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

[bigcrunch]

Its a heavy duty f150, prob has the 4406 confirm with serial # of truck. Call a "nice" ford dealers parts dept and they will tell you.
get the transfer case, front and rear drive shafts, shifter with boot if it is.

Good luck with conversion took me longer to remove center console and cut hole for shifter then remove gas tank and orig transfer case.

Mine gets better gas mileage in 2wd than all wheel drive, 340 miles per tank comapred to 280 before. Locked 4whd nice going to my shop when it rains.

 

[Tubstinator]

I've jotted down on a piece of paper of what all I will need for this project and so far I have:
4.6L Manuel T-Case out of a 97 F150
4.6L Front Drive Shaft out of a 2000 F150
5.4L Rear Drive Shaft out of a 98 Navigator
Shift Linkages
Transmission out of a 97 5.0 Explorer (Due to the fact that I have a 2wd V8 donor Explorer, I have researched and appearently it is easier to just buy tranny instead of messing with adapters and what not)

I have a 1996 5.0 RWD XLT and a 1995 4.0 4WD Eddie Bauer and plan to make the 4WD the home of the 5.0 but my question is 1) Am I missing anything I might need? 2) Will I be able to use the same wiring when we do the swap?

Thanks for your input

~Tubs~

 

[bigcrunch]

I have a 96 v8 RWD and a 97 v8 all wheel drive that I did the conversion to.

I took a look under both to see what parts would interchange since the 96 is now a parts supply for the 97

Looks like the oil pan and exhaust routing is dif between the two to accommodate the front dif and driveshaft.

Take a real close look at what you currently have.

 

[gmanpaint]

I have a 1996 5.0 RWD XLT and a 1995 4.0 4WD Eddie Bauer and plan to make the 4WD the home of the 5.0 but my question is 1) Am I missing anything I might need? 2) Will I be able to use the same wiring when we do the swap?
~Tubs~

This is a headache in the making right here. Being that the 95 is OBDI and the 96 is OBDII, plus the 96 already has the 5.0 in it, this would be the rig to do the 4406 conversion in. Much better to just swap the trans out in the 96, then EVERYTHING in the 95. All modules, all wire harness's, ecm, heck, everything!

Is the 96 a wreck? That's the only reason I can think of for wanting to use the 95. :scratch:

 

[Tubstinator]

This is a headache in the making right here. Being that the 95 is OBDI and the 96 is OBDII, plus the 96 already has the 5.0 in it, this would be the rig to do the 4406 conversion in. Much better to just swap the trans out in the 96, then EVERYTHING in the 95. All modules, all wire harness's, ecm, heck, everything!

Is the 96 a wreck? That's the only reason I can think of for wanting to use the 95. :scratch:

I am unfamiliar with the meaning of OBDI and OBDII, could you give me an idea what they are?

The 96 is not a wreck but it is 2wd and therefore 4wd in the 96 not possible =(

 

[bigcrunch]

After my 400,000 mile 96 gave it up, I searched Craigslist for a Gen 2 v8 all wheel drive. Good ones can be had for $1500 range, it is a buyers market.

 

[gmanpaint]

I am unfamiliar with the meaning of OBDI and OBDII, could you give me an idea what they are?

The 96 is not a wreck but it is 2wd and therefore 4wd in the 96 not possible =(

OBD is the operating system for the vehicles computer. For a comparison, lets say the 95 is an old Atari game console, and the 96 is Play Station 2 console.

I don't think you have a grasp on this just yet, and really need to do a bunch of research and reading up on the drive trains & systems for your vehicles.

The 96 can be made 4wd and many on here have done this conversion. You have everything (diff, driveshaft, c/v, knuckles) you need for the 4wd conversion in the 95.

You need the AWD 5.0L transmission to run the 4406. That trans will not bolt to the 4.0L in your 95.

 

[Tubstinator]

OBD is the operating system for the vehicles computer. For a comparison, lets say the 95 is an old Atari game console, and the 96 is Play Station 2 console.

I don't think you have a grasp on this just yet, and really need to do a bunch of research and reading up on the drive trains & systems for your vehicles.

The 96 can be made 4wd and many on here have done this conversion. You have everything (diff, driveshaft, c/v, knuckles) you need for the 4wd conversion in the 95.

You need the AWD 5.0L transmission to run the 4406. That trans will not bolt to the 4.0L in your 95.

What I was planning on doing was taking out the 5.0 with tranny attached and then taking off the tranny, putting an AWD tranny on and then put on a manual 4406 t-case and then drop that onto my 95 frame (my 95 is all in pieces right now and I have the body off the frame so this wouldn't be too hard to drop it in I would think)

 

[Turdle]

getting way off topic.

 

[ryost4]

thanks for the awesome write up, without it id still be running around with crappy AWD. I gotta say though, it was kind of a PITA sqeezing that 4406 up in there, not to mention it weighs a ton compares to the original.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

Okay, picked up a 4406 from a F150 with a E4OD/4R100 and 5.4L. I didn't grab the shifter stuff because I didn't think it would work with my explorer trans. But I had a question on the drive shafts. Its posted a front shaft from a 4.6L expedition, but does it matter which trans the exp. has? I thought E4oD/4R100 style trans is longer then the aod/4R70W style. Same question on the rear shaft.

Or does the 4.6L only come with aod/4R70 and the 5.4 only come with the E4oD/4R100?

My explorer and the wifes are 98's so they don't have the VSS in the transfer case. My buddy has a 97 which does. This tcase I picked up appears to have a vss on it. Will this vss work in his 97? He wants to do the same swap with his 5.0L explorer.

 

[CDW6212R]

The difference in trans length is the key to the driveshaft length needed. Thus the instructions to get the shafts from the correct trucks. The other shafts are too long/short, because of the trans used.

Your friend can use that T-case, you can too. He can't use the later 99+ models though.

The VSS change was one year later on the bigger trucks. I have a 98 Navigator BW4406 that has the VSS.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

I knew I could, I was asking for him. I pulled the vss and it has the exciter ring style (similar to abs tone rings) vs the plastic gear.

So then I need a expedition front shaft with a 4.6L 4R70, and a expedition 5.4L with a 4R70 or does it not matter trans application? No where in any of the threads I've read regarding these swaps (been reading alot) is the trans in the f150's/expeditions brought up. When I search car-part.com and other salvage yard type sites they only ask motor size for application not trans applications.

 

[Moto Mel]

I'm pretty sure that all of the 4.6 Expeditions came with a 4R70 trans and the 5.4s came with a 4R100, at least until 2000.

 

[welle417]

Prepping for this swap... from 7000 miles away!?

Currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan
with my next destination being Anchorage Alaska next year!

My Mounty is waiting patiently for me in NJ with a bad AWD case
and this swap had already been planned on

SO my question is - now that we're YEARS down the road from these swaps, what tips, tricks, hints, alterations can my veteran gents suggest for me to tell my family and mechanic back home to assist in this project?

Any thoughts, questions, comments, concerns - would be much appreciated!!

Thanks
~RJW II :bdrunk:
I.Y.A.A.Y.A.S!

 

[CDW6212R]

Start at the beginning of the thread, the proper parts are listed there. The engine size determines which trans is in it, and that determines which length driveshaft is in it. So worry about the engine, 4.6 or 5.4 size. That gets you the right shaft.

 

[Moto Mel]

Start at the beginning of the thread, the proper parts are listed there. The engine size determines which trans is in it, and that determines which length driveshaft is in it. So worry about the engine, 4.6 or 5.4 size. That gets you the right shaft.

His avatar shows that the truck is a 5.0 and that should have a E4OD or a 4R70 trans.
He should start a new thread for his questions after he does his research here as no one will read all of the previous posts to get to his question.

 

[CDW6212R]

His avatar shows that the truck is a 5.0 and that should have a E4OD or a 4R70 trans.
He should start a new thread for his questions after he does his research here as no one will read all of the previous posts to get to his question.

This thread is about any 95-01 302 Explorer/Mountaineer and installing a BW4406. The answers to his questions are in this thread at the beginning. The same answers apply to which driveshafts to use, it's in the beginning of the thread. Take your time and read it from the start, Evan clearly explained it all.

 

[CheapThrillEX]

E4OD/4R100 was never offered in a 2nd gen explorer....

 

[CheapThrillEX]

This thread is about any 95-01 302 Explorer/Mountaineer and installing a BW4406. The answers to his questions are in this thread at the beginning. The same answers apply to which driveshafts to use, it's in the beginning of the thread. Take your time and read it from the start, Evan clearly explained it all.

I've read through this thread and the other 10+ threads/swaps on this board (multiplt times) and discussion of the trans in the F150/exp. Were not brought up. I assumed the 4.6L only came with 4R70, and the 5.4L/4R100. I was looking for conformation of that info. I didn't want to go off an assumption. I know how to use the search function and how to read through before asking a question.

Thanks for the clarification on the driveshafts .