GEM swap for an electric 1354

[00REDEXPXLT]

I just swapped in an electric 1354 tcase from a 98 ranger. everything bolted up fine and the selector motor from the 4405 bolted right on and has the same range of movement as the one from the 1354. Now the only problem is getting the dash selector to work. It seems the dash selector is run through the GEM behind the radio. The shift pattern on the 4405 is H-neutral-L in that order. The pattern on the 1354 is 2H-4H-4L in that order. The question is can i swap in a GEM from say a 2000 ranger with electric shift 4X and power windows? I can get the selector motor to turn its full range from 2H to 4L but how do i get it to select or stop at 4H in the middle?
thanx dave

 

[IZwack]

I thought the 1354 elec was 2H, 4H, unlabelled Neutral, and 4L (image beloooooow) --- where as the 4405 is 4H, Neutral, and 4L.

 

[00REDEXPXLT]

yeah it could be. i shifted it by hand through the ranges but i wasnt really searching for an unlabeled neutral so i'm gonna try to find it tommorow. If that is the case maybe i could make the selector motor stop there on demand also lol. Any body have any ideas on the GEM swap? I can always slid under and switch it manually but i'd rather not and i'm not quite sure how water and dir proof the seal is on the selector shaft.

 

[IZwack]

From what I've heard about these GEMs, they're not very compatible and they vary quite a bit from year to year. So I think the chances of one from a Ranger and of a different year working with your vehicle will probably be pretty slim. And I've heard that bad things happen (shorts?) when incompatible GEMs are plugged in.

If you really want a 1354, swap in a manual one -- they're like maybe $250 with a shifter and the only thing you have to do at that point is find a 1st gen's driveshaft and make a hole for the shifter to come through.

 

[00REDEXPXLT]

yeah the 4405 that was in my truck was a royal piece of crap. It would slip in and out of 4h and 4l if i put any power into it, resulting in some unsavory bangs and grinds. I used to have a 2000 ranger 4x4 and i beat the crap out of it daily with never a single problem from the drivetrain. And ive heard of some guys still running the 1354 with some pretty big meats. So i fig'd it would hold up decent with 31's on it. I just didnt want to butcher my floor and my center console if need be, as this is my daily driver and still somewhat clean. I just cant see ford completely changing all of the parameters from a ranger to and explorer since most other things are identical. I unplugged the GEM last night and tested to see what it actually affected. everything still worked except the 4x4 and the power windows. I only paid 60 buks for the tcase off of ebay. A manual one i could prolly get for around that price also. Oh yeah did i mention the 5R55E sucks too. It does some crazy wierd stuff and its never the same twice lol. Shifts are sometimes erratic and hunting for gears. Bout time for that 5speed manual swap.

 

[gijoecam]

The wiring and GEMs are entirely different for the two units... they're not going to play nicely. How many electrical gremlins do you want to chase down?

And unplugging the GEM will affect WAY more than the power windows and locks. There are three connectors on it: One 23-pin, one 22-pin, and one 18-pin connector. They feed a whole lotta stuff:

All four door ajar inputs
Rear window defrost
Liftgate ajar
door ajar indicator output
Key Warning Switch
Headlamps On Input
Fasten Belts Indicator Output
Windshield Wiper Interval Delay/ W ash Input Ground
Park Sense Input
Front Wiper Speed Relay Output
Brake/Run Relay Output
T one Request Input
Signal Return
Windshield Wiper Mode Select Input
Safety Belt W arning Switch Input

And that's just one connector....

-Joe

 

[00REDEXPXLT]

damn, what about using the older style controller from a vehicle without a GEM? like say a 1st gen and wiring the dash switch through it to control the selector motor and totally bypass the gem? I dont care about the 4wd lights flashing because that just a matter of bulb removal.

 

[IZwack]

Just swap in a manual 1354 -- its half the work of the electric.

 

[Benjamin265]

People on here don't seem to understand the concept of working with what you've got.
There is a thread on here about switching the GEM. It's pretty involved. I'd love to see a clearer answer though.