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4406 Swap Odds and Ends

BigBlueBrick

Active Member
Joined
April 11, 2020
Messages
51
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65
City, State
Los Angeles, CA
Year, Model & Trim Level
1998 Ford Explorer XLT
So I'm looking to dive into a 4406 swap on my 98 awd, and I found a case for $150 on Ebay, but I cant seem to find any shift linkages for sale. The LKQ in my area didn't even have any manual shift f150s so I'm kind of at a loss here. Any advice on where to find the linkage for a manual shift 4406?

Also, if anyone actually has a 4406 and/or shifter linkage and appropriate driveshafts (any parts for the swap, really), I'd be interested.

Any advice or possibly parts (fingers crossed) you guys have would be greatly appreciated.
 



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allright this can be a tough part to get
The shifter linkage is attached to the transmission, so often when the transfer case is removed the linkage is left behind or goes with the transmission. What I have done in the past is ask the wrecking yards, find a truck that had a 4406 manual in it and ask to see the transmission, many times the shifter and linkage is just sitting there still attach to transmission.

F150 from 98-2014 used the 4406 case, behind the 4.2 V6 and 4.6L v8

I will keep my eyes peeled when we hit the yards up here in North Idaho

driveshafts you can get from any 4.6L truck that is 4wd, the front shaft will mostly bolt in, the rear will likely need to be shortened/re tubed
 






allright this can be a tough part to get
The shifter linkage is attached to the transmission, so often when the transfer case is removed the linkage is left behind or goes with the transmission. What I have done in the past is ask the wrecking yards, find a truck that had a 4406 manual in it and ask to see the transmission, many times the shifter and linkage is just sitting there still attach to transmission.

F150 from 98-2014 used the 4406 case, behind the 4.2 V6 and 4.6L v8

I will keep my eyes peeled when we hit the yards up here in North Idaho

driveshafts you can get from any 4.6L truck that is 4wd, the front shaft will mostly bolt in, the rear will likely need to be shortened/re tubed
allright this can be a tough part to get
The shifter linkage is attached to the transmission, so often when the transfer case is removed the linkage is left behind or goes with the transmission. What I have done in the past is ask the wrecking yards, find a truck that had a 4406 manual in it and ask to see the transmission, many times the shifter and linkage is just sitting there still attach to transmission.

F150 from 98-2014 used the 4406 case, behind the 4.2 V6 and 4.6L v8

I will keep my eyes peeled when we hit the yards up here in North Idaho

driveshafts you can get from any 4.6L truck that is 4wd, the front shaft will mostly bolt in, the rear will likely need to be shortened/re tubed


That would be awesome! I'm going to email the seller of the 4406 to see if they can scrounge up the linkage off of the donor truck. I'm a little apprehensive about getting all of the necessary parts and screws if I do go that route because I won't be able to make sure everything I need is there. Definitely keep me posted on what you see in the Idaho yards. I bet they're more likely to have it than the Southern California yards which are full of Camrys and Oddyseys without a lot of trucks.

I had my eye on a pickup in minnesota on craigslist for $1500. It was a 4.2L twin stick. Probably would've been a good option...

While you're looking for the linkage, if you spot the plastic trim base, boot, or knob I'm looking for those as well. I'm trying to make it look as factory as possible. I'm going to head out to another yard in the next few weeks hopefully I find some of the stuff.

Lastly, is there anything that breaks frequently on these 4406s that kills them? I want to make sure I'm not getting a dud when I buy mine.
 






I would open it up and check that the oil pump hose isn't rotten. Or that the oil pump tang isn't wearing through the case.

This pic is my case and the tang wore a groove about 1/2 way through the case. When it goes all the way through the pump will spin and not pump oil. JB Weld saved the day for me since my cases were magnesium and couldn't be welded in my town.
 

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I would open it up and check that the oil pump hose isn't rotten. Or that the oil pump tang isn't wearing through the case.

This pic is my case and the tang wore a groove about 1/2 way through the case. When it goes all the way through the pump will spin and not pump oil. JB Weld saved the day for me since my cases were magnesium and couldn't be welded in my town.

there is a sleeve you can buy for those
 






there is a sleeve you can buy for those


Yeah, it's even in my pic but for my early magnesium case 4406 it didn't fit. I took that pic with my calipers measuring the tab slot because the sleeve people told me I was wrong when I told them it didn't fit my case. I sent them the pic and they just said, oh well sorry for your luck.

So that's why I used JB Weld to fill the groove.
 






Here's my other pic of the repair sleeve for the oil pump tang that didn't fit my case. The pic above shows the width of my slot and this pic shows the width of the sleeve incase anyone wants to use one I'd say make sure it fits before buying one.
 

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When I called and talked to whatever company makes that sleeve they said it is made to fit right in and that I must have the wrong T case. Just pissed me off to the whole thing.

Very assy about the fact that it didn't fit my case. I still have it and would like to see how it fits in an aluminum case 4406 but I havn't got to be inside one yet.
 






Hi all, I'm adding to this thread as I am in the middle of this job and still have not found the shifter linkage. Doorman makes a replacement that I just ordered form Rockauto but I don't think it comes with any bolts to mount it to the transmission. Does anyone know what size and pattern the bolts are that I would need to get from the hardware store so I can mount it on?

Also a separate question: My gas tank bracket will fit without modification but sits against the new TC. I read on other threads that the case will move, so I'm assuming I still need to bend it or will it be ok this way?

@410Fortune you seem to be the expert on these conversions, any help will be much appreciated!
 






Hi all, I'm adding to this thread as I am in the middle of this job and still have not found the shifter linkage. Doorman makes a replacement that I just ordered form Rockauto but I don't think it comes with any bolts to mount it to the transmission. Does anyone know what size and pattern the bolts are that I would need to get from the hardware store so I can mount it on?

Also a separate question: My gas tank bracket will fit without modification but sits against the new TC. I read on other threads that the case will move, so I'm assuming I still need to bend it or will it be ok this way?

@410Fortune you seem to be the expert on these conversions, any help will be much appreciated!
if you need a linkage, i might have one kicking around
 






if you need a linkage, i might have one kicking around
I am interested. Do you have the bolts as well? Otherwise I’m in the same boat I am now if this Dorman linkage is the right part.
 






In case anyone has the same issue as me, I was able to get the bolts from ACE, they are M14x2.00 pitch, the smallest they had were 35 mm but they wouldn’t go in all the way for me, even though the hole is deep enough. Since I couldn’t find shorter ones I just put a washer and nut on top and then was able to tighten them down.

Thanks @vroomzoomboom for the linkage, I hope anyone else doing this these days has better luck finding it.
 






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