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More permanent shift motor fix???

doonze

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
506
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3
City, State
Fayetteville, Ar
Year, Model & Trim Level
'93 X Sport
So the first big snow of this year, I go out and hit 4x4 to head into work, and get nada!! Didn't have time to mess with it, and was running late, and the snow was 6" deep, so just slipped and slid into work. I had fixed the shift motor once when I first got the truck (from the instructions here), so I knew what was up. That was back on 5-30-2009, I had a thread on here about it.

So once the snow melted and I could get under the truck I pulled the shift motor expecting to find that my "fix", a cut piece of vacuum tubing, had come off, cracked, or otherwise become unusable. What I found was that it was intact, but had a slight indention on the side that hit the stop....was just a 1mm or 2mm indention... I turned it a bit so a "fresh" side was facing the stop and threw it back on, worked like new again. And good thing, we got 2 feet of snow a few days later...

So anyway, has anyone tried something different that has work for longer then 21 months??? Any ideas? It was annoying that the one day in the last year I needed it to work it didn't.
 



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You betchum Red Ryder! I keep seeing the "Rubber Hose" fix and wait for the poor guys next post. It is guaranteed! I went to the local OSH (Hardware store in case they don't have them in Arky). I bought 3/8" Teflon tubing, the kind used in refrigerator water feeds to the ice maker, and made my "Bounce Ring" from that. A 3/8" high piece of the Teflon tubing was cut and placed in boiling water (makes it a little softer but not much), I then used the long-nosed pliers to pick it out of the water and place it on the "stop" post in the 4 X 4 motor. Press medium hard and it will slip over the post all the way to the case. As it cools, it takes on the shape of the post and provides a "Bump stop" that will last 10-20 years before the Teflon deteriorates enough to crumble (nothing lasts for ever - ask any divorced guy, he'll tell you). The Teflon will work from -40 C to +160 C. If you reach either of these extremes, you'll probably not drive there.
 






Usually the more permanent fix instead of swapping the stock ring for a piece of hose is just to turn the factory ring a few degrees to a new area. You can do this for a long time before the entire ring is used up with indentations. Of course this assumes the ring stays in good condition and isn't cracking or crumbling apart.

Other than hose, a good permanent solution would be some high performance plastic...probably something you'd have to track down once you know the needed inner and out diameter.

I wonder if polyurethane would work? It's pretty durable stuff, and with the right firmness, would be great. Just a matter of finding someone that makes a bushing that is the correct size.
 






I went to the local OSH (Hardware store in case they don't have them in Arky). I bought 3/8" Teflon tubing, the kind used in refrigerator water feeds to the ice maker, and made my "Bounce Ring" from that.

What is an OSH? No hardware store here has ever heard of teflon tubing. I live near Fort Collins CO and I called over 26 businesses and suppliers of lab equipment, hardware, plastics, plumbing, air filtration etc. and most had never heard of teflon tubing and those that did had no idea where I could find it. After considerable time searching online the shortest length I could buy was 8' for around $30, which seems a bit much to get only a 3/8" long piece. Does anyone know of a handy source for 3/8" ID Teflon (PTFE - polytetraflouroethylene) tubing to use for the "bump ring"?
 






OSH = Orchard Supply Hardware............They are owned by Kmart. When Kmart bought Sears and all it's subsidaries it was absorbed by them into the new name 'Sears Holdings' as that is all Eddie Lampert is doing...holding onto them until something better comes along, but at this point it only appears as if Eddie is going to be the one left "holding" the bag....They'll be gone in 5-7 years. Along with Sears and Kmart.

Refrigerators use a 1/4" supply line, and Dishwashers use a 3/8" supply line.

Teflon isn't used in either application.

Nylon is SOMETIMES used. Home Depot carries 3/8" nylon hose.

Ryan
 






Well since Teflon is, for all practical purposes, unavailable is there a consensus as to the best material to use for the bushing? I have polyurethane in there now but it seemed pretty soft when I installed it and I don't know how long it will hold up before denting beyond functionality. What has anyone used that has held up for more than a few years? Nylon?
 






how about gas line hose for small engine like lawn mowers?
 












The poly line that is used in small engine gas lines is too soft.

Ryan
 


















anyone have a picture of what you guys are talking about i am thinking i want to make a perfect fix
 






Yea what are you all talking about?? I hear so many people having problems with the motor,i bought a brand new one ten years ago and never have had a problem since!
 












Wow, I had gotten no notifications on this thread, and had assumed no one ever answered, boy was I wrong.... I even thought I had come checked out the post a few days later and no responses, but I guess i had been smoking crack...

Anyway, I re-looked up this thread today and saw it had been active. I had been meaning to check out the 4x4 recently as it's starting to get to snowy weather again. I had used it 2-3 months ago but didn't want to be left high and dry..... or frozen and wet. I can report as of 5 mins ago it's still working. I'm on the fence of waiting to see how long it stays working, or just taking the plunge and getting some different hose now.

I was thinking maybe the first poster wasn't talking about true Teflon tubing, but the stuff every hardware store carries for water lines. It's that milky white sorta hard water line stuff, much stiffer then vacuum or gas line hose. I'm not sure he meant Teflon really, kinda like how Puff's are still called Kleenex even though Kleenex is a brand not really the product itself.

But be that as it may, is the little knob really 3/8"??? I've had it off twice but it didn't seem that big in memory... can anyone confirm? Also does anyone know the O/D of the stock piece or it's thickness??? Anyone got the stocker around handy or a shift motor (laying around on a shelf) that still has the stock ring on it and can messure? The stock size seemed to be ok, it was the material that was the issue (thanks Ford engineering) My stock ring was in about 4 pieces loose in the cover. I'm willing to go to Lowe's and grab some common stock line everyone can get easily at the local Hardware store, and be a long term tester.

I would just like to get the line and have it ready before pulling the motor if anyone can help confirm sizes! It seems as these fixes age the hose option most of us have been using maybe didn't have the legs for the long run!
 






What I used

I used the "Milky White" 3/8" (Plastic?/Teflon?) refrigerator line on my motor gear stop two (2) years ago. It has never let me down and continues to work just as required.

I discovered that to set the two wheel - 4 wheel hi/lo range so the it works correctly, I had to have my wife set behind the steering wheel, push/set first the two (2) wheel Drive and check for both hi/lo range 4 wheel drive lights out (in the two buttons) and then set/push the hi range 4 wheel drive button and carefully loosen the the retainer screws on the flat plate over the selector/stop container. I rotated the cover carefully until the "Hi" light was lit and screwed down the three screws until they were tight. then she selected the "Lo" range and the "lo" light lit.

Had her put the selector back to Two (2) wheel drive, came out from under the car and drove a couple of hundred yards in two wheel drive, stopped and selected 4 wheel "hi" and drove another couple of hundred yards to confirm I had 4 wheel "Hi", stopped and selected two wheel "lo" and drove a few more yards. All was well with the world and my 4 wheel drive.

I wish you luck with yours.:D
 






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