Will the 242 T-Case interchange with a 249?

what is the question.?
snarky answer "we give you permission" hehe
but my guess, is what fluid is it? that it/,
i presume you see the 2 plugs. there. fill and drain>?
always remove fill plug first. (if cant stop, do not drain it)
242 and 247 have different fluid capacity.
3pints and 2.5 pints respectively
the operators guide tells gear lube used there.
chapter on 242, example.
Dextron II is not correct in 2016, only DEXron VI. (newest grades are always best )
do not mix them, drain and fill with only one class of lube. 100%

The mode fork inside the transfer case has a weak or broken spring. This is allowing the fork to engage the mainshaft, causing it to place it in 4x4 drive. To repair this the transfer case will need to be replaced. To solve this issue temperarly, you can remove the front drive shaft to keep it from locking the front wheels, but you most likely will hear a grinding noise from time to time while driving, and would still need to address the mode fork issue.

On the back of the case you should see a round tag. The numbers you are looking for are right on there.

The ticking noise is most likely your tranfer case chain. the chains in this case...overtime....will stretch, causing the chain to have enough slack the hit the bottom of the case.

the 242 is the correct transfer case for your car.Its the selec-trac transfer box.The other type is the command-trac.Both types were used in Cherokees.Hope this helps

If it was ever towed with the wheels on the ground (not dollied) then the transfer case is probably "burned out" and you will need to replace it. These models of jeeps are full time 4WD and MUST be dollied or towed on a carrier or rollback type truck. Unless they have manual locking hubs.

change the transfer case to a np231 or 242

if the shifter is the same and they have the same front driveshaft then yes

1994 is the same as 1997. parts are interchangeable

Both the transfer cases used during that time look similar. See the following diagrams:

NV247: http://www.wjjeeps.com/nv_247_01.jpg
NV242: http://www.wjjeeps.com/nv_242_01.jpg

Here are instructions w/ pics:

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8647813

(If you have the 242 I believe you can use ATF+4 instead of the special Mopar fluid but I would check first to make sure).