Thalia Waughtelie

Just killed the electric 4wd range selector motor on my '04's transfer case & am exploring converting to manual floor shift. On paper it looks do-able but... Has anyone done this? Looking to increase reliability.

I'm chiming in only to keep posted , I want this also , no problems with my 04 sotf but want the manual feel

Here's what I know: Floor shifted t-case was an option on these trucks, & I wish I'd done it. Electric range selector motor is about $530. All the external parts for floor shift (shifter, linkage, boots, etc) are just under $400. Threaded bosses are present on the trans case, a plate gets unbolted from the floor, bolts right in. The exploded-view diagrams I got from Ford are a little vague, & this is where I need more info. There is at least 1 shift fork inside the t-case that needs to be swapped so case must come out & be spit. They're pretty basic, I can do this. If these items aren't too pricey, it's worth it. 4wd will always be there when you need it. You lose the auto- locking hub feature but who cares? Hoping someone familar with the innards on these things chimes in. Part #'s on the diagrams are the same but visibly different. Appears to be 1 or 2 other pieces that differ as well, but look swappable...

Pulled the motor off the case today & cycled thru all modes with a wrench & running up & down my driveway & all was fine. There was less than 90° total rotation at the shaft which is contrary to much I've read. I have all the parts for manual shift & it appears I could enlarge the hole on the piece that attaches to the shaft on a manual case, then fabricate a plate that bolts to the old motor holes to act as a keeper as there is no provision to mount anything on the shaft. Everything else is a bolt on with factory parts. I took an impression of the shaft end for sizing purposes & I think it just might work with no other mods. Thoughts anyone?

It works! Been using it as much as possible & no probs so far. Opened up the hole on the shift arm that fits on the t-case shaft, used 2 bronze & 1 steel machine bushings to locate arm & eliminate twist/play. (sourced from the hardware store) Fabbed a 1/4" thick alum. plate to mount to 3 original motor holes with machine spacers to hold it all together. Put a dogleg bend in the linkage bar from the shifter, shortened 1-3/16", added a stiffener rod & re-welded. Nice positive feel & no slop. Bonus: 2 wheel low when hubs aren't engaged. Handy when manuvering big trailers in tight spots. I'll build a revised version that incorporates the factory electronics to auto-lock the hubs when I have more time. All in all a fairly simple conversion once the logistics were figured out. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

Here's some pics

I have been wanting to convert my transfer case to manual as well. Really interested in this thread. Did you end up having to open the t-case to modify anything inside? Thanks for posting the pics. Anything else you can post on this conversion would be most appreciated.
Great job!

I did not drop or open the case. The biggest fear I had was cutting a patch of carpet out. It's a no return commitment to mount the shifter. The t-case has defined stops at each range, & the shifter has stops that match: all the way forward- 2wd, straight back til it stops- 4hi, pull left & back- 4lo. There is no defined neutral, it's there but no stop, so I would not trust it for say, flat-towing. Shifting between 2wd & 4hi can be done on the fly, stop (or very nearly) & put in neutral for 4lo. Manually lock the hubs like an old truck. From the cab it looks & works like it came that way. I'm in the process of moving so this was built crude & quick with a jigsaw, dremel, file & drill. I'll put a parts list together & post. Cost was under $400.

I love it :grin2::bowdown:

Got a parts list together if anyone wants to dive in. The Ford stuff is:
F81Z*7277*BC. Boot/trim
F81Z*7210*AB. Shifter upper
4C3Z*7210*BA. Shifter lower
4L3Z*7213*AB. Knob
4C3Z*7B051*JA. Linkage rod
6C3Z*7B106*A. Linkage arm
Around $325 for all. I used a piece of 6061-T6 aluminum plate, 1/4" thick, I had from another project, & the motor for a template for the holes. The rest of the bits came from Ace hardware:
(2) 1-1/4×3/4×1/16" bronze thrust bearing
(1) 1-1/4×3/4×18 gauge zinc machine
bushing
(2) 5/8×5/16×1/4" steel bushing/spacer
(2) M8x1.25x25mm mini-head flange bolt
(1) M8x1.25x25mm flat-head socket cap screw
(2-3 ea) M6 & M8 spring washers
(1) M6x1.00x20mm socket-head cap screw
The flat-head socket cap screw goes in the upper-most hole so the linkage clears. You must also cut a notch in the linkage arm to clear this bolt in low-range. For this reason no spacer is used here, instead I drilled a hole right below & tapped for the M6 cap screw to mount from the back of the plate & act as a foot. Use the spring washers to get the bolt head & spacers the same thickness. The pin on the linkage arm is welded on from the back & I had to remove most it for clearance to the case so I ground 2 deep cuts in an "X" across the back of the pin area & welded, then ground smooth. Take your time opening up the hole on the arm to fit the shift-shaft, as play will cause wear. That needs to be a snug fit. Bronze bearing goes on shaft first, then steel, linkage arm, & you should have just enough shaft left for the other bronze. Barely. Grease them all liberally as you install. The plate holds it all on. It's a slight interference-fit.

No. Not yet anyway. As I understand it, the dash switch when turned sends signal to the 4x4 module, which then energizes one of 2 pins on the motor depending on which direction you're shifting. The 6 pin encoder that keys onto the shaft then signals the 4x4 module that the desired shift was made & removes power from the motor & energizes dash lights & signals hub lock sequence to begin. I have an idea of using a gutted shift motor case to build this into so I can mount the encoder & use the dash switch to engage the hubs & light the dash. Hopefully it will work.

Very cool, doing a 4wd conversion on my 04. Nearly impossible to find a good price on a manual T-case but power ones are dime a dozen.

For what it's worth, I may switch to a manual case at some point if one turns up at the right price, but I'm confident this set up can remain indefinitely with minor maintenance (grease the bushings occasionally). It's all reversible except the shifter boot which is pretty substantial (in a good way), it's 2 piece, the lower acting as a gasket to the floorboard so a square of carpet needs to be cut out. If you dumbed-down the lower boot you could just get away with a repairable slit in the carpet, but that might expose you to water/sound intrusion unless you created something below the floor

This is perfect. Thanks for the info and detailed parts list. Awesome