E4OD to ZF5 - In Process
We found our donor truck this last Tuesday in an ad in our local trading paper. It's a '94 F250 IDI (so we thought) ECLB with the ZF5, so it is perfect as a donor truck. My father-in-law stumbled on a poorly written, non-descriptive ad in the paper and called, and luckily it was prefect. Price...$750. So I took it, knowing that this was as close as I would come to getting my exact truck. Runs good and drives good.
We began tearing into the donor today to get all the parts off we need. As we were taking the seats out, we noticed the center cover off the engine (Not sure of the exact terminology) sitting in the back seat. We picked it up, and saw the "Direct Injected" writing. The guy we bought it from said that it was not a Powerstroke, and we didn't really need the engine, so we never thought twice. So we did some research, and found that you can tell if it's a PSD by the 8th digit in the VIN. If it's a PSD, the digit will be an "F". If it's an IDI, it will be a "K". It was an "F"! So it was a PSD! We were pretty stoked about that, since I could use the flywheel and clutch (if it was in good shape). If it was an IDI, i'd have to get all new. Plus, my father-in-law was looking to get a PSD for an F350 he's rebuilding. Win-Win.
Then, my father-in-law was doing something under the hood and saw a sticker that said the truck was equipped with a solid mass flywheel...etc. So, someone had already upgraded to a solid-mass flywheel and HD clutch, which I wanted to to anyway. When we pulled the trans out, it really did have a solid-mass flywheel and HD clutch, and they were in pretty good shape. I think I hit the lottery. I can't believe my luck.
Anyway, we got all the parts out (I think) that we need to do the swap. Here's the list...unless I forget some:
-Front and rear driveshafts
-Transfer Case (1356, but I think I'm going to use my 4407 in my '97)
-ZF5, clutch, flywheel, and big spacer thingy behind flywheel (don't know what it's called)
-Wiring Harness
-Crossmember
-Master/Slave Cylinder
-Pedal Assembly
-Center Hump ( it just unbolts) and shifter
-Steering Column Cover
-Starter (not sure if we need it or not)
It will probably be a few weeks before we tear in to my 97. I've got to get a new throw-out bearing, and we've got to clean the trans down really good. So, I think we've got a pretty good start, but there are a few things we're still not sure of. I'll list them here:
1) Will my 4407 TC work in lieu of the 1356? We took some measurements and it looks like it should fit. I'm sure someone has done this who would know.
2) I've read about some wiring modifications that need to be made. Does anyone have any good documentations or diagrams of this? I'm not sure where the mods need to be made. (To get the Cruise, Back Up Lights, etc to work and get the neutral safety switch to be operational. I think the neutral safety switch will just plug into existing plugs, but I've read that guys can't initially start the truck with the key until mods are made.)
3) Will the PCM from the Auto work? From what I've read, it will ,but does it need to be "flashed" to a manual?
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get this kicked off. Hope nobody minds.
Again, any comments are welcome at any time. Thanks in advance to all those who have way more expertise than me. I'll post as we progress.
Good luck. I've done the swap, so let me know if you have trouble and I'll see if I can help you. I'm going to go ahead and give you the link to my thread.
My Transmission Thread
Anyone familiar with the wiring mods - I welcome any advice I can get. Thanks.
-Transfer Case (1356, but I think I'm going to use my 4407 in my '97)
-ZF5, clutch, flywheel, and big spacer thingy behind flywheel (don't know what it's called)
If you're talking about the aluminum adapter plate, you don't need it. It's the same as what's already on your truck. If there's a spacer directly between the flywheel and crank it's out of place. The flywheel typically bolts directly to the motor.
-Wiring Harness
-Crossmember
-Master/Slave Cylinder
-Pedal Assembly
-Center Hump ( it just unbolts) and shifter
-Steering Column Cover
-Starter (not sure if we need it or not)
Nope. Universal fit for 7.3L PSDs(and maybe older IDIs too) although the super duty ones are different(and better).
Add to the list the black plate from the donor to replace your PRND21 indicator.
1) Will my 4407 TC work in lieu of the 1356?
Sure will. It may connect to the driveshaft different that the 1356. If so, just take the flange off of the front of your original drive shaft and put it on front of new driveshaft. Still may be some spacing issues to resolve since it is not a slip joint. I did this and had exactly one inch to fill between t case mount and driveshaft.
2) I've read about some wiring modifications that need to be made. Does anyone have any good documentations or diagrams of this? I'm not sure where the mods need to be made. (To get the Cruise, Back Up Lights, etc to work and get the neutral safety switch to be operational. I think the neutral safety switch will just plug into existing plugs, but I've read that guys can't initially start the truck with the key until mods are made.)
If you have cruise now and keep your PCM it will not be effected. Once/if you flash it to a manual then you will have some wiring to address but not a huge deal. Your reverse light should already work when you put the manual harness on. Your 4x4 indicators probably won't work and your truck won't fire with the key. Moving three wires in the manual harness will fix this no problem. If you want neutral safety then you just have to remove the cap on the harness under the dash and put on a clutch starter switch from a parts store or your donor. I personally like being able to start my truck without the clutch in but there is risk involved.
It's literally all plug and play until a PCM reflash with the exception of moving the three wires in the harness which takes all of 15 miinutes. I'm not sure if there are any wiring issues if you use a manual PCM.
3) Will the PCM from the Auto work? From what I've read, it will ,but does it need to be "flashed" to a manual?
It will be just fine. Mine ran better when flashed to manual but I attributed most of that to the tuning I also had done. Did have to splice some pins to get the cruise to work after the flash though.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...peed-swap.html
Info on ZF S5-42
http://www.thedieselstop.com/faq/9497faq/download/S5-42.pdf
Original question:
No matter your trans configuration the key portion is the same. Turn key to start position=circuit closed.
There is a harness under the dash that, on an automatic, just has a dead end jumper wired correctly to keep the circuit closed. That same harness is present on a manual. This is where you would find the clutch-starter interlock switch - the thing that goes around the clutch rod and plugs into the harness. It has a series of wiring that when the clutch is pressed it closes the circuit that is always closed by the auto trans jumper=truck cranks when key turns. When the clutch is out the circuit is open and your truck will not start with the key.
The other is on the trans harness. The main harness from the truck that the trans harness plugs into has two pins that have to be connected in order for the truck to fire when the key turns. On the auto trans there is a rotating part at the end of the harness that moves when you change gears. In the P and N positions the circuit is closed and the truck fires when the key is turned. Subsequently it is wired so that the circuit is left open in all other positions so that the truck will not fire by the key when left in gear.
So...when swapping from auto you have many options. Under the dash: you can use the jumper from the auto setup. This will allow the truck to be started without the clutch in. Gotta be carfeul though because it also allows the truck to be cranked while in gear. OR...You can buy a clutch-starter interlock switch, put it on the clutch pushrod, and plug it into the harness. Now, the clutch has to be pressed in to crank by the key.
On the trans harness you can: use the auto harness, plug it into the main truck harness, plug it into your t-case if 4x4, put the rotating switch in the P or N position, and tie that part up out of the way. This will allow your truck to crank with the key as long as the under dash circuit has been addressed, your 4x4 indicator lights will work(if applicable), but WILL NOT activate your reverse lights. You can use the manual harness but you may have to move the wires around. It has five wires(if 4x4). One positive and one negative for the reverse lights, one positive and one negative for 4x4 lights, and a red/blue one that comes out of and then goes right back into the head of the harness. The red/blue is what closes the trans-harness circuit in a manual since the truck really has no clue whether or not the trans is in gear. This is also the reason that there is a need for a clutch-activated switch. The auto always has closed circuit under the dash and is dependant on rotation of the trans harness to a closed position, the manual always has a closed harness circuit and is dependant on the clutch switch. In a factory configuration, for safety reasons, either vehicle CANNOT start while in a gear.
I used the jumper under the dash because I like being able to start the truck without getting in but I am the only person who drives it. Not much room for someone unfamiliar to crank it in gear. But for that occasion I have a clutch-starter interlock switch in the glovebox. And for the trans harness I used a manual harness from a 95. I had to move the wires around to the positions they were in on the auto harness from my 96. I just used a multimeter and searched the pins for continuity from one end to the other for the indicator and reverse lights and for the red/blue wire I searched for continuity within the head of the auto harness to see what pins composed the closed circuit when in P or N and positioned the red/blue wire accordingly within the manual harness.
Hopefully this makes a little sense. It's actually pretty simple with eyes on the different harnesses and parts.
1) I am talking about the aluminum adapter plate. I wasn't sure if my e40d had it on there or not, but we slid it off anyway, just in case.
2) We were planning on using the black plate - I forgot that, but we haven't torn into the dash yet...just the steering column cover.
3) TC - I remember reading your thread about having to put the spacer in. We've planned on potentially having to do that, but were hoping not to have to do it.
4) I do have cruise now. I'll use all the great info you provided and have to go look at the truck to tell. Like you said - probably easier when you're looking at it.
-One other question that I forgot - We were looking at the key release assembly (push to release the ignition key) on the steering column. Does that mechanism need to be removed from the manual and swapped as well? My auto does not have a "push to release" button, but we figured that it might just be built into the Auto shifter so when you put it in park, it allows you to turn the ignition back and pull the key out. We assume, at this point, that we will have to swap this assembly out.
I'm sure there will be more questions to come.
Oh, and as a side note, we were pretty excited to find that someone had replaced the stock leaf pack on the donor with springs from an F350 (it has 7 leafs in the pack), so I'll be swapping that over to my truck as well. All I need now is a dana 60 Solid front axle and I guess I'd have an F350.
Thanks for all the help so far guys.
And yeah, you definitely have to use a backing plate because I believe that's how the starter mounts up but they should be the exact same so use the one in best shape. You can ask William(Talyn) about those breaking...
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I used the adapter plate that was originally on my truck. To be more specific, I didn't even mess with the adapter plate at all. I haven't had any problems driving it so far.
Be careful testing out your cruise control once you get the truck together. It will work, and if your PCM still is programmed for the automatic transmission, your truck will not even realize that the clutch is there. In other words, hitting the clutch will make your engine redline if you are using cruise. Please don't ask me how I know, LOL.
I didn't mess with the starter, either. In fact, I never removed it the whole time. I haven't had any problems with the starter since.
Any questions about the wiring, you're going to want to take to Jacob. I'm pretty dumb when it comes to electricity, so I won't be much help.








