Replacement GEM module 1997 AWD 4.0L SOHC?

[pcrussell50]

The TC shift motor is also a weak link, I'd verify that is good before being serious about a TC rebuild or swap. Those motors are rebuildable, used to be about $75 new, last time I looked ran $75 used. I'd rebuild one next time if I need it.

Thanks for all your help so far by the way...

Is this also the same motor that shifts from normal to low range? If so, I can confirm that it works properly. I can hear it shift and then it drives fine in 4LO. Does it perform some other function besides shifting between HI and LO?

-Peter

 

[CDW6212R]

That's it, just the one shifting device. It doesn't move much, just about three positions I think, one less in the auto 4WD versions. In the A4WD, there is not mechanical 4WD position used by the shift motor, just the normal and low range positions. As you already know, the 2WD is solely achieved by the brown wire, the one electrical trigger wire.

 

[pcrussell50]

OK. WHEW!!!

TL;DR This whole sordid drama is now over. 4WD is back and working a treat.

The longer version:
So, back when this thread started, the 1997 Explorer XLT with automatic 4WD transfer case completely failed, which causes all drive to be lost, front and rear. They rebuilt the TC and got me on my way. But when it snowed I noticed that I was getting no drive to the front. So I took it back to them and they said, "we put it on jacks and it IS getting drive to the front". Didn't snow much after that so I never thought about it. Then it was summer, then last winter only one big snow and discovered it still didn't work. Forgot about it all through summer 2019 then had a big early snow in Colorado a few weeks ago... and not surprisingly it still didn't work. That's when I resurrected this thread just a few posts ago. Discussed with Don as you see in the posts, that something in the TC was allowing enough drive to turn the front axle on jacks, but not with any real load. So I took it back to the shop (this is two years later almost) and didn't say a thing about how they might have messed it up the first time (this is key). I just pretended I was a new customer having a this problem. The called me to day to pick it up. And if you can believe it, NO CHARGE! Somehow they recognized it as their work and even nearly two years later and without my even asking them about it, they fixed it for free. Wow. So happy.

Oh the problem? So the mag coil is supposed to drive the clutch stacks together to send drive to the front... turned out they had shimmed it wrong... Put a shim in the wrong place, and the so when the coil energized, it didn't have enough shim stack to press the clutches together tight enough to drive the front axle under any kind of load. So they re did it and it works great.

End of story.

-Peter

 

[CDW6212R]

That's great to hear. It sounds like an AC clutch, which when worn can have different shims put in to regain function for a little while. I'm glad to hear your shop took care of it.