I just read over this thread and realized I never documented what brought it to closure. I found a Dana 300 at a junkyard. It was from a 1984 CJ-7 that was in a traffic accident. So many of the transfer cases I looked at on line were stand alone so it would go to reason that they were for sale because they had been replaced. I could only hope the replacement was for an upgrade and not due to damage. When I found the one in the junkyard, they told me it had been there for years and no one had ever asked for one. They are a reputable yard so I purchased it.
The install was a piece of cake. Out with the old and in with the new.
I am planning to rebuild the old one when I have time. I was all geared up for it when the used one came around. I am still looking forward to the experience. But now I can do it at my pace with no pressure.
I have been wheeling a few times and it is working great.
Kevin's 83-CJ8's post in Dana 300 Transfer Case Slips Out of 2H Range was marked as the answer