Hey all,

Gonna be starting the task soon on converting my 2wd 95 f150 302 into 4x4. Have the donor truck ready to go being a 95 f150 4x4 302 as well. Ive got just about everything figured out minus the transfer case. The 4x4 donor has the electric t case with the buttons on the dash for 4x4 low and high instead of the manual shifter. How would I swap that over to my truck? A better question may be how does the electronic shifter? for the tcase actually work. When i was pulling the dash apart on the donor 4x4 the wires for the 4x4 buttons seem to run directly into the wire harness. Would that mean i need to swap the entire wire harness from the donor into my truck or is there a way i can just run wires from the t case into the cab and attach them to the buttons. I know it would be much more simpler to just get a manual shifter t case but im having trouble finding a good condition one plus I already have this one thats fully working. Thanks all

 

I don't know for certain but I'd suspect all you have to do is plug the switch harness into an empty plug that already exists in the dash of your truck. The T-case has an electric motor on it to accomplish the shifting instead of a mechanical linkage and again that harness should just plug into the harness on your truck.. although you may have to add another section of harness from the T-case back to the engine bay or up around the trans or something.

 

Thats what I originally thought, but when i removed the dash from the donor i dont even see a plug for it, the wires from the plug on the buttons go straight into the rest of the wire harness in the dash making me think they ran it from wire harness to button, that would be a major pain if thats the case

 

The e-shift transfercase has has a little computer that controls it too. It's just not as simple as running wires from the buttons to the transfercase motor. If your truck doesn't have any of the wiring there for the computer, buttons or transfercase motor, I'd think you'd have to do an entire harness swap.

There's a few products out there that replace the motor with a ****, but you have to go underneath the vehicle to shift into 4wd. I think you'd be better off selling that case and getting a manual shift one.

 

For the $100 cost of a used manual T-case I wouldn't even consider using the problematic electric one

 

Well thats kind of a bummer, Definitely not swapping the entire cab harness, I guess its time to go in search of a manual t case. Junk yards are picked clean of them around here so it should be interesting. Thanks for clearing it up

 

Like I said, worst comes to worse, there are aftermarket kids to convert the electric shift case to manual shift.

 

When that electric shift fails you sometime in mud or snow - especially in the dark - you will so be wishing you had just done your conversion with a manual transfer case. Consider this some advice from the ghost of shift-mas past...

 

Thanks all, its not like i really wanted to keep the ESOF anyways, I would prefer a manual shift over anything because i know how easy the ESOF can fail. My main issue is trying to find a manual t case. I dont have many junk yards around me so its pretty difficult to locate one. I came across the shiftster last night so I may order one and see if I can modify it a bit to be inside the cab maybe behind the seat so I dont have to get out and crawl under the truck to go into 4x4

 

Where do you live? Have you looked on craigs list?

 

Northwest Ohio, I've tried Craigslist but couldn't find any. Did find another f150 same year for 600$ but I don't see spending that much just for a t case really. I'd drive 2-4 hours maybe more if I could find a working one

 

Here, see if the guy will sell the t-case
Wrecked 1988 ford f150 for parts or rebuild

 

would a 88 year tcase bolt up to my 95 tranny? Thought it needed the same year range

 

You have a 1356 they used that t-case form the early 80s

 

That's good to know, thought it was 92-96 only