Hey guys, thanx for all the input. Yes, it's working fine now, when I don't need it. Yes, I knew enough to have the truck stopped in neutral with my foot on the brake. Yes I tried rocking it back and forth, though that's not easy with a five speed. And Wendell, thanx for noticing that I wasn't trying to drive down the highway in four low.

Picture this, 10" of soft snow on our one lane country road, stopped and put it in four low, got to the highway with 3" of packed snow, stopped, it wouldn't shift out of four low. This is way out of town, no traffic, no rush hour, just me and the truck. Drove about 20 feet, backed up about ten, turned off the ignition, put the **** to 2WD, repeated, nothing, not a sound, finally heard a click and she went out of four low.

Then in the evening, stopped in the road to put it in four low to get over the snowplow berm, neutral, foot on brake, no four low, but four high worked.

So I'm wondering, is this maybe a temperature issue [28*F], a moisture issue [shorted wiring], a mechanical issue or a combination of the abovew, or something totally different?

 

I would say it's all in the shift motor it's self, try pulling it off and cleaning it, lube it up. If that doesn't do it, I would replace it and be done with it. With a good shift motor, you will be buzzing in and out of 4 low at will. Moisture,a short or temp would effect both ranges. It takes a little more power to engage and disengage low range with the shift motor. Sounds like the S-motor doesn't have enough *** to operate low range properly and concisantly. It could be just gummed up and need cleaning, or just replaced. It's located on the back of the t-case, so without skid plates to help protect it, it will catch everything, mud, snow, water, dirt, sticks and other debri. I bought a skid plat for the T-case on my 04, it cost like 40 bucks, this helps protect the motor as well. I never had an issue with it and I wheeled it a lot. My FX4 allready has skid plates on it. If you end up putting a new motor on the t-case for around a 100 bucks from ebay, I would get a skid plate as well, it's sorta cheap and easy to install. It will help provide some protection for an electrical device exposed to the eliments under the truck. It sounds like your shift motor still functions, it's just gotten weak. Put a new shift motor on and a skid to protect it, engage it every month and you will be back to loving your ranger in no time. You will be posting positive things on the ranger lovers post ha ha. I'm wondering if some one doesn't sell a heavy duty shift motor in the aftermarket, that would be worth checking out.

 

VanHoy, I did a search on ebay for you, and they had a 126 shift motors for rangers. They had new shift motors for as low as 69.58 and had one for 89.99 that came with a life time warrenty and free shipping. Just go to ebay and use key words:
"ford ranger transfer case motors". Most of these motors are new, not used and have a buy now price that I have listed.

 

knock on wood my 15 y/o electric shift 4x is still going without trobles, the only issue i had with it was getting out of 4 low. i had pulled out of a boat ramp in low range, and when i went to leave, it wouldnt shift out, finnally realized i didnt quite have the clutch in all the way. that would have been a long 20 miles home in 4 low. someday i should upgrade to a manual case, i upgraded my auto hubs to manuals about 3 years ago. but i'll just keep with the electric case until it doesnt go anymore. i do engage 4 low quite often, every time i back the trailer its in low range.

 

With these elestric shifts, it seems the more you use them the better they operate. I'm allways engaging mine if I need it or not. I want to wear it out before it has a chance to malfunction ha ha.