Dw89xj:I am planning to ditch the manual BW1356 transfer case in my van and either install an electric shift BW1356 or an electric shift NP273 because the linkage in my E350 was twisting as the van frame twisted and would wear out the shift forks in the transfer case by applying pressure. Salem Kroger replaced it under warranty at about a year after the conversion. But it did the same thing again starting about a year and a half. See this thread:

Transfer Case Disengages on Hill Climbs - Sportsmobile Forum

I had an electronic shift BW1356 transfer case in a 1993 Bronco which performed flawlessly and was still performing flawlessly when I sold that Bronco at ~200,000 miles.

I have an electronic shift BW1356 transfer case in the 1995 Bronco which I own now which continues to perform flawlessly at ~194,000 miles.

IMHO, once installed, electronic shift is "simpler" and more reliable than mechanical shift linkage. Think about all the other things in your life which once were mechanical and now are electric.

 

I had thought of selling the 271 and getting a 1356 also because from what I've read I won't need the signal converter for the speedo, the van speedo can be used from the output on the 1356, which would overall be simpler than trying to use the sensor in the 10.5 rear I have and convert the signal.

And I hadn't really looked at it like that but you are right the amount of things in my lifetime alone that I've seen only manual and now are electronic.

I'm getting away from my original plans but with this extra input from you guys and ideas I'm thinking my final product will be as perfect as it can be and as simple as can be. I'm loving this site already. Alot of other sites you get either no feedback or snotty answers because you asked a question. I'm betting the 1356 electronics would be simpler to wire in also, from my understanding the new stuff is controlled through a computer or the vehicle ecm.

 

Yep, you are correct, the VSS is why Salem Kroger used the BW1356.

 

I read that thread about the tips wearing out on the shift works. Chevy had the same issue with the np208 if the linkage wasn't right it wore the plastic tips off and it would jump out of gear or not fully engage, I had a square body pickup any time I was going up hill in 4x I had to hold the shifter back or it would make a terrible noise when it popped out of gear.

 

They charge $80 an hour, some relocate the fuel tank on Econolines, an unnecessary expense as it has been proven you can drop the floor without moving it. I got a better one from an employee of one of those shops, used vans had the 6 way seat bases removed and disposed of in a dumpster, for the purpose of selling new ones to those buying used vans from them, making it affordable. I had a friend make me a custom, manual slide track years ago, used tool drawer side tracks and a swivel base from a conversion van, the base needed lowered, the one I had was too high, then the tracks finally worn out, I found a power base in a van for sale on FB marketplace, they had the base removed, was in the rear just setting there, so I offered her $100, I installed it in my 73 after I finished installing the bamboo floor. I have been in a rush to complete it all before surgery, I an having to get a baclofen pump, the tablets are no longer working to stop spasticity in my legs, sometimes transferring I have fallen in the floor, soon will be no issue, the trial pretty much eliminated the issue. As for a 4x4 shifter, you get it cut and threaded close to the floor, giving you a removable rod, unless you opt for an electronic transfer case, mighty expensive, and not trustworthy IMHO.

 

As for van flexing the frame, wearing shift bushings, WTF a van body is solid, if this was truly an issue trucks everywhere would suffer it, cab and bed are separate, this should not be the case with a van, check your mounts, engine, transmission, transfer case, body, etc, it can't flex on a solid body! All of my 4x4's were manual, a Dana 20, NP208, and NP203 which is a misunderstood one, can't be converted to 2wd, but when ran as such, it damages the internals due to it rely on feedback from both outputs.

 

I've hit the floor once or twice now because of my spasms , I only get them on my right side every now and then but it throws me around if I'm not ready for it. Once I'm in place I'm good seems to just spasm on my right side during transfers or if I accidentally touch my self with a hot welding rod(made the mistake of laying my lead across my lap and burnt a nice quarter size spot on myself).
The threaded rod idea is pretty slick, with the center glove box there I could just keep my handle in there and break it out when I need it. I'm just hoping my body man doesn't mess around too much, I'd like to start on getting this front axle in and start on shackle flipping the rear.

 

maples01: Salem Kroger said it was the linkage that wore out the plastic tips on the shift fork in the transfer case. They told me that it could be that the rubber boot bellows on the manual shift lever was off center, or that the hole in the van floor could be putting sideways pressure on the manual shift lever which wore out the plastic tips on the shift fork in the transfer case. But I think it is a combination of wear on the engine mounts and the torque of the rear wheels going through the driveline to the transfer case through the transmission twisting against the cylinders trying to slow the van down while driving downhill in low gear.

You know that your transfer case has slipped out of gear when your 9,000 lbs. E350 starts freewheeling and accelerating on a steep downgrade in the Sierras and you can't put the transfer case back into gear until you have stopped, but you are having trouble stopping. Add ice on the road and a 30 mph turn coming up and in the dark. And then you will know why I am putting electric shift transfer case in my van.

The "4x4" hubs on the Broncos failed and I replaced them with manual hubs. But in the two Broncos which I have owned with electric shift BW1356 transfer cases, neither one of them have failed to perform over ~200,000 miles in each.

And I know of no one who has experienced a transfer case failure due to the electric shift. And I have never read of a failure due to the electric shift.

That is just me. You and others may have had a different experience. And I respect that.

 

Dad had an S10 Blazier, push button shifter on the dash, got stuck due to not engaging, not had a Ford with one. The major issue be it manual or electric is full engagement, always wanted a twin stick due to less complicated.

 

A big issue the early electronic shift Chevies had was with the center axle dsconnect.. There was a sealed cylinder with a piston in it. When you shifted it into 4WD a heating element in the cylinder would turn on, heating the air so it expanded, pushing the piston which would reconnect the front axle. Unless it was packed in snow so it wouldn't heat up. I think they also had other reliability issues. But 4WD wouldn't work when the CAD wasn't working.

 

It went in 4x4 after it was pulled out, so much for engaging before driving off the road, once back on the road, it was good to go, was July, at the beach. LoL

 

$35-40? I haven't seen a shop rate that low in over 30 years.

 

While not applicable to this build, as the 4r's do require complete disassembly.... I just want to clarify that that it is possible to convert some 2wd transmissions to 4wd WITHOUT complete disassembly. One such is the 5R110... the tail housing and output shaft can be removed while the transmission is still installed and all from the rear of the transmission.

 

If this was covered already my apologies, but I believe the 4.2 v6 has the same bell housing pattern as the old small block 302/351w engines. A 4r70 from 2002 v8 (4.6/5.4) would have the modular bell housing pattern. If you’re looking to swap a 2wd trans to a 4wd trans I think you would need a 94-96 4wd 4r70 trans so the bellhousing matches.

 

This is what I gathered from lots of reading as well, and I guess some of the 97, possibly up to 99, with the 4.6 Windsor pattern. I don't know for sure.
Either direction I go, whether I buy a tail shaft and extension housing or get 4x4 trans I'm still going to have a rebuild done, if everything internal checks out then just seals and whatever the shop I will use recommends I replace. It would be ideal if I could find a known driving truck that has lower mileage and luck into a tranny for 100 bucks or so. But I think my luck got used up on the 200 dollar parts truck I got the 4r100 271 and d50 and 10.5 axles from, along with frame brackets and some other stuff, but that has nothing to do with the transmission issue I'm currently solving haha.
Are the awd extension housings the same as the 4x4 extension housing? If so that leads me to believe I could use a 4r70 from a 5.0 explorer, if that's the transmission they used in them. There are quite a few cheap rusted out exploders in my area.