Newbie poster. I've done searches on the internet, but nothing's exactly answered my question.

I just got an '87 F250 6.9 diesel 5-speed 4x4 with manual transfer case. I've had Ford 2wd trucks before, but this is my first 4x4.

The old guy who owned it for decades never put it into 4-low. I can get it into 4-high. When it's in 4-high the lever can't be pressed down.

I've been under the truck and sprayed wd40 at the linkage, but haven't gone further mechanically.

Any tips and or starting points would be appreciated, thank you.

 

try pulling the shifter to the driver side door and then pulling it back.
look closely at the shift lever. it should show the shift pattern 2 high, 4 high, then over to the driver side and towards the seat for neutral, and than all the way back for 4 low.

top of the shifter should look like this:

 

I've tried that, so far to no avail. For now I'll keep spraying the linkage and trying to get it into low, and it may just take time.

 

it is probably going to take a while for the penetrating oil to seep in.
and switch from wd to a real penetration oil like PB blaster,
wd-40 is a water displacing agent, not a penetrating oil.

 

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

 

Whatever you do don't force the lever or you will break the linkage. When operating properly this shifter should move around almost as easy as your manual trans lever so if it takes considerable more force than that just to get into 4hi you would be better off removing and dismantling the linkage for a cleaning and lube.

 

When I take off the linkage, will the transfer box stay in 4-high and the vehicle be driveable?

 

Yes no problem.

 

So, the transfer-case goes from 2-high to 4-high just fine now, but still won't go into neutral or 4-low. I've been under the truck with someone pushing the lever to the left from 4-high, and I see the lever trying to move a bracket (out, I assume), but to no avail.

Is there a drawing somewhere of what should be moving?


Thanks.

 

it is froze up from lack of use. oil the heck out of it every day for a week.
if that don't work you are going to have to take it off and apart to clean it.

 

I unbolted the linkage from the transfer case, and the case shifts nicely. The lever has to get past a couple "detents", and won't go past the one that lets the case go into low (mine is one that you pull left to get into low).

Do I really have to pull the seat to get up the rubberized carpeting to get the boot off the transfer case lever?


Also, where do I get a pushing kit?


My linkage looks like this:


http://crackpot.org/~ejc/pics/shifter-linkage.jpg


Thanks, Dave.

 

So, after cutting the carpet and getting off the shift boot, it turns out some gorilla reefed on the transfer case shift lever so hard it bent the rod the lever bolts to. I used two adjustable wrenches to straighten it, and now it shifts lightly and smoothly.
I may cut down the lever to make it shorter, and give it less leverage.

 

So it's going into 4LO now? Sounds like some PO forced it when the push-down mechanism stuck, rather than lubricating it.

 

He doesn't have the push down type.

Glad you got it fixed.

 

Turns out I didn't have to take apart the shifter linkage.

Does anyonw know where I can get the bushing bits for the linkage, especially the one that slides in the fork, which moves the final lever that shifts the transfer case?