Had a little trouble in the snow the other day. 1.5-2' of the white stuff. First one down the 'road'. We were on the way to the mountain early to get first tracks in the powder. I was kinda hustling given the road and conditions (25-30mph). All of a sudden, the p/s goes south, the brakes become VERY hard to depress and the battery idiot light comes on. So with much effort I stop the truck and pop the hood (idling fine). When I open the hood, I find the engine compartment is full of snow and the serpentine belt hopped off the pulleys. Shut off motor, clean out engine bay, get the belt on and away we go (at a slower pace).

Anyone have this happen to them before? What's a good fix, skid plate or something?

Second question. I got the esof 4x4 and its been funky lately. Seems like it doesn't always lock the hubs. Guess thats why they have the override. Anyway, pulling into my driveway I shifted into 4x4, and it worked as its supposed to. I know the hubs must have locked, otherwise I wouldn't have made it. Shut down the truck. Go back out in the morning and try to back out, but now the hubs aren't locked anymore and I'm just spinning my rear wheels. Manually lock the hubs and I'm out.

Now why did the hubs disengage? Is it because by shutting down the truck I lost the vacuum that engaged the hubs? I mean, when I turn the *** to 4hi and the vacuum locks the hubs, is there constant vacuum that keeps the hubs in the lock position?

Any help is appreciated.
-SMB
01 F250 CC, 4x4, 7.3L

 

Never knocked a belt off...yet, so I can't help you there, but the ESOF is vacuum actuated, perhaps you have a bad seal or line.
I really am not up on ESOF , beacuse...well because I HATE IT!!

 

Yeti, yeah, I kinda got the sense that you weren't a big fan of the esof while going over the previous postings on the subject, and I can understand why. We got the truck off the lot, so didn't have much choice in the matter. So it goes.

Well, I guess when things thaw I will have to pull the hubs and try and figure things out, check the seal etc. Is it pretty self explanitory how the auto-lock hubs work once you start taking things apart? Anyone know how the vacuum lines are plumbed, where the take-off is and such? Is the vacuum line bundled with the brake line I see behind the wheel?

Still peaved by the serp. belt jumping off. Hopefully it was just a fluke.

Thanks again folks.
-SMB

 

I had the same problem with the vacuum system. The vacuum line is bundled with the brake line going to the back side of your hub. Mine were attached and looked fine but after further investigation one side was rotten , thus it seemed to be leaking. And the other side was clogged up with dirt in the line about an inch in from the end. I blew it out with air, trimed the lines and reattached and tie strapped both sides. I haven't had a problem since, that was about 6 months ago. I engage and disengage them atleast once a month and they work very well. Thank God Ford put the manual option on the hubs, I was all alone in the middle of no were last time my efos went out.

My next truck is going to have the Manual 4w shifter.