97 transfer case? HELP! ASAP!!

[thor4602]

Hi First i would like to express my gratitude for everyone that posts on this awesome website. I am a new owner of the GRAND (HaHa) 1997 Ford Explorer (or like many have said Exploder). My boyfriend bought it almost a month ago for $1500. He test drove it twice before buying it. The second time he drove it he informed me he ran the piss out of it, went air borne and all.
I was totally excited because i've never had such a nice vehicle (single mom, going thru school). Well i drove it twice. First to bring it home (that's when i noticed a horrible sound and then it felt like it was backfiring, sputtering), then the following morning to the BMV to have the tags transfered. I never made it. It made a horrible clunk sound and then it sounded like something spinning but grinding at the same time. I called the man that he bought it from and told him to come get it.

Long story short. It the transfer case. A friend and i took it apart and one of the shift fork facings was gone and at the bottom, the other one was pretty ate up. Plus there was drive chain was pretty loose and looked worn. Plus the shift rail cam was damaged and other. Pretty much shot.

My problem now is finding a 1997 borg warner 4405 (4x4 part time, electric shift) ID F77A-7A195-GA. I have spent hours at the local pick and pull, junkyards and can't seem to find the exact bw4405. That doesn't count the endless hours at the local library, and of course the hours searching this website. Today i'm driving probably hour and half away to check on one from a 1998 Ranger (the guy that sold us this vehicle says that it will match up).

My questions:
1. What's the difference between the last letter? I've found a CA
2. Whats the F77A sequence? I've found F57A, F87A, etc
3. Basically does this transfer case interchange with anything? ( the local u part it says it's interchangeable with a 95-97 Explorer (ID F57A-7A195-CA), 95-97 Mazda B-2300, 95-97 Mazda B-3000, 95-97 Mazda B-4000 and 95-97 Ranger


Basically any help would be appreciated. Tomorrow will be a month since i got this vehicle and i'm tired of borrowing my boyfriends car, I WANT MY EXPLORER!!!!

Once again, AWESOME WEBSITE, GREAT INFORMATION, PLUS IT'S ALL FREE

EMAIL: thorgolden@msn.com

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread to the transmission section. Check WWW.Drivetrain.Com.

 

[thor4602]

97 transfer case ???

Ok so i drove down and looked at the Ranger's transfer case. After twenty minutes of trying to pry the caked on dirt off, it was a BW1354. NOT what i need.
Just don't seem right all those explorers at u pull it and NONE of the numbers matched. Alot of them visually looked the same but apparently they each are slightly unique.

??? I was told i could disconnect the transfer case and just run in 2wd all the time. Was this guy meaning what you call the BROWN WIRE MOD? Cutting the brown wire (which controls the FWD function) will in a sense ellimate my transfer case from vehicle. So since my transfer case is shot and i can't seem to find one. Can i just reinstall the transfer case with out the brown wire being whole. (The brown wire already had been cut in two different places on the transfer case and according to site it should of been cut behind the radio

My apologizes for just rattling on, im just at my wits end with this vehicle, i NEED it UP and RUNNING like NOW

One plus the radio kicks ass, HA HA

Another question? My transfer case didn't have a harmonic balancer on it. I just read somewhere that there as a TSB stating NOT to put one on my particular transfer case. What does a harmonic balancer actually do?

Another ? My sway bar is broke on the driver side. There is a recall of this will my engine 4.0 V6 SOHC. I should be able to just take it to a ford dealer and they fix it Free of Charge right. The recall pertains to the vehicle in question and doesn't have anything to do with the original owner of the vehicle, right???


Any help anyone can throw my way will be very much appreciated!!!!!!!
Thanks BrooklynBay for the link but it states (at least to my knowledge some of the wrong info for my 1997)

 

[Scott B.]

3. Basically does this transfer case interchange with anything? ( the local u part it says it's interchangeable with a 95-97 Explorer (ID F57A-7A195-CA), 95-97 Mazda B-2300, 95-97 Mazda B-3000, 95-97 Mazda B-4000 and 95-97 Ranger

I can't help with the Explorer numbers, but I can tell you that no Ranger (or Mazda B Series) came with anything other than a BW1354.

You will need to search for Explorers (and maybe F150s - not sure.)

 

[thor4602]

Thanks so much for replying.
Ok so after some reading about converting my electric shift into manual (yeah i know i would physical have to change to 4wd but i have a 87 toyota 4runner and haven't actually used the 4wd) Another question if i just hook everything back up (with the brown wire being cut) will everything be ok until i can find a replacement for my tc.
Plus i kinda lost about people saying that they removed the front driveshaft and that elimated their problem. You don't need it because you've actually turn the x into a rear driveshaft only, right?????? I had never even heard of a transfer case until a month ago and know i know more than i want to know. The old man and the junkyard kinda just looked at me and said "Miss you know more than i do, i just sell the damn parts" ha ha

 

[Scott B.]

You might be interested in this.

 

[thor4602]

Great minds think alike. I've actually already emailed him. The only problem will be if the shipping is too much he's in RI and im in OH. He's going to send me his zip so i can check some freight companies out. Thanks and Good job looking out

 

[gijoecam]

If you want an exact replacement for yours, you'll need to find another one out of a 97. A 95-96 will have the rear shaft speed snesor you need, but will have the u-joint front output shaft. The 98-01 cases will have the correct front output shaft, but will lack the rear shaft speed sensor you need. If you can get one from a 95-96 and the front driveshaft from it, it *may* work fine for you, but it'll make more noise than the CV front shaft in a 97.

Now, that being said, a manual shift 13-54 can be made to work. Many people on this forum have done the swap. It's got the speed sensor(s) you need, but it won't work the way it used to. You'll have to cut a hole in the floor for the lever, and it'll be a manual case afterwards, but it'll bolt up and fit.

Hope that helps... Good luck!