I drive a 1996 F350 7.5L 4x4 crew-cab XL. Installed are; a 4 in suspension lift, a Rancho steering damper, 61 mm BBK throttle body, PowerAide throttle body spacer, a K&N cold air kit, a Jet chip, Headman Aluma-coated shorty headers, dual 2.5in exhaust, each side going through a Thrush glass pack to a single Flowmaster 40 series that acts as an exhaust crossover from there into duel 4in end pipes.

WIthout the glass packs it is LOUD!

Over the six years that I've owned this truck I have discovered that the 1996 production of the F350, especially the 4x4 crew-cab is kind of in a limbo state when it comes to finding cross-over parts or aftermarket parts that are available to just about any other model of F-X50. Listings for aftermarket parts for the ninth gen F-X50 truck often goes from 1992 to 1995, skips 1996 and then lists 1997.

It makes me want to kill something soft and furry, kittens will do fine.

I bought my E4OD to ZF s5-42 swap parts from a local wrecking yard from a 1992 F350 7.5L 4x4x crew-cab. For my $1200.00 bucks I got, the ZF tranny, the shorter front driveshaft and the longer front half of the rear driveshaft, the flywheel backing plate, the flywheel, a decent usable clutch assembly, the release bearing, the clutch master/slave cylinders and the intergral hydraulic line plus the pedal assembly and the ECM from a '96 standard 7.5L 4x4.

Apparently I don't need the standard tranny crossmember. I guess I'll see about that when it comes time to bolt that piece in .

I have of course use new ARP flywheel to crank bolts and cluch plate to flywheel bolts and installed a new pilot bearing. When I have more cash the cluch assembly will be a new Hays unit.

Two problems with my swap. Problem #1 is not critical, it's just something I'd like to do. Problem #2 is cerainly critical and will put an end to the swap but I won't accept that there is no solution.

Problem #1.

In the ZF tranny has anyone replaced the three shift rail detent plugs with screw-in units? I would like to do this because although the ZF is in fair shape for a used unit, I know that I will have to re & re it someday (cash allowing) and I like the idea of re-usable plugs. Problem with most plugs is that they are too deep and would increase the detent spring pressure making it very difficult or imossible to shift. Is there a shorter spring kit available? I do have a part number from Ford for a spring kit that is purported to be what I need. Talked to my local dealer and got,

"You want what? No can do. We've got the part number and a (very) general description but we'll have to get in contact with the SVO people in the States, (I'm in BC canada), that will take weeks."

Weeks? This is the computer age for God's sake! (More kittens implode in a fit of my rightious fury)

Anyone with a fix I can duplicate? I don't want to cut the springs down, they wouldn't sit right and I wouldn't know what pressure they were either.

Problem #2.

The "big" problem is with the pedal cluster.

I removed the auto brake pedal and mount from my '96 which is just a folded steel bracket that utilizes the four bolts from the master brake cylinder an two bolts that attach to the dash frame up inside the dash itself. It is not very big unlike the replacement aluminium one it has nothing to do with supporting the steering. In my '96 under the left side kick panel there is a large aluminum construction that the e-brake as well as the steering is mounted to. This bracket also appears to support the left side of the dash. The old bracketry and the new are mutually exclusive. Both need to be part of the steering support.

What bracket can I use? Were the pedal cluster mounts different after 1995? I say '95 because apparenly this wrecking yard has sold a number of conversion packages to locals with no problems that were all pre-'95. I suspect that I will have to use a pedal cluster specific to a 1996 F350 7.5L 4x4 crew-cab standard truck. No wrecking yard in a 100 mile radius has such a thing.

I am annoyed, frustrated and currently out of kittens.

 

Wow... did you ever get this problem resolved?

 

i'm doing a E4OD to ZF-5 conversion right now into the sig truck.....my parts truck is a '96 and the parts look to match right up to my '97....Thought I was reading on here the switch over was in '92-93 to the aluminum under dash super structure. I know I had a '90 and '91 F350 and it was all light bent metal support structure under the dash....not sure if this helps....

Check out in the black truck folder in my pix link for a DIY short shifter mod...this might help with shifting or at least you could shim the detent you have with a shim...

jrc