Suggestions Needed - Dana 20 Rebuild

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

Howdy everyone,

I need a few opinions from the group regarding what I should do with my
Dana 20 Transfer Case in my 1976 Traveler... I new this was the place to
come for unbiased opinions. <grin>

Simply put, my 187,000 mile transfer case is seeping lubricant, primarily
from the front somewhere.  I assume it's the input shaft seal.  A local 4x4
shop says a seal / gasket set is only $29.99, so that's not a problem.  A
"rebuild" kit is something $95.00.  I was told it included everything in
the seal / gasket kit plus new bearings, etc.

In reading the IH shop manual, rebuilding the Dana 20 looks relatively
simple with the exception being that some of the bearings need to be pulled
off and pressed on the gear shafts.  I don't have a press in my garage, so
an otherwise simple job would be complicated.  I always hate that!

My question is this... considering the transfer case has 187,000 miles on
it and I have to drop it out from the truck anyway, should I go for a full
rebuild kit or just stick with the seal / gasket kit?  Other than the
lubricant seepage, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong... no excessive
noise, no jumping out of gear, etc.  When replacing my original Spicer
U-joints on the rear drive shaft last weekend (not bad for 187,000 miles),
I noticed "slack" in the output shaft of the transfer case.  What I mean by
slack is that I could rotate the shaft back and forth a bit... like there
is play in the transfer case gears.  I wouldn't think this would be
abnormal wear in the gears for so many miles.  I've never touched a "new"
transfer case, so I wouldn't know how it compares.  There was no side to
side play in the output shaft that I could easily detect.

I'm planning on dropping the TF727 auto tranny in the same operation so as
to replace the leaking rear main seal in the V345A.  I figured I might as
well do the whole enchilada while I'm getting greasy.

Thanks for your suggestions,

John
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
jlandry@domain.elided              |"If I could have gotten 51 votes in the
Conservative Libertarian         |Senate...for an outright ban, picking up
Life Member of the NRA           |every one of them, Mr. and Mrs. America
WA Arms Collectors               |turn them all in, I would have done it."
Commercial Helicopter - Inst.    | - Senator Feinstein on banning firearms
http://www.halcyon.com/jlandry/  |   in America, CBS's 60 Minutes in 1995