Well, made a deal with CrazzyEarl to fix up his CB, and give him a really cool voltmeter and infrared pyrometer in exchange for some Explorer stuff he had laying around the farm. Here's what I got:

1. An A4LD transmission, 4x4. I won't be using this, it's going to be the donor for my transmissions conversion to a 4x4 unit that can accept a t-case.

The output shaft is different from 4x2 to 4x4 trannys and the A4LD output shaft is the same as the 5R44E/5R55E. I'll be practicing transmission disassembly and assembly over the winter with the A4LD before I attack mine this spring.

2. Two BW1354 electric transfer cases in good condition with a complete wiring harness assembly, and the control board for them.

Now, my plan for these is to not use the control board at all. I'll be using the electric drive and rebuild it to make it as reliable as possible, but I won't be relying on the switches entirely.

Those of you who are familiar with these cases know that most of the problems with them aren't the motor -- it's cam rotor/switch systems they have. If it wears down the stop it can go past the last switch position and then the "smart" controller isn't smart enough to figure out how to rotate the t-case and refuses to drive the motor. Or you can have situation where the switch gets contaminated or corroded or broken and you have the same problem.

What I'll do is bring the cam switches up to separate LED's (one for each function: 2WD, 4WD, Low Range) and use a simple momentary 3 position rocker switch to control the motor (much like we control power windows).

When I want to move the motor, I'll press the switch for the direction I want to go, and stop it by releasing it when it gets there. Simple, but not automatic. If the cam switches fail, I can bump it into whatever position I need and not have to worry about being stuck in 4 lo or something.

I'm psyched to rebuild these over the winter also. New things to do and learn and this saves me a bunch of money off my conversion costs.

When I prove out my manual motor control scheme, I'll post on it for everyone's information if it turns out to be useful.

 

Nice catch, cant wait to see the process of switching it over...

 

 

 

Very cool John looks like its one step closer

 

John, What do you have planned for the front end? IFS SA?

 

NO! I have a 1979 F-150 Dana 44 that is going under there complete with the entire F-150 suspension.

 

How are you going to go about getting it into 4lo? Between all the safety precautions like having your foot on the brake, be in neutral, etc. etc. It sounds like you could accidentally bump the switch and kick it into 4lo anywhere at anytime. That could spell alot of trouble!

 

good luck John - sounds like you have a plan and lots of work ahead
4WD and a winch - future spells recovery instead of being recovered!!!

 

Ha ha! I look forward to that day, Neil!

However, with greater capability comes greater challenges...I'll still get quite stuck, I'm sure...

 

Oh no doubt you will get stuck
It's like down hill sports, if you don't fall you're not trying hard enough!!
But, once you can push the magic button we won't be seeing any of those mad rushes at obstacles
Sure there will be charging at challenging hills, gullies or water - just not that mad frenzy with front end bouncing and rear wheels spinning
you have to revert from running to crawling

 

Yes, but it's not "revert to", lol -- it's "progress to"!

I would love to be able to save the "charges" for those special situations. I know pretty well how to control those charges so they will be a tool in my offroad toolbox -- as opposed to the ONLY tool in my offroad toolbox!

 

John, looks like you missed this one, I'm wondering the same for 4 low.

 

In order to get into 4 low, you have to press and HOLD the switch until it gets there. Bumping the switch wouldn't move the thing enough to matter, and if it did, you'd lose the indicator light.

Thanks, John. Somehow I did miss that.

Also, remember all those safety precautions are so people don't do something dumb -- but they don't prevent the controller going bad and moving it anyway.

I'm more interested in having control than allowing a paranoid controller designed by a liability obsessed manufacturer rule my destiny in the woods, lol.

 

HAHA There you go John thats how you nail that down.



I dont know if you can lead trail rides once you have this Dana 44. You having 4wd is going to be a great new tool for you. See if you make it in 2wd I know my truck can make it 4wd (whether I make it or not is a different story). Now with the 4wd I am going to have to second guess my truck a lot more.

Oh well I haven't done much second guessing since I go the Super Swampers it will be nice to second guess it again (I just don't want to get to the point I have to get out of the truck for air because I was so confident)

 

Actually, someone else can lead anytime, lol -- it's a lot of responsibility sometimes and I too like watching others go through first before I get stuck...er...I mean before I try it...

 

Sweet! Can't wait to see it happen!

 

If you have a little extra room on your switch panel, you could add a couple of illuminated SPST switches to simulate the brake pedal actuation and being in neutral. Just a safety so if any of the momentary switches were bumped nothing would happen if the brake and neutral SPST switches weren't already actuated.

 

That's true. An "arming" switch is really all that's needed. It would be off for normal driving, but once activated, the motor control buttons would be active. Good idea.

No use simulating a bunch of interlocks though because I"m not using the computer controller at all. I just need one "protected" switch that enables/disables the control switch.

 

You're ONLY allowed to do that if you get one of those big switches with the red flip-up covers to "arm" your 4wd! And put some clever label on it too!

 

Ha ha! That would be so sick. Ever see "Dr. Strangelove"? In the scene where they are arming the atom there are some awesome switches with covers. I should find something surplus like that, lol.

 

That's how I learned to love the bomb! Or atleast the cool switches they had

 

That's what I was thinking of last night, I just couldn't think of the term. I was thinking of the red flip up switch too. Autozone has them for $13.99, they're APC safety switches. They have them in black and silver also.

When you flip the switch, have a sultry female voice say "oooooh, 4wd ennnn-gauged".

 

Ha ha! Well, eventually I'll integrate the computer full time into the truck, and maybe then I'll do something like that -- don't know what the wife would think...oh wait, I can have her "voice " it, lol!

 

one of these would be a cool toggle switch...