np203 shifter

[Silver Square]

Does anyone know if there is a replacement shifter or a rebuild kit available for the stock NP203 shifter? Offroad design is "temporarily" out of stock for their twin stick kit, and from what I'm reading on various forums and groups, they have been for years now. Not looking like they're going to make more. I was referred to North West Fab by somebody on facebook, but I called them and they said that they don't offer a shifter for the 203 at all. I am having zero luck finding one anywhere on google.

 

[Old Guy Bill]

What’s wrong with it?
I took one apart recently it’s a fairly complex assortment of plates and a hefty spring and it’s basically indestructible in my opinion. Nothing really to replace.

 

[Silver Square]

Mine is really stiff, no nice "clicks" when you move the lever. It's more of a shove it as hard as you can and end up overshooting the position you want by 2 or 3 positions. How hard was it to take it apart and put back together? I might try my luck. I got a used 203 case and it came with the shifter, which works a little bit better than mine, but still very easy to overshoot, and I can only find 3 and on occasion 4 positions on the lever. But it does "click" when you move it unlike mine. Worse case if I end up ruining one, I've got another I can take to a professional to get fixed.

 

[Old Guy Bill]

Are you sure it’s the shifter and not the transfer case itself?
Those old transfer cases get sloppy inside.
I’d start by disconnecting the shift linkage at the case levers, see how they feel when moving them.
The shifter mechanism is made up of a couple of layers of plates with corresponding grooves and a hefty spring. If you do take it apart take your time and take pictures and lay each piece exactly as it came apart.

 

[Silver Square]

It may be the case itself, not sure. I'll pull the shifter linkages off and see what happens. I have a rebuild kit ordered for the case. I'm going to attempt doing it myself, fingers crossed haha. It seems easy enough to do though, I've watched a couple youtube videos of it. Hopefully the kit comes with instructions. Hardest part will likely be removing the current one from my truck and putting in this one after I rebuild it. This damn thing is HEAVY. It's still sitting in the back of my truck becasue I can't get it out myself, and my dad is 85 and can't help.

 

[legend57]

I'm in the process of rebuilding mine. There is a good YouTube video out there. I ended up buying a spare shifter as a reference, just in case. I may make a video or a detailed description of my rebuild.
I've studied the mechanism, and it is clever, but faulty in its crudeness. It is highly susceptible to binding due to friction, corrosion, sharp edges, or bent plates.

Here are some steps I'm taking in my rebuild;
1) I double checked the assembly to make sure there were no missing parts and that it was assembled correctly. You never know what the PO may have done.
2) A full cleaning of all parts in a heavy-duty degreaser
3) Check to makes sure all plates are flat and slide freely with neighboring plates. Any friction/nicks between plates gets amplified in the mechanism and can cause a very stiff shift lever. I used a small polishing disc on an air drill to smooth all sharp edges and smooth any surface defects on the plates
5) Make sure the slot that the detent pin rides in is smooth. I noticed there were minor surface defects that needed to be smoothed out.
6) For both corrosion resistance and reduced friction, I'm having the plates Cerakote coated. I will still use a lubricant between the plates, but the cerakote will improve surface lubricity and prevent corrosion.
7) Detent Pin Spring: The detent pin spring is very heavy. I purchased a few alternate springs from McMaster Carr with ~80%, 70%, and 60% of the spring rate. This way, I can test the shift feel with the different detent pin spring forces. I've assembled/disassembled the shifter many times to learn how it works and why it was giving me trouble. Eventually, you get good at it, and it becomes easy to do without looking at the video. Holding the assembly in a vise using the flange that mounts to the T-case (don't squeeze the assembly), it allows you to test the shifter outside the truck.

Another note:
There is a tube/sleeve that the plates pivot about. One of the plates is very thin (~.020") and it has a u-shape that fits around this sleeve, not a round hole. During assembly, it is very easy to pinch this plate between the sleeve and the shifter housing. This would prevent this plate from moving freely, and would make shifting very difficult. It is very easy to do and almost impossible to see that it is wrong. The rest of the assembly is not finnicky. You just need to get the order correct.

I'm also trying to get the 4X4 indicator switch working. I wasn't able to find an original style switch, so I found one from a late model that looks like it may work. There may be some slight modifications needed, but I'm still working on it. Details to follow.
Switch: Dorman #600-552
Harness: Standard Motor Products #S712

I bought both from Amazon.

I'll be dropping the parts off for Cerakote this week and hope to have them back next week. I'll then do a write up on the assembly with pics.

 

[dragstews]

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Seen a few for sale on eBay ..

Fortunately mine still was working good ..
Made a over the top of the trans mount to relocate it forward for the needs I had going on ..

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Made it to look like the trans shifter .. Trans shifting is a column shift ..

 

[74Blaze]

I ended up having JB Custom Fabrication build a one-off Twin Stick Cable Shifter for my Blazer. I then had to grind on the Bracket that attaches to the Transfer Case and modify the floor pan a bit to make clearance. I also had to raise the shifter up to make clearance to the Transmission. All said and done, it was some work but shifts wonderfully. Positive and don't pop out of gear like my old ORD Twin Stick often did.

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[legend57]

Update on my 203 Shifter Rebuild:

I had the parts coated with black Cerakote last week. They turned out great. It think there were 10 parts and it came out to $200. $20/part wasn't bad. They coating is very hard and has a teflon-like feel.

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As I put it back together, I used this for lubricant: Lubriplate 930-AA. It only takes a very light coat. It should almost be invisible.

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First step of reassembly:
Lay the main housing down (as shown) and install the bolt and sleeve. Note: Through the entire assembly process, make sure the sleeve remains in contact with the housing. Once it is all bolted together, it won't be able to move.

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Step 2: Install the "hook" part, as shown. It can really only go on one way.

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Step 3: Install the thin plate (note the orientation of the "L" cut out) and put one of the curved washers over the sleeve.
In this photo, I applied the lubricant, but then wiped off 90% of it. What is shown is WAY too much.
This thin plate has a "u-shape" cut out that fits over the sleeve. This must not get pinched between the sleeve and the housing. Otherwise, it won't be able to translate properly. This is a very subtle detail that can be easily overlooked when assembling and tightening the bolt at the end.

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See next post for more....

 

[legend57]

Step 4: Install the plate with the jog facing "down", as oriented in this picture. The next plate will have the jog facing "up".
Note: Have the hole in the plate line up with the hole in the housing. This will help assembly in later steps.

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Step 5: Install the 2nd plate as shown. Again, line up the holes so you can see all the way through the housing. This is the position the parts need to be in so you can install the shifter lever
Not shown is the 2nd curved washer, which should go over this 2nd plate.

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Step 6: Re-assemble the selector pin with the spring and ring. Note, I felt the stock spring to be way too heavy. I change the spring to one with 10-20% less spring force. I can provide the part number if anyone is interested in making this change.
The image on the right has the assembled selector pin installed into the shifter lever. You can see the ring through the hole in the lever. You'll need to use a pick to get it to go over the bolt as you assemble it into the shifter.

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See next post...

 

[legend57]

Step 7: Final Assembly
Place the other housing over the assembly and install the hardware
For the large bolt through the assembly, be sure to use a lock nut, not just a washer. You don't want to jam this bolt down and clamp the assembly tight. You want everything to rotate/move freely.

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Final Notes (so far):

1) Overall, the assembly moves free and smooth. It is important to remember that the shifter does not provide the detent feel. That is in the transfer case. Also, the shifter indexing only works when connected to the transfer case. That is because the phasing (positioning) of the two levers in the shifter that connect to the transfer case can only index when they are both in the correct position. Otherwise, they get bound up. You can really only test the shifter when it is attached to the transfer case, and the rods are adjusted properly. If you search, you can find the instructions on how to adjust the shift rods.
In a nutshell, you place the shifter in the position where you can run a punch through the hole (mentioned earlier) in the housing and both levers. With the two Z-brackets attached to the transfer case, position them so they are both facing "down", or 6 o'clock position. Then, you can install the rods. Some minor refinements may be needed. This is critical. The detents in the transfer case must be properly aligned with the positions within the shifter, in order for the shifter to work. I would bet this where many have struggled with the shifter. The shifter doesn't work in isolation. It can only work well when it is connected properly with the t-case.
Finally, don't just goop your shifter with lube. It will attract dirt and gum up over time. I have a spare shifter that is literally caked in grease. It won't move because of how much hardened/contaminated grease is packed into the thing. Less is more.

I hope this helps those who choose to keep the standard NP203 shifter. I doubt it will ever be as good as a twin-stick, but I prefer to keep this truck as stock as possible.

 

[legopnuematic]

@legend57 very nice! Almost too nice to be hidden under a truck/shift bezel.