This one has stumped me. I drive a 2002 F350 7.3. My four-wheel-drive selector lever is getting hot enough that I can feel the heat radiating against my leg. Not so hot I can’t touch it but hot enough that I feel like something is wrong. All of my temps are measured by a CTS edge and all temps are within normal operating temps. Happens after 30ish min of driving. To make it weirder its happening while in 2wd.

any ideas?
-tony

 

Welcome to FTE.
Plenty of heat gets generated by the working drivetrain. I wouldn't worry about this. It's bolted to the side of the transmission which, in turn, is bolted to the 200 degree engine block. Metal conducts heat very well and yes, you'll get some transfer up the shift levers. If you can grab the base of the lever after an hour's drive without getting burned, you should be ok.

 

Just seems strange that all of a sudden it started getting hot. This is a new thing – it hasn’t been this way forever. Also it’s heating up the cab to the point where my air conditioner is struggling to keep up. Is that really 2002 build quality?

 

On the ZF6 manual transmission trucks, there are two noise and temperature variation barriers. There is a thick white boot under the black somewhat decorative boot. I am not familiar with the manual shift transfer case lever, but is it possible there are similar barriers at the base of the 4x4 shift lever?

I ask because when I first bought my ZF6 truck, I could feel the heat from the transmission shift lever. So much so that on long drives I would move my right foot away from the hump toward the clutch pedal it was so warm. I replaced both the white and black boots as the white was split and damaged and all has been good for many years. Even towing heavy across the western desert at 110° or more.

If the 4x4 lever does not have these boots and the heat is new, have you thought about checking or changing the fluid in the transfer case?

I don't know what you are asking about regarding the 2002 build quality. The truck is 20 years old and is in nowhere near the condition it was when it rolled off the factory floor. Do some digging and investigating and see what you come up with. You are the only one there with the truck that knows the truck and we would like to help you out, but we need you to be the ears, eyes and hands in this endeavor.

 

My late 99 Lariat doesn't have 2 layers of boot on the manual transfer case like our ZF6 shifters do. Not sure if it's the same for an '02

 

Are your up pipes leaking?

 

Build quality might’ve been a poor choice of words. I understand the truck is 20 years old however from the factory these trucks were more porous per se than the newer trucks. Love it or hate it it is what it is I just want to make sure that nothing is wrong in this case. I love this truck and I bought it instead of a new truck.

it’s an automatic truck however-I’ll plan on checking the shifter boot on the lever itself. I would just be surprised if that would heat the lever itself up considering it’s solid metal I imagine it would heat up regardless of the condition of the boot. I’ll also have to check on fluid levels on the transfer case.

up pipes have me thinking though I don’t believe those were changed however I did put a new exhaust in. I believe that’s on the other side of the transmission tunnel though. What would some of the symptoms of leaking up pipes to be?

 

Oem up pipes tend to leak up at the turbo collector. Symptoms would be low boost/power etc. you can usually see black soot streaks down the up pipes where they go into the collector and on the firewall. If they have not been updated to bellowed up pipes they are likely leaking.
The reason I asked is of they are leaking at the collector~ or even at the manifold connections, that is a LOT of hot air coming right back along the transmission bell housing and a possible cause in the heat you are noticing. Worth a look at the least

 

If appearance of the hot shifter coincides with the new exhaust, that's a great place to look.

 

Fluid was low in the transfer case. Refilled and haven’t had an issue. Fingers crosssd that was it.

 

Thank you for closing the loop (hopefully) on this strange issue. Sometimes it is the little things that trip us up the most. We have all been there and will be again.

 

If mine gets hot I have never noticed it.

 

I bet it was and that was going to be my first suggestion. Good catch...that's a guy who pays attention to his machines. Most people would be like "blah whatever" until the gearbox blew up.

Now you might want to look into why it got low in the first place.