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4WD not working, please help me to get this fixed


Denisefwd93

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The side you are showing is the driven. Gear, the stop pin plastic bumper on it usually disintegrates. the electrical contact disk is on the side under your fingers and under a plastic cap which I do not know how to remove without breaking the whole assembly.
 


1930

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There is no platic bumper on the pin and I dont believe there ever was, Looks like the plastic bumper is down in the case as mentioned.

Im assuming the electrical is under the cap but I have played around with it and I see no way of opening the assy
 

Denisefwd93

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Looks like you found the problem, make sure the motor runs, lubricate it, get/ make a new plastic bumper
 

1930

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No, I don't think there is supposed to be a bumper there. Maybe it's a design change?
 

1930

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no remnants of any plastic bushing anywhere to be seen But there is a plastic bushing down in the case it's seen on one of the pictures
 

Denisefwd93

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With the gear removed like that did you try running the motor with 12 volts? Seems to me it would run freely without the gear,
 

RonD

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Let me try it this way, I hope this works!

This is the inside of my shift motor, I see no electrical and dont see the bushing that I thought I would see, only a steel pin but I believe there is a plastic bushing down inside the housing?

What am I looking at here and whats next?


Thanks


https://postimg.cc/9wPWg6Z9

https://postimg.cc/BPZqyhgw

https://postimg.cc/bdqNsJhH

Im glad that works, all you have to do is click on the urls.

I dont remember seeing a shift motor like this online ?

Where are the electrical contacts that Ive seen on these shift motors?

Im in no rush and I appreciate the help

The pictures posted are of the reduction gears not the motor, the cover plate with the 4 or 5 wires, over the larger gear, are for the "contacts", which are, in essence sensors, for the control module, and do not power the motor, they "tell" the controller the position of the larger gear, which would be the position of transfer case shift rod

The electric motor is the black cylinder and its Brushes are the usual problem when you have intermittent issues
Motor is powered by the 2 wires that enter the housing at a different location from the others

Picture here of housing with electric motor removed: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-4.JPG
Brushes seen hanging

Picture here of the Rotor contacts for the electric motor, these need to be cleaned: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-8.JPG

Picture here of the brushes, springs and holders: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-9.JPG

The springs go into the holders first, then the brushes, when assembled, the springs push brushes out to hold them in contact with the Rotors contacts
This setup allows the Rotor to turn while maintaining an electrical connection, all electric motors operate this way, except "brushless" which are not available for these shift motors.


Picture here of the brushes, springs and Rotor in place: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-13.JPG

The brushes can get stuck so spring can't push it down, or spring can break so not enough force to hold brush against the Rotor.
Rotor's contacts can get corroded so voltage doesn't transfer between brush and Rotor
 
Last edited:

1930

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The pictures posted are of the reduction gears not the motor, the cover plate with the 4 or 5 wires, over the larger gear, are for the "contacts", which are, in essence sensors, for the control module, and do not power the motor, they "tell" the controller the position of the larger gear, which would be the position of transfer case shift rod

The electric motor is the black cylinder and its Brushes are the usual problem when you have intermittent issues
Motor is powered by the 2 wires that enter the housing at a different location from the others

Picture here of housing with electric motor removed: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-4.JPG
Brushes seen hanging

Picture here of the Rotor contacts for the electric motor, these need to be cleaned: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-8.JPG

Picture here of the brushes, springs and holders: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-9.JPG

The springs go into the holders first, then the brushes, when assembled, the springs push brushes out to hold them in contact with the Rotors contacts
This setup allows the Rotor to turn while maintaining an electrical connection, all electric motors operate this way, except "brushless" which are not available for these shift motors.


Picture here of the brushes, springs and Rotor in place: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/images/rebuild_transfer_case_shift_motor/rebuilding_a_ford_transfer_case_shift_motor-13.JPG

The brushes can get stuck so spring can't push it down, or spring can break so not enough force to hold brush against the Rotor.
Rotor's contacts can get corroded so voltage doesn't transfer between brush and Rotor
Quote: The pictures posted are of the reduction gears not the motor, the cover plate with the 4 or 5 wires, over the larger gear, are for the "contacts", which are, in essence sensors, for the control module, and do not power the motor, they "tell" the controller the position of the larger gear, which would be the position of transfer case shift rod

The electric motor is the black cylinder

I am perfectly clear on this and thanks.

Quote: and its Brushes are the usual problem when you have intermittent issues

Im assuming you mean intermittent motor just plain not spinning issues? Up until this point Ive been told by everyone that light blinking on dash is MOST likely an indicator of the little knub inside the housing that either gets squished/deformed out of shape or just falls apart in which case the sensor dosent park correctly and the GEM gets confused.

Sound correct still?


So here again are my observations/questions and I understand you have prob forgotten more than I may ever know about Ranger but maybe ( and its OK ) you will just not have an answer

Here are 2 motors, https://postimg.cc/Q9BkBsZD the one on the left was removed from a 2000 ranger this weekend, the one on the right is out of my 98, dont know if it is original but I would assume.

Look down into the cavity, two different castings, the one on the left has a raised area to presumably act as a stop for the knub/pin deal.

The one on the right ( out of my 98 with the black motor housing ) has a plastic insert down in there with half moon cut-outs to accept ( what I am assuming to be complete and not missing a nylon or plastic knub ) the steel pin that I will show in the next picture.

Here is the next picture https://postimg.cc/Kkd7BVmM

Again one on left 2000 ranger and right my 98

The one on left has the familiar plastic or nylon knub over what appears to be a Phillips head machine screw, mine on the right has a steel dowel that appears identical in size to mate with the plastic/nylon female receptacle down in my housing that I showed in previous pict.

Moving on lets talk about how to access the contacts......https://postimg.cc/0KDYffNH

As you can see I have taken a screwdriver and have chipped away at the edge of the housing, as I hope you can see in the next couple of pict I dont see how to access anything inside as far as contacts, yes the base is a separate piece but because of its conical shape the only real way that I can see it being removed without being destroyed would be thru the top and yet I dont see that as possible either so can someone tell me how to open this thing up properly?

https://postimg.cc/kDbvqnyF

https://postimg.cc/0b1dNLWg

Thoughts, comments, suggestions welcome.
 
Last edited:

Denisefwd93

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Location
South East PA
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1994
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
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Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
stock, may get leveling springs in front "somday"
Tire Size
235
does the motor run???

Different design rotational stop, same thing same function they know/knew the bumper disintegrated so they changed the design on the newer.
 

1930

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does the motor run???

Different design rotational stop, same thing same function they know/knew the bumper disintegrated so they changed the design on the newer.
I guess I need to figure out a way to test motor for consistency with running, Ive been trying up until this point to look at the knub that disintegrates that apparently maybe now I just dont have to worry about cause of a design change.
 

1930

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does the motor run???

Different design rotational stop, same thing same function they know/knew the bumper disintegrated so they changed the design on the newer.
Another thing worth noting is that if that is the case in that mine is an updated design than that would point to it being a replacement since the 2000 Ranger motor I show has the old crumbling pin
 

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