Completed Project 98 Mountaineer SAS...

Project Merc...

New here. Big time Ford guy but I have been building Jeeps last few years. Having two growing boys I need something bigger then my Wrangler. And my XJ is kinda rough to wheel when you sit in it for 8 hours of off road action. So was looking for something a little more plush. Grand Cherokee are nice but Uni body and there V8 options suck since there is no aftermarket for them. Having a couple Fox Body Mustangs I am already familiar with the 5.0. I worked out a deal on 98 Mountaineer 5.0 V8 should be picking it up Tues. I can't wait!!

I will post pics after I pick it up. I did SAS swap in a Diesel Jeep Liberty for a friend so already have practice. Plan on using XJ Dana 30 to start and upgrade to 44 at a later date. I welcome any advice and things I should avoid. I have Miller Plasma Cutter, Miller 212 Mig, JD2 tube bender, and garage full of tools so this will be a fun challenge.

Pictures of my Mustangs...

 

[Stang5lgt]

I will test it out on heartattack hill and the chutes this Sun.

 

[turboexplorer]

That will be funh! Good trail, I liked left hand camyon a little better, it was snowing so was a little prettier that day. Great views off the top of heart attack hill! Get pics or better yet vids if you do the chutes. Its a very mean section, one rock grabs tons of rear diffs it looks like. Only choice is a tire to the side of it so it leaves that big rock right in the center to hit the diff. 35's may clear it though.

 

[Turdle]

Good score on that pan. It looks sexy!

 

[Stang5lgt]

Think I figured out my trans issue. Guy who used to help did the filter change for me. Well he left the old filter gasket in the pickup and stuck the new filter and gasket in behind. Leaving me with a bad seal. When I would drive normal it was a non issue cause the fluid was up to the valve body and it would suck past the gasket. When I would get off camber the seal would leak and not let the trans suck up fluid. When I pulled the pan the filter starting falling out I was like what the heck. Pulled the filter down and thought no wonder. Sigh like my buddy used to say you can't get good help you just get help. Lol

 

[turboexplorer]

Glad its a simple fix. Did you do Kelly Flats today?

 

[Stang5lgt]

Glad its a simple fix. Did you do Kelly Flats today?

Yeah I went with one other guy. He was nervous about heartattack hill so we did the bypass which I don't think was much better. LOL It was fun. I tried the chutes and ended up denting drivers rear door. It was raining and I slide off the rock and banged the door. I did try the big boulder on the right but my coil kept popping out so I gave up cause my spotter told me I couldn't make it. But after I got out and looked I think I could have made it. But it started pouring and was making it a lot harder so we cut our loses and hightailed it out of there. LONG DAY!!!! LOL glad I got to do it before the season was up.

I am having a hard time shifting my 4406 it is sticking in gear. I did almost whole trail in 4 high cause I couldn't get it to shift to 4 low. When I did get it in 4 low it didn't want to come back out. Anyone else have shifting problems with there 4406? The transmission worked amazing all day. So happy it was an easy fix.

 

[gmanpaint]

I bet its just the linkage not lining up right is all. All it takes is a fraction of an inch to screw with the engagement on it.

 

[Stang5lgt]

I bet its just the linkage not lining up right is all. All it takes is a fraction of an inch to screw with the engagement on it.

K I will check it out thanks!

Here are some pics of the old pan next to the new pan.

 

[turboexplorer]

Heart attack hill was pretty mean. But my stock explorer did it. Nothing was overly bad but since we where climing so hard it made simple obsticals hard. Glad tranny worked. How bad did it get the door? And I have never had any issues at all with my 4406. All I need to do is go to neutral to shift into or from 4low. Can do 2wd to 4high in gear at any speed.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Flex pics...

Now I know how much to extend the coil retainers. LOL

I would say the new setup is flexing pretty good.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Heart attack hill was pretty mean. But my stock explorer did it. Nothing was overly bad but since we where climing so hard it made simple obsticals hard. Glad tranny worked. How bad did it get the door? And I have never had any issues at all with my 4406. All I need to do is go to neutral to shift into or from 4low. Can do 2wd to 4high in gear at any speed.

Door has nice dent in it now. My Tcase worked fine before. But it has been acting up last couple trips out.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Time for some straps and longer retainers.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Well we almost made it up Holy Cross. Going up the first section of the switch back my 4 wheel drive stopped working(I had it in 4 low up until it popped out). I could not get the Tcase in 4 Low or 4 Hi. Guy I was with said I don't think your 4 wheel drive is working, I said I know. I still had 2 HI. So I pulled over and messed with it no luck. After that we decided to climb up the shelf road higher to find a flat spot I could work on it and see if I could get the case to work. Anyone who has been on the trail knows the shelf road is not super tough but in 2 Hi it is a whole new ball game. I had to pull line once to get over a big boulder after that I was able to bounce up everything else. We made it up the exit that is closed cause the culvert is washed out. I messed with it some more and when I realized it was no hope I told the guys I had to head down. They decided to head back with me. Driving down Vail pass the T case slipped in to Neutral so I had to coast down to the bottom and put the linkage back in that I had taken out to try and get the case to shift. I was able to put the case back in to 4 hi. Drove back in 4 hi the 4 wheel drive started working again once I hit Denver(it tried to pop back in neutral 3 more times after that I held the shifter so it could not). I was like what in world. Something seriously jacked up in this Tcase. I picked up a new one but didn't have time to swap it before we left. I will be ready to give it another shot in a couple weeks.

I know it is not the shifter cause I pulled over on flat ground left it in neutral with linkage removed and I could not get the lever to move on the Tcase. I will throw the spare in for now. But once I can figure out a different option this 4406 is going bye bye. Not happy with it at all.

 

[turboexplorer]

That sucks bad. First person ive really heard have a problem with it. Will be interesting to see it, if you end up spliting the case.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Only things I can come up with are something jacked up with shifting fork, or damaged splines on the chain letting the sprocket slip. I had the shifter where 4 Hi would be and it was in 2 Hi. When I drove on I70 home I could hear the case trying to fall into neutral. I have tore apart a bunch Jeep Tcases but never one these. I might try a NP208 cause they came behind the AOD(same bolt pattern as the 4R70W). I don't need the speed sensor on Tcase since the Merc runs off the rear ABS sensor. Late 80s and early 90s Broncos and F150 came with NP208 Tcases. I have a 208 in my old F250 back in Iowa and it never left me hanging. Plus the older 208 used a rear yoke instead of slip yoke.

Here is a 208 I will loose a little bit of low since it has 2.6:1. But I will gain a better driveshaft set up for wheeling. And a case that was made for Ford, Dodge, and Chevy so tons of parts.

And the 4406

 

[turboexplorer]

Is it a little shorter? Better shaft angle a little bit if it is. Do they not make any type of slip yoke eliminator for the 4406?

 

[Stang5lgt]

Is it a little shorter? Better shaft angle a little bit if it is. Do they not make any type of slip yoke eliminator for the 4406?

I think it is shorter, I think it will fit better next to the gas tank too. First thing I did when I got my 4406 was looking for an SYE I could never find anything. I thought was stuck with the 4406 cause of the speed sensor. I didn't realize when I started the swap that the Merc used the ABS sensor. After I figured that out I was like crap I could have used a 208 from the beginning. They are a dime a dozen at the junk yard. Plus some of the Broncos from the late 70s and early 80s used double cardan rear shafts so it would be sweet if it was the right length. No big deal if it isn't I will just have the shaft lengthened or shortened to fit. Then if I broke a rear DS I could just remove it and roll out with front wheel drive and not have to worry about fluid puking out the slip yoke.

 

[turboexplorer]

All very true. Wish they did make one, would do that in a heart beat. Another option is to get a trans plug for the rear. So it would seal but not rub on shaft. Not ideal but could work to hobble home. And yes anything is better in size, it barely fits. And mine is in rear diff to. 98' and up are all in rear diff.

 

[Stang5lgt]

Well depending on length of the 208 I might even be able swap the stock shaft back in. Which would be handy.

 

[Stang5lgt]

I measured a 208 today. It is 6 inches shorter. But is a couple inches wider not sure if I will have driveshaft clearance issues or not.