NP 205 question
 

I have a 1968 3/4 ton long bed with a SM465 and a ten spline NP205,

I have had 5 guys at NAPA, a guy at a driveline shop in vegas, various "Expert Friends", and the latest, a guy at a drive line shop in Reno tell me that the 205 Transfer case was not available in 68. Most think they were not made available in these trucks untill 70 some said 72. What the??? I was under the impression that was an original transfer case untill the latest guy just told me otherwise. He seemed to know his $hit and got me wondering...

Am I wrong???

Any Ideas on why the previous owner would have changed it over? As near as I can tell, the truck came as a 68 3/4 ton long bed 4X4 with a 4 speed and a 396ci

Pete.

Hey Pete, I don't think they made 4x4 with big blocks in them but I'm not for sure. I think the np205 came out in 70 but not for sure on that either. My 67 and 68 have rockwells in them and the three 72's have np205's. Good luck Randy

Sounds like everything from the motor to transfer case was swapped in. I believe the SM465 was not offered until 69 as well as the NP205. Big blocks(396 or 402) were 2wd only in 67-72. I believe the biggest engine you could get in a 4wd in 1968 was a 327. In 1967 and 68 the 4 speed was the SM420 and a rockwell TC.

What others have said is correct. Your truck would have come originally with an SM420, a Rockwell/Timken T221 t-case, and nothing bigger than a 327 small block. The first time you could ever get a big block in a 4X4 was in 1988 with that new body style.

Ditto on the no big blocks in 67-72 4x4s.

A previous owner must have wanted the extra strength of the NP205.

And I'm sure you could get big blocks in 73-87 4X4s. We bought a 86 K30 new with a 454.

How do you tell the difference between an SM420 and Sm465?

SM420 reverse is down to the left and the tranny has one PTO cover. SM465 reverse is down to the right and the tranny has PTO covers on both sides.

Holy crap! I wonder what the hell my truck was origionally. Hell, I don't know anything about my truck anymore.

I thought for sure big blocks came in 4x4's

Thanks guys... Pete