctly for the T-style? Can you pull the shift rails with the t-case in the truck?

No way to make the mods with the case in the EB....you actually have to take it apart as well. You don't have to make these mods for twin sticks to work on a T shift. Making the mods just allows full independent control of each axle and range. Here are the two tech articles that I know of on the 'net.
First one details pulling the interlock pills.
Second one details grinding the shift rails.

http://www.mallcrawlin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7888&highlight="dana+twin"

http://www.wt4x4.net/tech/twinstick.htm

Pulling the pills can allow you to mix up the ranges front to rear. Grinding the rails and keeping the pills in place prevents you putting the front in hi, rear in low or vice versa.

I'm about half way thru mine and when I drove the idler gear shaft out here is what happened(in the pic). The retainer was removed and I was driving it out from the correct side....busted. My only thought is that the shaft was partially rusted to the case and the broken piece stayed with the case until it broke free. Bummer....one more thing to fix now.

There was another thread on this about 10 days ago by the AZ guys and the one they did had an O ring on this shaft. Mine does not....possibly early case vs. later case?

 

[Viperwolf1]

That shaft needs to go in through the rear of the case and out from the front. The front hole is tappered. Never seen one without an o-ring groove. What's the casting date on the case?

 

[accountant]

Good thread! I have a 1970 with a T-shifter. How much easier will it be to shift in four wheel drive with the twin stick (without the internal changes)? Thanks

 

[mattt]

That shaft needs to go in through the rear of the case and out from the front. The front hole is tappered. Never seen one without an o-ring groove. What's the casting date on the case?

I pounded the shaft out from the front towards the rear. The end with the retainer(the rear) is what came out first. I was pounding on the blank end(the front). Sounds like I may have done it backwards by your description. There is definitely not an o-ring groove on the shaft.....probably why there was a big goober of silicone covering the end of the shaft on the front side.

Info on transfer case....

Casting #...tag riveted on the case C18 + 15 + 29(plus signs are actually division signs not plusses)
B/M # 300777-4
Serial # 1189923

There is another small tag below the casting # tag that looks to have a date 1-22-69.... or 68

 

[Viperwolf1]

I pounded the shaft out from the front towards the rear. The end with the retainer(the rear) is what came out first. I was pounding on the blank end(the front). Sounds like I may have done it backwards by your description. There is definitely not an o-ring groove on the shaft.....probably why there was a big goober of silicone covering the end of the shaft on the front side.

Info on transfer case....

Casting #...tag riveted on the case C18 + 15 + 29(plus signs are actually division signs not plusses)
B/M # 300777-4
Serial # 1189923

There is another small tag below the casting # tag that looks to have a date 1-22-69.... or 68

No it sounds like you drove it out correctly. I may not have explained it well. The front hole is tapered toward the front to seal the end of the shaft. Comparing serials it looks like a '68 case.

 

[mattt]

So....after tonight the score now stands, transfer case....3 Me.......0. I decided on Saturday to continue with the dis-assembly and grind the shift rails for full independent. I haven't even got to the front rail yet, because the rear rail to shift fork set screw is absolutely kickin my @$$. It will not budge!!!

I've tried heating it(multiple times), I've tried an allen socket on a ratchet, I've tried an impact driver with said socket on the end. That stupid little set screw does NOT want to come loose. And I still have one more shift rail(the front) to even start messing with.

Anyone else had this issue? If so...how did you eventually get it out?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Long allen wrench works for me but I usually lose a little blood getting them loose. When you put them back in you really want them tight. Loose forks will cause shifting problems and eventually destroy the forks.

 

[mattt]

I've been dickin with this transfer case all week...and it's fighting me the whole way thru. I managed to get the rear shift rail set screw out. It took A LOT of heating and pounding to get it free. I think what finally made it release was the whack on a punch that was down in the bottom of it. I put a small diameter punch in the bottom of the allen socket and wacked it with a 5lb. sledge.

So, with the rear out, I then moved to the front shift rail. Of course the front set screw is just as tight and not budging. Heated it many times, tried every combo of allen wrench, socket, etc. I was trying to get this one out without removing the front gear stack...but that idea has now been abandoned. With the front gear stack in there, it gives very limited room to get at the set screw.

Now trying to get the front gear stack out of the case, and that is presenting it's own set of road blocks. I'm using the wt4x4.... link that I posted above as a guideline. Where I'm stuck is trying to pry the front bearing forward off the shaft to get at the snap ring that holds the front shaft together. Any tricks to get that bearing off the shaft? Thanks in advance!

 

[Viperwolf1]

Pull the bearing cup from the front and the bearing will slide right out. Then you have access from the front to get to the snap ring. Don't try to remove the snap ring from the bottom.

 

[mattt]

The bearing itself, not the race in the case, is very snug on the front shaft. I haven't removed the front bearing race yet, but the rear race popped out of the case.

I'm trying to move the bearing that is up against the snap ring. I've got it move by prying....but very little, and not enough to get the snap ring off yet.

Perhaps I'm just fighting 40+ years of never being apart...like the set screws were such a biatch.....

I really didn't want to take the front gear stack out, but that front rail set screw is only going to come out with better access than there is with the front gear stack in place.

 

[Viperwolf1]

You can't move the bearing forward because the cup (race) is keeping it from going anywhere. No harm in taking the front shaft apart any more than you already have. It will only go back together one way so there's really no way to screw it up. Just remember where the spacer goes.

 

[mattt]

The front output shaft is away from the front bearing race. With the rear race out of the case, I can pull the whole front shaft assy. back ~1". There is nothing in front of the front bearing....the bearing is just really tight on the shaft.

I've been searching and reading other threads.....yeah, most people say it just slides off....not here


Next one.....The shift fork to shift rail set screws I have are toast. They look a little different than normal hardware store type allen set screws. Is it okay to re-install std. hardware store set screws or do I need to find these original style set screws?

 

[Viperwolf1]

You're going to need set screws with the same type of cone on the end. Otherwise the forks will not be stable on the rails.