Anyone have a good 4404?

[whisperer]

I know a lot of you have swapped out your BW 4405 AWD Transfer Case for something more suitable. My 97 V8 AWD needs one, and I’m planning to keep the AWD for the time being. Looking for a 5.0 4405 with the 6 bolt front flange and the speed sensor in the rear case. Anybody got one sitting around?. I’m in between Baltimore and Philadelphia.

 

[lugnut1009]

I'm in the same situation as you, except I'm in Mississippi.

Curious though, I keep second guessing myself. How do you prove the transfer case is bad? Yours may be obvious, but mine I think the viscous coupler is locked up. Don't know how to troubleshoot or test that though. I've tried parking on some steep hills and it won't roll with the front driveshaft out, but that's as far as I've gotten.

 

[whisperer]

I’m hearing a distinct clank that is the chain slapping against the case. I can hear it when accelerating and when I slide underneath on 4 jack stands I can reproduce it by twisting the driveshaft. It’s really loose.

I have done the conversation to hi/ low before but just need to make this thing mobile.

 

[CDW6212R]

Drain the TC fluid and see what it looks like. The AWD uses the same Mercon I or Dexron III, or equivalent high dollar stuff. The Valvoline TC fluid is my preference, and it costs under $10 a quart.

That fluid should be very transparent, any materiel in it is from the TC, bearings or chain etc. Any black color will most likely be from the viscous clutch, which is a sealed unit inside the TC. That usually overheats when it goes bad, and the fluid inside is forced out, discoloring the TC fluid.

If the AWD does lock up fully, you have to stop driving the vehicle, or remove the front driveshaft to save the front diff, and pinion gears etc. The front end will be binding up badly if the viscous clutch locks up, you will feel that in very sharp turns on pavement.

 

[lugnut1009]

Drain the TC fluid and see what it looks like. The AWD uses the same Mercon I or Dexron III, or equivalent high dollar stuff. The Valvoline TC fluid is my preference, and it costs under $10 a quart.

That fluid should be very transparent, any materiel in it is from the TC, bearings or chain etc. Any black color will most likely be from the viscous clutch, which is a sealed unit inside the TC. That usually overheats when it goes bad, and the fluid inside is forced out, discoloring the TC fluid.

If the AWD does lock up fully, you have to stop driving the vehicle, or remove the front driveshaft to save the front diff, and pinion gears etc. The front end will be binding up badly if the viscous clutch locks up, you will feel that in very sharp turns on pavement.

I took my driveshaft out, well back out, because it felt like it was under strain and always in 4wd. When I bought it the front driveshaft was missing.

 

[CDW6212R]

I took my driveshaft out, well back out, because it felt like it was under strain and always in 4wd. When I bought it the front driveshaft was missing.

Mine too, the prior owner pulled the shaft right after buying it, seven years before, her first car, with mismatched tires. I put a front shaft in it, and it went two years more before the AWD locked up fully. The TC fluid was always black, I changed it three times.

 

[whisperer]

Brand new to me. TC fluid (as well as everything else) had just been done so super clean. Sloppy chain, need a good used.

 

[CDW6212R]

The chain costs about $90 last I looked. The case is not hard to take apart to work on yourself, based on a couple of much older threads here about others who did it. The bearing and seal kit also was under $100 back when I bought those. The viscous clutch I found aftermarket recently, those are well over $300 now.

 

[lugnut1009]

The chain costs about $90 last I looked. The case is not hard to take apart to work on yourself, based on a couple of much older threads here about others who did it. The bearing and seal kit also was under $100 back when I bought those. The viscous clutch I found aftermarket recently, those are well over $300 now.

That’s what I’ve found too. I’m a little Leary of buying a used transfer case because you never know the history and they are the same age. It I’d have more money in rebuilding one. Shouldn’t be hard though. Just bearings, seals, and 1 chain. Also a few thrust washers but just put everything back like it came out and it should be good.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's my plan to give one a go. Any used TC you are hoping the wear is minor, and for the AWD the viscous clutch has to be unmolested. Mismatched tires don't take long to ruin those, I don't know how long, but there are countless owners dealing with the AWD. So people are buying just one or two new tires, and driving like it doesn't matter, until it does. Then they pull the front driveshaft and leave it for the next owner to deal with.

 

[whisperer]

So back to my post…

I’m at my east coast house and just bought this 97 V8 and would like to get it running. I’m commuting with my FS F150 4wd about 60 miles a day and definitely should be driving the Explorer. Want to throw in a working TC and will worry about the better conversations later.

 

[CDW6212R]

So back to my post…

I’m at my east coast house and just bought this 97 V8 and would like to get it running. I’m commuting with my FS F150 4wd about 60 miles a day and definitely should be driving the Explorer. Want to throw in a working TC and will worry about the better conversations later.

I'm sorry to run off topic a bit.

I would remove the front shaft to help better diagnose the noise you mentioned. If you are sure it's the TC making the noise, it will not last a long time driving it regularly. The many parts around can make various noises etc. It's hard to isolate every symptom without removing or replacing something. If you have to have a different AWD, the BW4404 or 4403 will work, but you will need the rear speed sensor that your 97 truck has now. You can take a chance with a used TC, and swap the back half housing if you have to use one from a 98-01, which have no sensor on the back half.

 

[whisperer]

Thanks for all the info. Forgive me my boldness but I am a 40 year automotive tech that owns currently 7 different ford 4wd trucks or SUVs. I’m very familiar with all of this. It’s all in my bio.

Seriously not trying to claim any kind of know it all. Quite the opposite, the one thing I know is that I don’t know everything…..

That being said, I know my options here. For this car, right now, I need a good transfer case. Rebuilt ones are going for over $1000. That seems ridiculous to me for a 4404. Yes, if I have to I’ll just fix this one. Kind of silly also though. I’ll change it within a year or 2 to 4wd with manual linkage as I upgrade the rest of the truck. Not today.

I keep reading about guys pulling out 4404s and doing the conversions. I hear “I’ve got 3 in the shed”. Well ok. Where are they?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, you just need to find one fairly close to save on shipping, which could as much as a used unit.

I'm glad to have you here, more experience is very welcome. Most members begin here as new car people, usually fairly young. these Explorer like any vehicles, they take some learning time to figure out the items to concentrate on, what if usually bad etc. Right now a lot of the AWD TC's are being discovered ruined by owners, and more people join a forum with a problem, than just to hang out etc. So these aren't a weak link(the AWD), but a lot will be revealed on this forum. Tires are the AWD's big deal, people gotta figure out how to rotate tires.