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BW4494 H3 4:1 Transfercase

Covecrawler

Covecrawler

Well-known member
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Jul 21, 2020
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286
Wondering if there is any info out there on the BW4494 Transfercase? Seems like a low buck 4:1 low range transfercase. Looking for something to go behind a 4L60E, so factory adapter would work I believe. I would want to convert it to manual shift. Looks like these are bringing about $1000 on eBay. There were threads on H3 forums with guys buying them from the dealer new for $1300, I may check todays price.
 
Solid t case, they aren’t indestructible like an np205 or atlas but on par with chain driven t cases.

A guy on eBay started making 2wd conversions. These are awd, it’s not a viscous coupler but literally a small open diff. It removes the open diff and puts in a solid chunk of metal.

You may be able to adapt a manual shift bw case from the fords to the h3 case.

Depending on how you clock it, you may need an H3 4l60e valve body and pan.
 
arse_sidewards said:
We talking like NP231 garbage or like 271/273 "survive behind a turned up diesel, at least for awhile" type of case?
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I’d say in between, like NP241

I successfully ran one on 40s for years on an 7k lb rig. Eventually the chain did stretch.
 
I’ve been considering this route as well vs. an atlas or doublers. Haven’t done much research though.
I think the input shaft on the 4494 is a 32 spline(?) and the output shaft on a 4l60E is 27 spline, so one or the other has to be changed also. I considered doing a 4l80e swap to match the spline count but still not sure. Could be wrong.
I have the push button 4wd so I would have to try and rewire the actuators to make the 4 option actuator on the 4494 work and I couldn’t find anything on that, so a manual shift would be easier and less electronics.
At the end of the day, what is keeping me from running to the junkyard, grabbing a case, and possibly a trans and swapping the case in?
 
I don’t know if this is applicable or not but one thing I learned when I had my ZF6 duramax was that rare doesn’t always = great. Parts were a pain to find.

Would that be the case here, or are parts readily available? Also what’s the chance of finding one in the junkyard?
 
fl0w3n said:
I don’t know if this is applicable or not but one thing I learned when I had my ZF6 duramax was that rare doesn’t always = great. Parts were a pain to find.

Would that be the case here, or are parts readily available? Also what’s the chaInce of finding one in the junkyard?
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Between Ebay and Car-Part.com I could locate have 20 on the way today. I have not checked the dealer yet. Most are more than $1000.
 
Too much fucking around to be worth it, then you have an inferior case and a bunch of time and money into it. There is good reason they are not used or even considered in the off road world.
 
Mattygwheeler said:
Too much fucking around to be worth it, then you have an inferior case and a bunch of time and money into it. There is good reason they are not used or even considered in the off road world.
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What is your definition of inferior? Do rubicon 4:1 t cases fall under inferior?
 
06h3 said:
What is your definition of inferior? Do rubicon 4:1 t cases fall under inferior?
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My definition of inferior..electronic shifted, all wheel drive, slip yoke. Does the rubicon case have these features? Sure if you have this case under your rig already, make it work, but to go out of your way to put this in a jeep or whatever, that is just retarded.
 
Mattygwheeler said:
My definition of inferior..electronic shifted, all wheel drive, slip yoke. Does the rubicon case have these features? Sure if you have this case under your rig already, make it work, but to go out of your way to put this in a jeep or whatever, that is just retarded.
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AWD can be viewed as a benefit or a negative. For street driven rigs in shitty winters AWD kicks ass, and it’s not your old Jeep grand Cherokee awd type. It’s literally a mechanical open diff, not the viscous coupler that brings the suck. I have driven my brothers JK in snowy conditions and the H3, the H3 transfer case is superior 1000% on road in shit conditions.

Electric shifter is dumb, but fixable.
Slip yoke rear is also dumb but fixable.

It’s passenger drop and 4:1.

Name a cheaper way to get a 4:1 t case in pass drop flavor? NP205s aren’t $200 anymore, 203s aren’t $100 anymore and adapters aren’t cheap anymore.

I am not being an H3 fan boy. My H3 has no H3 features left, axles are long gone, IFS is long gone and the T case in this conversation is also long gone.

If you’re gonna slap big tires and big HP on your build and go rock bouncing, don’t use this t case. I saw someone land hard on throttle on 40s and broke one. I used the for a decade with success, 3-4 years on 40s. For a mild SAS that needs deep gearing, it is still cheaper than a 203/205 doubler even after you fix the 2 downfalls and superior if you feel the need for awd.

This isn’t a case for everyone but just because no one uses it, doesn’t mean it’s shit. I don’t think it’s been used for the first 10 years because they were too new. Now H3s are showing up in yards and parts are becoming more attainable.

The other reason is because people are fucking idiots.

Typical conversations I have had. “H3s are 4wd?”

Yeah, some come with rear lockers and a 4:1 t case, some come with front and rear lockers and a 4:1 some are open/open and a 2.64:1 case

Wow, I thought like 60% of them were 2wd.

They never made a 2wd hummer. Every H1, H2, and H3 ever made was 4wd. Every single H2 ever produced had a rear locker.

Wow I didn’t realize. I thought they were 2wd gangster mobiles.


There’s a lot of shit I will talk on a hummer but this t case is far down on the list compared to the weak front diff, weak steering rack, weak tie rods, etc.
 
It's probably not a bad case but since it was such limited production is day that's what hurts it the most.

BW doesn't share the same support as NP or NV unfortunately. It's just a numbers game and sinking money or building a project around a component that has extremely limited production is probably a bad idea.
 
I've worked on a few H3s where they were stuck in 4x4 hi lock. I can't remember exactly at the moment seems like a plastic shift fork was the problem. GM sells an upgraded aluminum fork. They have a compound planetary gear that I believe is a ravigneaux gear because of the carrier connection between the two gear sets. I did not know they were a 4:1 case, I'm interested now...
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Yes, early models had plastic shift forks and they caused issues. Aluminum shift forks solved that issue
 
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