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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / July 2007

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Explorer rear wheels won't turn

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david.r.bryant@boeing.com - 08 Jul 2007 21:50 GMT
Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
was in 2W High.  The 4W drive system has been inactive for the last 5
years and the 2 buttons don't do anything.  The clutch seems be
engaging but no power goes to rear wheels.  The idle comes down a
little when the clutch pedal is let out but it doesn't move the
Explorer at all.  Any ideas?
Ashton Crusher - 09 Jul 2007 03:04 GMT
>Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
>1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>little when the clutch pedal is let out but it doesn't move the
>Explorer at all.  Any ideas?

Did someone push the buttons?  I went to put mine in 4x4 mode and the
shift motor took a dump halfway thru and left the transfer case in
neutral.
david.r.bryant@boeing.com - 09 Jul 2007 06:56 GMT
> >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
> >1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> shift motor took a dump halfway thru and left the transfer case in
> neutral.  

No - The switches have been electrically inactive for the last 5 years
so there was no attempt to put it into 4W mode.  Is it possibile for
the trnasfer case to just slip out of 2W into a neutral position?
The Chilton's Book on the Explorer does not talk about a Neutral
position for the transfer case except for the manual selection
system.
Ulysses - 09 Jul 2007 19:36 GMT
> > >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
> > >1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> position for the transfer case except for the manual selection
> system.

I've only seen three positions for the transfer case on mine but I have the
automatic trans.  But if Ashton says it can happen then personally I'd go
yank the servo motor and take a look.
Ashton Crusher - 10 Jul 2007 04:31 GMT
>> > >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
>> > >1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>automatic trans.  But if Ashton says it can happen then personally I'd go
>yank the servo motor and take a look.

I can't recall if there's a position labeled "neutral" when you have
the shift motor off and can see the thing but it definitely wound up
between positions.  I had to pull the shift motor in the street to
shift it back so I could pull it into the driveway.  It's an
automatic.
Ulysses - 11 Jul 2007 19:33 GMT
> >> > >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.  My
> >> > >1991 Explorer 4x4 has manual 5 speed, electric 4w drive selection, and
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> shift it back so I could pull it into the driveway.  It's an
> automatic.

Yea, I had to pull mine in the mud to get it into 4WD once.  I was so
pissied of at the servo motor I left it off for days and turned it with
pliers.  Surprisingly very little mud got in there.
Ashton Crusher - 12 Jul 2007 05:56 GMT
>> >> > >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.
>My
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>pissied of at the servo motor I left it off for days and turned it with
>pliers.  Surprisingly very little mud got in there.

I've "redone" my shift motor three times and each time it lasted a
shorter and shorter time before it flaked out.  Last time I bought a
new one.
Ulysses - 12 Jul 2007 19:55 GMT
> >> >> > >Just driving down the road and power stopped going to rear wheels.
> >My
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> shorter and shorter time before it flaked out.  Last time I bought a
> new one.

How long ago?  I've thought about getting a new one but wasn't sure if it
would work any better.

I've had mine apart twice and I push the buttons about every other day to
keep it exercised--it always works fine until I really need it!
Ashton Crusher - 14 Jul 2007 18:48 GMT
>> >> >> > On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:50:34 -0700, david.r.bry...@boeing.com
>wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
>I've had mine apart twice and I push the buttons about every other day to
>keep it exercised--it always works fine until I really need it!

Just a few months ago.  I got it from rock auto.  They had rebuilt
ones that were basically the same as the original as well as a
completely new and slightly different looking one.  I bought the
completely new one. So far so good but you never know what they may do
when you need them.
Bob - 14 Jul 2007 23:09 GMT
>>>>>>>> On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:50:34 -0700, david.r.bry...@boeing.com
>> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
> completely new one. So far so good but you never know what they may do
> when you need them.
Would it be possible to replace the motor with a shift lever? (It was
available this way with manual hubs on the XL models). I haven't been
under the truck to look but maybe there's a knockout in the floor sheet
metal for the lever? If this is reasonably possible it would avoid the
flaky shift motor problem.
jrchilds - 15 Jul 2007 03:56 GMT
 when you need them.
> Would it be possible to replace the motor with a shift lever? (It was
> available this way with manual hubs on the XL models). I haven't been
> under the truck to look but maybe there's a knockout in the floor sheet
> metal for the lever? If this is reasonably possible it would avoid the
> flaky shift motor problem.

The shift motor rotates, a flexible cable, properly attached and run up
to the driver may work.
Jack
Ashton Crusher - 15 Jul 2007 06:20 GMT
>>>>>>>>> On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:50:34 -0700, david.r.bry...@boeing.com
>>> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 58 lines]
>metal for the lever? If this is reasonably possible it would avoid the
>flaky shift motor problem.

A lot of people have asked the question in the past 15 years and I
have yet to see an answer.  My guess is that it's not easy.  Unlike
transmission shifters that connect to levers that only need to move a
small amount, the shaft for the transfer case rotates in the
neighborhood of 180 degrees, maybe more.  That's a lot of movement to
try and get from a shift lever.
Ulysses - 16 Jul 2007 01:01 GMT
> >>>>>>>>> On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:50:34 -0700, david.r.bry...@boeing.com
> >>> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
> neighborhood of 180 degrees, maybe more.  That's a lot of movement to
> try and get from a shift lever.

I think jrchilds' flexible cable may have possibilities.  As far as I can
tell the 4 High and 4 Low indicator lights are activated by the transfer
case position and not the servo position.  I'm not sure what would happen if
you manually turned it to 4 Low without putting the trans in neutral first.

BTW Ashton I asked how long ago you replaced your servo motor but my reply
got lost in cyberspace.  I've had some doubts that a new motor would be a
real solution so I'm hoping you can tell us.
Ashton Crusher - 16 Jul 2007 04:54 GMT
snip

>> >>> would work any better.
>> >>>
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>got lost in cyberspace.  I've had some doubts that a new motor would be a
>real solution so I'm hoping you can tell us.

It's not just a new motor, it's a complete gizmo with the rotary
switch so all the old stuff is gone.  There are two things that seem
to screw up the old ones. There are the nylon stops on the inside that
disintegrate.  I replaced them once with rubber hose of the right ID
and OD and that seemed to work for a while but the motor is VERY
strong and when it gets to the end of the stroke it really mashes the
stops.  The way it's made there is very little room for error in the
size of the stop, too short and the gear pin rides over it, too long
and it rubs on the gear.  Then there are all the switch fingers, if
those get dirty and don't make good contact it doesn't send the right
signals back to the "brains" back in the jack compartment.
 
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