Hi I hope this doesn't get too many people riled up. I used the search function and have been surfing Google for the past couple weeks between oil burners to pirate4x4 to the explorer and ranger forum, and I cannot for the life of me find a direct answer.
I am in the very slow process of converting my e250 to 4x4. Right now still gathering parts and waiting for my van to get back from getting new rockers and quarters.
My van is a 4.2 with 4r70w according to the door sticker. It's fully set up for handicap except hand controls right now. It has the shuttle bus size lift gate that is side loading and the high side doors and hightop. It was an ex medical transport van. I wish it was a power stroke or an idi or even a V8 but it's not so I'm making the best of what I have, I will make up for lost power in the axle gears and I rarely travel on the highway, thus is going to be mostly a local runner, camping, hunting, mountain riding van.
My question is which transfer cases will bolt to a 4r70w? I have an nv271 mated to a 4r100. I bought a complete parts truck. The guy I bought the van from swore it was the biggest V8 and transmission offered in a van in 02. I thought easy peasy and bought a parts truck. Well after getting the van and finding out the guy lied to get the sale I'm trying to make the best of what I have to work with, anyone who's in my situation knows getting a handicap van that's equipped as well as this one isn't easy to find a good deal on. Are all Ford 4x4 adapters the same pattern? Can I just find an out put shaft and adapter from a 4x4 f150 or similar vehicle? Or am I stuck searching for a certain transfer case to make this all come together? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't know much about parts interchange on Ford's. I know my 96 f150 was kind of an oddball for some reason and I usually ended up at Auto zone two or three times before getting the right parts. If I can use the nv271 that I have what all will I need to make it work? I'm assuming the adapter, output shaft, and competent transmission shop at minimum. I wouldn't be afraid of switching it out myself except I don't really have a good clean area suitable to do transmission work currently, and my poor wife would have a fit if I brought a transmission inside and started doing a rebuild and out put swap. Thanks again for any help.

 

No transfer case will attach to the back of a 2WD trans. While it's possible to convert a 2WD trans to be a 4WD trans, it involves completely disassembling the trans to replace the output shaft and tailshaft housing (and maybe one or two other parts). Generally the easiest and cheapest way to get around that is to sell the 2WD trans and get a 4WD one. I think if you get a 4WD version of the 4r70w it should bolt right up to the engine, with all of the wiring and computer controls working fine. But I'm no expert on that, and it's possible that there were changes over the years, so get a better opinion than mine before you commit to that.

Once you have a 4WD trans, most Ford transfer cases will bolt right up.

 

I should've mentioned I plan on getting another 4r70w from something 4x4, I wasn't sure if Ford used several patterns on the extension housing or if they were nice and made them interchange easily. And if I get a 4x4 trans if I can use the nv271 I already have? All the other sites are talking about np205, the 4406, and electric shift t cases. Be but no direct answers or much talk of the nv271 except behind 4r100. Like you said if I get another 4r70w/75w I won't have a wiring headache. I may need a signal converter for the speedo but I'll find out when I get the big pieces in and find out how well they work together.

 

Your best bet is to contact Chris at Ujoint Off-road. Also, lots of info here. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/f...-a-vanlife.58/

 

He is very prompt in response but isn't giving up any info...

 

Dw89xj: Are you handicapped yourself? There are a couple of guys on the Sportsmobile forum who are very knowledgeable and have converted their van's to 4x4, and are handicapped.

Take a look here:

4x4 - Sportsmobile Forum

Most of the guys who post in that forum are "do it your selfers." That subforum is generally not occupied by actual/official Sportsmobile conversions.

Nothing Special is correct. My 4R100 was taken apart and a different output shaft was installed when it was converted to accept the BW1356 Transfer Case.

But here is the deal. Your van is likely under-powered to be a 4x4.

And if I recall correctly there have been some problems with the 4R70w when converted to attach to a Transfer Case.

And if the seller told you that a 4.2 was the largest engine for the 2002 E250 he was wrong. The V-10 which is considerably larger was one of the most reliable van engines in 2002.

Please post up your same exact opening post over at the Sportsmobile forum so I and others can follow it there too.

Chris is a great guy, but he has worked for over a decade to accumulate his knowledge and it is the only thing he has to sell to feed himself and his family. So, you can pay him to do the conversion, but he is not going to walk you through it. MGMetalworks is the same. However, both do sell a conversion "kit."

Keep your thread going here, but also check out and post in the Sportsmobile forum.

 

Here you go:

Output Shaft on E350 transmission good for 4x4? - Sportsmobile Forum

See post # 16 (from 2010):

"I just bought and received a used 4x4 extension housing for my 4R75W from Whatever it Takes Transmission (found it online). Only $33 plus reasonable shipping and it looks like it's in great shape. They have a few more too.
I'm not sure what tranny you have but here is the link to the extension housing, hope it helps and keeps your costs down on the build:
http://www.wittrans.com/c-724-Ford.aspx?pagenum=38
Part number: RF-F2TP-7A040-BA

U76770B Extension Housing, AOD/AODE 4X4 (6 3/8" Long)(Aluminum) (With 2 Threaded Bosses For Shifter)(Cast # RF-F67P-7A040-AA) $33.38
U76770BA Extension Housing, AOD/AODE 4X4 (6 3/8" Long)(Aluminum) (With 1 Threaded Boss For Shifter) $33.03
U76770BC Extension Housing, AODE/4R70W 4X4 (6 3/8" Long)(Aluminum) (With 2 Threaded Bosses Threaded Bosses For Shifter)(Cast # RF-F2TP-7A040-BA Or RF-3L3P-7A040-AB) $33.38

Also, found the 4x4 output shaft on eBay for $55 and it looks almost new."

@maples01 Any suggestons?

 

I'm not familiar with the nv271, or with Ford trucks newer than '96/'97 for that matter, so take this for what it's worth. But for a few decades running up to that, from what I understand all Ford transfer cases attached the same. Shocking with how much everything else changed. But if that holds true in your case, if your nv271 came off a Ford trans it ought to go on yours

 

Yeah I can totally understand not wanting to give up the info after the years of development he's put into building his kits, he said he prefers the transmission builder to source the parts, that would be better as far as I am concerned so he's doing the right way. Some guy could ask for advice and him trying help and they buy the wrong stuff then turn around and try and smear his name, so I didn't stress, he's right, have the transmission builder deal with it and then that aspect can have it's own warranty.
Yes I am handicapped myself, I crushed my back t-10/11 in 2014 driving like an idiot with no seatbelt on in a car I just put back together and wasn't used to, on a road I drove on almost daily to boot. Too much speed and a patch of loose gravel that washed out of a driveway we're not a good combination that day. I guess on the plus side I lived to learn my lesson and I'm still plugging away at my projects just much slower now and I have to get pretty creative about how I do some things.
The seller said it was the biggest V8 for that year so I assumed 5.4 because that's what another Econoline I had was equipped with. I do plan to eventually have a diesel conversion and swap gears again, the axles I have for it are 3.73 gears, the van rear is 4.10, it has alot more power than my dodge v6 van but I'm sure my dodge has higher gears its more of a cushy luxury style van with the middle captains chairs out and wheelchair tiedowns installed, so probably quite a bit more weight in the interior where my Econoline is pretty plain, it was an ex medical transport van and has the lift and tiedowns.
Alot of big long term plans. I'm considering just being fake 4x4 until I get whichever diesel swap I decide on, but if it does fine with lower gears I will likely stay with the v6, my dodge does fine for what it is and is noticeable less power than the Ford, but the dodge is also only on 245-75-16 the Ford will be on roughly 33s, if I remember right 285-75-16. I'm just planning on keeping the interior basic, a bed for camping and a decent stereo and underbed storage.
I know it would be much easier to start with a better powered van but finding one handicapped equipped with a decent price tag proved to be hard, if they are priced fairly they are gone almost as fast as they're posted. This one has sentimental value to me too, my grandparents made it possible for me to get it, and they both passed now, and up until my pap passed he was on me about needing a back up van because we had a 6 month ordeal with a local shop to get the brakes bled and master cylinder and proportioning valve replaced. One shop took it apart then didn't feel like fixing it so a buddy towed it and tried to straighten it out but it kept losing brake pressure so it finally ended up at a much more reputable shop than the first one so now it's all fixed back up, but it was a real pain not having transportation for six months and getting the run around from the first shop. Lesson learned, il never waste my time or money on that shop again.

 

Dw89xj: I wish I could remember the guy's name whom I met in 2009-2010 at Mammoth Mountain Ski resort in the Mill/Stump Alley parking lot. He was in a chair and skied adaptive and had one of the most bad a$$ 4x4 "Sportsmobile" E350's I have ever seen which he wrenched on himself. I had my comparably tame 4x4 E350 with me. We talked vans, 4x4 conversions, and about the forum and his plans to make his van even more capable.

I think you can do what you want to do with your van, I would just try to keep it as simple as possible to start with. The medical transport aspect is no doubt a great platform to start with. Anything is possible in the future (as long as you don't move to CARB regulated California) including changing out the engine. I had terrible death wobble with my 2007 F250/F350 coil Dana 60 solid axle front suspension which I cured. I would still go with a coil front suspension over a leaf spring. Unless you could get a long track Dana 60 TTB which Ramsey at Agile Offroad was famous for customizing for vans before he passed away.

There are only two transmission shops which are "world class" that I have heard about. John Woods in So. Cal. and Brian's Truck Shop ("BTS") in Arkansas:

E4OD | 4R100 | 5R110 Ford Diesel Powerstroke Transmissions

I would call BTS for advice.

BTW, don't beat yourself up on missing out on a 7.3L PSD. Gasoline is simpler and in many ways more reliable.

If electrical harnesses are an issue, I would contact MGMetalWorks. He created his own PCM engine/transmission harness to install a Cummins 6.7 / Allison transmission combo in his E350. It is one of the most impressive threads on the Sportsmobile forum. And he now has his own van conversion company.

 

There was a guy on Facebook on one of the Econoline groups that sounds just like the guy you speak of. I cannot remember his name but he had a really sweet dropped floor regular top 4x4 wheelchair van. He actually inspired and gave me motivation to push forward with mine. He has a sweet Camaro too if I remember right.
I was thinking a Cummins also but I'd go with a mechanical injected model if I go that route, but man those Cummins might shake every other bolt in the van loose haha. I'm a bug fan of the ih idi diesels although it is a tight fit and they don't have the power a modern diesel has I think it would be pretty much bolt in since they were offered in 92-94 in this body style. That's a long ways away and a very big "IF", if the v6 doesn't struggle after gears I'll just let it as is, if I start killing 4.2 because they can't take the extra stresses then I will saving for some sort of diesel swap. The possibilities are almost endless for diesel conversions nowdays. It used to be all Perkins or Cummins swaps now guys are stuffing anything into everything.

 

Yes, his roof was not raised. Funny that you mention it, but I didn't think about a "dropped floor" at the time. But I do now because I would like to raise the body of my van an inch or two to gain better access to the injectors (the passenger side is really tight). So, if you have a source or a suggestion for a proper (not plastic) body raising puck or body raising ideas, I would be grateful.

 

If I go through with a diesel swap I'm going to be doing a 2 or 3" body lift for the same reason so it's easier to work on. I have a friend that is a machinist I was going to have him turn me some body lift pucks from aluminum or steel. I thought of using excursion body pucks but like you, I don't want the plastic or composite or whatever they are made of. I'm sure some big washers welded on to some sections of pipe would work too but I like the idea of it being solid. I've used the pipe and washer method on mud trucks but they're only getting beat on a few times a year so I can't say how well they would last in the real world driving everyday but for a couple hours here and there on a beater I didn't care about they worked fine.

 

Never collected info on converting a newer model, I had considered doing my 73, changed my mind due to not wanting my van up so high, I would love putting a TTB in it to keep it lower but don't think it possible.
Handicap conversion shops body lift Econolines to do the extensive floor drop for power chair users, I believe it gets 4" body spacers, I have considered it several times for engine room but those guys charge too much for everything.

 

Yeah the really do take having that market cornered too far. I know it's supply and demand and there's not alot of demand for dropped floors or body lifts on vans, but it seems to me if you were only dropping the front and middle floor to accommodate a power chair that it could be done for cheaper than they're doing it. But I'm sure there are certifacations and enhanced safety inspections and stuff they go through that add to the cost. But I'm also sure they're charging alot more than the 35-40 dollar an hour shop rate that alot of shops seem to go by in my area. Right now in life I can still transfer pretty well so I'm just going to be getting one of the power swivel seats I think Braun makes, there was a guy online selling the power base and switch setup for $750. Quite a bit cheaper than the place I spoke with in Lancaster PA about the same base, it would be nice to have the drop floor and easy loc so I can pull my chair right in and go but I wanna keep it so it's easy for my wife to drive if she needs to. The only thing I know I won't like is the 4wd shifter beside the seat and fighting my legs around it but I'll get over it or maybe sell or trade my 271 for a 273 and figure out how to make the electric shift work. But I'm trying to stay as simple as possible and not add wiring. But if it's pretty simple to make it electric shift and use all Ford parts I probably will go that route. I know of quite a few Ford trucks 20+ years old that the electronic shift transfer cases are still working flawless. If it's going to be a pain to do there's just going to be a shifter and I'll have to get used to it.