I'm really not that good of a forum guy. I usually only look at them when I have a problem. I had an issue this past weekend that I need help with. I made an attempt to use air shocks on the EX and unfortunately they failed. While trying to get back home, the back end started jumping around like crazy until I brought the speed down to below 40, then started rumbling.When I went to inspect what was going on, I found the tail housing on my 2WD 4R100 was cracked all the way around just behind the seal. Apparently the bouncing was caused by the failure of the air shocks, and then rammed the driveshaft into the tranny. Obviously I'll be replacing the shocks with a much more reliable model, but I'm having trouble matching my tail housing. I see plenty of them for sale that look like the right one but the only exact match I found is three times the cost. I'm sure that there are many castings of the excursion tail housing, but I can't find any references to which castings are usable on my EX. I have a 2000 7.3 2wd Excursion that is stock height, and I like it that way. I'm sure that some of you all have done the 2wd to 4wd swaps since all I seem to see here and on facebook are the jacked up 4wd versions. Maybe someone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction with respect to the tail housing casting numbers. My EX was #142 off of the line and I'd like to keep it on the road. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

You sure in 2000 it's not a 2WD E4OD?

 

Ford dropped the E4OD name with the OBS and it was called a 4R100 in Excursions and Superdutys, they are the same transmission with a few small differences.

 

All this freakin code and nowhere to decode it. It would have been easier to just put 4r100 on the tag with a build date and which end parts are on it. It's not like they didn't have the tag space. My problem is matching the casting with other castings like it. They put 30 (hypothetical guess) different casting numbers on the same part because they might have got it from a different supplier or reamed the edges of a hole or some such. Why does it have to be so complicated. This is the problem I have with engineers, they aught to be required to actually work as a mechanic for a minimum of 2 years before they get the D@#* degree.

 

By the way, the decoder page on the ATSG does NOT decode the assembly part number, transmission model or the barcode numbers which I would hope contain the actual base part number that I could use to replace my tail housing.

 

• Brand
  Ford
• Manufacturer Part Number
  RFF81P7A040CC

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16477478700...EAAOSwRNJgWJVe

Perhaps someone has a parts xref tool that can help with this.

 

You can see what I mean, I can find them all day long cheaper but the casting number holds me back. I'm very budget conscious, and if I buy one that "appears to be " the same and get it shipped, and it isn't compatable, I've just wasted the money that I was trying to save in the first place. My way of thinking is that Ford (and all the other manufacturers) purposely put in these roadblocks to make you dependent on a dealership for service functions. It just ain't right. God forbid that a shade tree mechanic try to replace a simple part. WE CAN"T HAVE THAT CAN WE! It's amazing that there are even auto parts stores anymore. Just wait till all the forced "ELECTRIC WONDERS" arrive. I'm sure that when we all have electric vehicles, MOTHER GOVERNMENT will have figured out how to actually supply the electricity to all of them and will have eliminated the traffic jams from our lives. Maybe the fairy dust will regrow my hair as a side effect.

 

The casting numbers surely changed repeatedly. Contact that vendor, and tell him what you have. See if he is 100% certain it's correct for the year/make/model you have. I wouldn't keep a truck down.

As for electrics, I'll be running on Freedom (french) fry oil if it comes down to that by that time.

 

You mean Natural Cut Fry oil(LOL), USA and the French not on such great terms atm since France tried to rip off AU on submarine prices and USA gave them to AU at a discount to help our ally out, preventing Frances price gouged deal from closing. For the best anyway, France's subs are held together with baguettes, and cream cheese, and occasionally just the bird droppings that land on them.

Maybe France should perhaps STOP, trying to rip off our own mutual allies, and deal above the board, but i guess that would be no fun for them.

If your confused by my first sentence, think of the old Jack in the Box commercial, from when they renamed their frys to Natural Cut instead of French.

 

PS.. Pardon the sarcasm, frustration breeds it with me.

 

Just for future reference and possibly for entry into the tech folder, I've finally found out the differences between the transmission tail pieces for the 2WD, 4r100, 7.3 diesel, Excursion. There are 4 different configurations of the tail piece looking from the engine side of the tail piece. The one for the excursion has a protrusion up from the bottom that has a hole in it. Also the bushing and seal have 2 configurations, Small dia. and large dia. The one for the excursion is the one that has the larger of the 2 bushings and seals. The castings were made with multiple numbers but if you get the 10 1/2" long version configured as noted above, that should work for the 2WD excursion. In addition, the transmission slip yoke for the one piece 2WD driveshaft (the one with a dampener originally around the outside of the shaft) Ford # F81Z4841EA, has only 2 versions. Both versions are Spicer parts and both are only available special ordered through a Ford OEM distributor new as they are considered proprietary to Ford. All the parts sites and dealers I called gave me the discontinued line. I had to beg the dealer I finally got it through to special order it directly from Dana Aftermarket using the Spicer numbers. The original equipment number is nickel plated, Spicer # 3-3-6001X, and the replacement non plated version Spicer number is 3-3-6661X. At the time of this post, Dana aftermarket only has 24 of the former left in stock. When they are gone, there will not be anymore made and we will be at the mercy of the junk yards and shops that have previously ordered them. The Spicer yoke plug kit is part # 500166-22. Also for reference, the universal joints that originally came with the driveshaft, are an extreme PITA to remove. I had to cut mine out with a cutoff wheel. They had to be original equipment. I guess Spicer gets the credit for mine lasting for 22 years. While looking, I found that the slip yoke was used on the 2000-2004 2WD Excursion and the 1999-2004 RWD F-350 Super Duty (both SRW and DRW). I wouldn't wish this search on my worst enemy as it has been very difficult and time consuming, hence my long winded explanation. If I got something wrong, I apologize, but I did the best I could and tried to document it properly.

It may not be worth mentioning, but if there were someone on this site that isn't financially challenged like myself, it sure would be nice if there were a central clearing house for all of the remaining surplus parts for these vehicles that we all have an affection for or even a retiree that just wants something to keep themselves busy making a list. I'm sure that buying up the stuff that people are trying to just get gone and reselling them would make a decent side hustle. Just a musing. I'm sure that someone would eventually get greedy and up the price on everything, but one would hope for an honest person who just makes enough profit to stay in a side business. There are a few places that specialize in used Super Duty parts and a few people that do part outs of multiple Excursions. It would also be nice if we could start a running list of used and aftermarket suppliers of specifically Excursion parts not available at a regular parts store. The same could be done on the other model forums, but they don't seem to be having the supply issues Ex owners are facing. I know there is one guy out in Vegas that has a yard full he's trying to get rid of on Craigslist. How it popped up on my Savannah, Ga site, I haven't a clue. I'm not talking about advertising each part, more like this guy has part out stuff, that guy has all super duty stuff etc..

 

I lucked up today found a slip yoke in the junkyard in excellent condition on a dinged driveshaft. It was even pulled out and sitting under the truck out of the weather for me and appeared to have been replaced not too long before arriving here because it had a new Dana sticker on the shaft.There were 3 excursions in the yard, 2 were in fair shape, but the third was the worst I've ever seen. I should have taken a picture but just didn't think of it at the time.Whoever was in this truck when it crashed was extracted without any blood at all spilled. I don't have any idea if they survived or not, but the darned thing looked like it was hit by a freight train at high speed.I don't think there was a single part on the entire vehicle except maybe the slip yoke that wasn't completely destroyed. I know we all think our Exes are indestructible, but believe me when I say they definitely are not. If they survived, it was only by the grace of God and some extremely talented first responders. Be careful, and drive safe out there.

 

They are pretty damn tough, but its one of those things, when you find something that can destroy it, it does so much damage there is nothing left, kinda things.

Its not that the truck was not indestructible, some drivers really are just masters of destruction. There was a pickup with a driver who was texting and driving drive right into the side of a train at a crossing, as the train was already crossing mind you, where there were no cross arms or lights, it kicked him to the side about 5-10 feet and bounced him pretty good, but then he started up and got outa there. In the video if you look close you can see him holding the phone in front of his face leading up and right into the impact. Fortunately for him he was doing maybe 25 mph at the time, maybe a little less.