How to: Convert V8 AWD to BW 4406 Manual Shift- A how to thread

[Turdle]

That's awesome! Glad you got it all wrapped up!

 

[traveler]

Quick question. How serious, if at all, is it if the front driveshaft slip joint is completely compressed? I had to get the shaft as short as possible to install it

 

[Turdle]

Quick question. How serious, if at all, is it if the front driveshaft slip joint is completely compressed? I had to get the shaft as short as possible to install it

It had to come back though a bit when it slid into the front yoke, and, since the front diff is stationary, it should be OK.

 

[traveler]

Those were my thoughts exactly, just nice to have some confirmation. Thanks a bunch. I do get some vibration at 75 and up. I think I'll rotate the driveshaft 180° when i get home, see if that helps.
Also my mileage actually appears to have gone down by about 1-2 mpg. Gonna hold off on figuring that out till later though. Probably extra drag somewhere.
And yes.. LoL i did the requisite burnout from a stop sign... Startled Sandi.

 

[rabbit91]

Quick question. How serious, if at all, is it if the front driveshaft slip joint is completely compressed? I had to get the shaft as short as possible to install it

Mine fit super tight, completely compressed

 

[welle417]

Swap TIPS

Greetings Gents,

I just spent the past 2 days with my 97 Mounty on a lift, following this thread to install. Here is what I discovered:

-The gas tank bracket does not have to be removed to bend it if you acquire the proper leverage on the bracket using 1-2 adjustable wrenches. I say this, but I did have it on a lift at the time, and I did have a buddy pulling the other wrench simultaneously. I was fortunate there.

-The alignment pin will be stuck in either the Trans or the TC when pulling the old one out. Mine was stuck on the TC. It required a healthy spraying of PB blaster, a torch, and a solid, nice pair of vise grips to finally ROTATE the pin and the subsequently work it out of the hole. It was a pain, but I got it.

-The best way I have found to "finesse" the body along the trans/transfer case tunnel for "fitment" is with a 5/8 steel rod and a hefty sledge. Once again, having a buddy and lift made this MUCH easier. I pity those who did not have this.

-The case is magnesium - it gums up cutting discs and the like. Use a metal cutting reciprocating saw blade to cut the tabs on the top of the TC

-When cutting the hole for the shift rod i found it best to drill small holes in about a 3x3 square around where the shift rod mount is located; I then increased the size of the hole from there with small parallel cuts, as needed. Hammer finnessing was also required to get enough clearance for the rod itself, which i periodically bolted on while i was working on this to check fitment.

If i think of more things that i learned during this, I will let you know.

 

[welle417]

Bw 4406

I wanted to separate my "tips' post from my "help!" post, haha.

SO i installed my 4406 yesterday, everything went fairly well and I took my time making sure I did things right. I got to the point today where I installed the shift rod and tested everything while the Mountaineer was in the air on the lift.

Here is my problem: The 4406 case was taken apart and put back together by a shop. I bench tested it, and everything seemed flawless with it. Shifts smoothly, rotates beautifully, etc etc. In the truck, the thing does not disengage 4WD. The lever and linkage MOVE into the "2HI" position, but the front wheels STILL spin. I tried MANY things to disengage it, including rotating everything by hand, having a buddy move the shifter around, putting it in neutral and drive and even going in reverse for a time and moving the lever around. I even took it off the lift, with no rear driveshaft in it, and drove around a paved/gravel parking lot in 4x4 and 4LO moving the shifter through the motions to try and work it out. I drove in reverse for 200+ ft. There is no grinding, there is no weird clunks, the thing just acts like it is still in 4wd even when the lever is moved to the 2HI position.

I go to shop that rebuilt my T-case tomorrow, he is "very curious" as to the setup i now have with it and how it could possibly NOT be working. I am equally curious... and frustrated... after 2 days on a lift and blood, sweat, and... maybe a tear or two.

Any thoughts on this... would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Folks.

 

[traveler]

Are there any obstructions keeping the shifter from going fully forward into 2WD?

 

[Turdle]

I wanted to separate my "tips' post from my "help!" post, haha.

SO i installed my 4406 yesterday, everything went fairly well and I took my time making sure I did things right. I got to the point today where I installed the shift rod and tested everything while the Mountaineer was in the air on the lift.

Here is my problem: The 4406 case was taken apart and put back together by a shop. I bench tested it, and everything seemed flawless with it. Shifts smoothly, rotates beautifully, etc etc. In the truck, the thing does not disengage 4WD. The lever and linkage MOVE into the "2HI" position, but the front wheels STILL spin. I tried MANY things to disengage it, including rotating everything by hand, having a buddy move the shifter around, putting it in neutral and drive and even going in reverse for a time and moving the lever around. I even took it off the lift, with no rear driveshaft in it, and drove around a paved/gravel parking lot in 4x4 and 4LO moving the shifter through the motions to try and work it out. I drove in reverse for 200+ ft. There is no grinding, there is no weird clunks, the thing just acts like it is still in 4wd even when the lever is moved to the 2HI position.

I go to shop that rebuilt my T-case tomorrow, he is "very curious" as to the setup i now have with it and how it could possibly NOT be working. I am equally curious... and frustrated... after 2 days on a lift and blood, sweat, and... maybe a tear or two.

Any thoughts on this... would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Folks.

I'm wondering how you drove it with no rear shaft and still have fluid in the transfer case. :scratch:

Have you actually "driven" it with both shafts installed? the whole driveline may have to move a tiny distance to shift out of 4wd . I might be wrong about this but I thought I would bring it up.

 

[welle417]

The shift linkage is unobstructed and I have taken the linkage off and spun everything around whilst forcing the lever on the T Case by hand. The T case has four distinct positions and goes through all of them as it normally should (with the linkage on or handled manually)

the rear shaft being out does make it leak, but it's not particularly fast and I have a gear oil bottle fitted over the housing with a hose clamp over it to slow it down as best I can. I am actually picking up the rear driveline right now at a yard, the first yard I went to gave me the wrong one and I didn't realize it until I was doing the project. SO I shall give that a try!

 

[Turdle]

I sure would.

 

[welle417]

Solved.

The rear shaft being out didn't make a difference. So we pulled the Tcase again today (feel like I'm pretty proficient at it now). We discovered that the shift fork spring was missing. (see attached picture) It's a 14 dollar part from Ford. Ordered it and should be here by Monday at the latest, but for now we put a different spring in there that at least gives me 2WD.

The guy that did the transfer case reassembly was nice enough to spend a number of hours working with me on this and figuring out what went wrong. Simple mistake, big symptom though haha. (I had disassembled it to bring it to AK in checked bags via United Airlines)

For anyone needing case disassembly or reassembly instructions: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3205683&postcount=2

This has factory service manual excerpts, it's not just for wiring- it has everything!

Next problem... i mistakenly thought my VSS was mechanical in this 98 transfer case... it's not... it's electronic but has the same connector type. Any easier conversion than changing the tail housing?

 

[welle417]

VSS woes

I still cant figure out how the signal is different from the gear driven speedo and the magnetic sensor. They both are electronic after about 2 inches outside the TCase and they both have the same plug, as well as the same number of prongs (2). So my guess being that I have a 98 TCase and it was changed from the gear to the sensor about halfway through the factory year, that the gauge cluster wouldn't have changed with it - it must be an ohms thing or the wires were reversed maybe... Why so complicated FORD... CMON

 

[CDW6212R]

I still cant figure out how the signal is different from the gear driven speedo and the magnetic sensor. They both are electronic after about 2 inches outside the TCase and they both have the same plug, as well as the same number of prongs (2). So my guess being that I have a 98 TCase and it was changed from the gear to the sensor about halfway through the factory year, that the gauge cluster wouldn't have changed with it - it must be an ohms thing or the wires were reversed maybe... Why so complicated FORD... CMON

I'm confused about that too. I thought the PCM's until 1998 would all take the VSS from the tail housing, whether from a 4R70W, a manual trans, or an AOD etc.

I'd search or ask on the SCCOA forum, trans swaps are common subjects there, plus trans experts regularly post in those threads. Regards,

 

[welle417]

yeah

I'm confused about that too. I thought the PCM's until 1998 would all take the VSS from the tail housing, whether from a 4R70W, a manual trans, or an AOD etc.

I'd search or ask on the SCCOA forum, trans swaps are common subjects there, plus trans experts regularly post in those threads. Regards,

SO i went to Ford today and talked to the shop Foreman. HE said that although there probably is a way to convert via wiring, he is pretty certain the change over is simply software modifications to make it work. He did a bit of research but didn't come up with anything major. HE was nice enough at least to make sure i knew that i could get a tail housing from any 97 F-150, Expedtion/Navigator whether it was Manual or Electric.
Another gentlemen there told me that he recalled some little fragment of knowledge in the back of his mind that the gear driven speedo was DC and the Stator was AC and that the pulses are different regardless - hence the software alteration.

WELL - I got lucky today because after that let down, I paid a visit to my most frequented pull yard. Although they don't have anything really pre-2000 in the yard to pick through, they do have shelved common parts they acquire. I asked if they had any 4406s for a 97 F-150 and he said... yeah we DO have a couple.

Long story short he sold me an entire Electric T-Case fully intact for 325.

I didn't want to spend that after only spending 340 on all the other parts i needed for this build, but at least i can put that E-tcase back together and make it work for a 98 or up vehicle without a problem. I took it out on my trailer tailgate and took off the tailshaft housing, popped the spacer off, slid the gear down, popped the ball free, pulled the rubber bumper off and away I went. Lucky for me this thing was gone through before and I wont have much trouble refurbing it.

Anybody need a 98+ BW4406 Electric??

 

[Koldham]

just read through this whole thread and am unsure of 1 thing. A double cardon rear driveshaft from a 5.4 4x4 expedition WILL work? I dont ever remember seeing a normal 1 piece shaft under any of the trucks i looked at.

 

[ahodges]

I would steer clear of the double carden shaft for the rear. Unless you have a large suspension lift, there isn't enough drive shaft angle to warrant having one. I got a double carden rear from a 5.4 expedition and it was too long anyhow.

 

[Koldham]

It would be too long even from a 4x4 expedition?

 

[ahodges]

The one I got was.

 

[Koldham]

just got my case in a few minutes ago. my double cardon shaft fits jsut fine with about 1/3 of slip yoke showing at ride height. its close to the gas tank shield but it clears. shaft was pulled from a 99 expedition 4x4.

part number fro reference. all i could find in my yard were the double cardons.