So here's a life lesson to all..myself included. I have asked several experienced people that question for the last two days..was referred to np241 expert who formed the chevy militia here, and has many years of chevy transfer case experience, he also owns a shop. He said it's my chain or range fork, probably screwed up my gears, and to trash the case and buy one from him for 1500...another guy at a chevy transmission specialty shop said it was my chain and bearings, scrap the case and by theirs for 1300..the first guy test drove my chevy, still said it was trash. I surfed a little more and found a thread about the output shaft snap ring that is notorious to snap on 241's, since it was a easy check I dropped the driveline and pulled the housing off...snap ring in two pieces. Called the local "expert" and told him..he said oh yeah they break all the time...really?. But instead of admitting he was either full of it or trying to rip me off, he still said to trash the case and buy his because the case would be trash anyway. $8.40 cents later, it runs perfect, just like before. That's two experts who both forgot to mention a very inexpensive and easy potential solution to my issue. I can't say that's a coincidence. Mechanics get a bad name because of people like that, I've been wrenching on my own cars for 30 years and this is why. Sure I ask for help now and then but the truth is all I want, honesty, not to be scammed or led down the wrong road. If you have a np241 or similar transfer case, take the time to check or replace your snap ring...it's easy and cheap.
