Does anyone know what the delay time should be for the hubs to lock? Someone told me from the time you turn the switch on the dash to the hubs actually engaging was about 50 seconds. This seems excessive to me.

Thanks, Buck

 

It should be a lot less than that. They should lock up as soon as the transfer case engages into a 4WD mode, using a contact in the limit switches in the transfer case.

When you engage the transfer case, a solenoid in the case engages a clutch which gets the front components moving prior to engaging the chain to the rear output shaft. This is what allows "shift on the fly" -- it's a solenoid activated "synchro" if you will.

As soon as the control shaft is rotated by the motor to a point where the chain is engaged, then the hubs should come online. At least, that's the way I read the logic.

If your transfer case is very slow, that may be another matter, or if you have a problem with the actuating mechanism for the hubs that could be a problem also.

What year is your truck, by the way?

 

What year truck?

you need to make a signature

should be flip the switch let off the gas till the light on the dash comes on and you should be in. this can all be done in less than 5 seconds. this would be 01+

 

The truck is a 2000. Sorry

 

i would think in under 10 sec it should be in 4wd. is this while you are driving or sitting still?

 

It is while driving. Will sitting still make a difference? I always thought you had to move at least a few feet for them to engage.

Thanks, Buck

 

that might be with PVH, i have live axle so im not compltely sure on how fast yours should switch.

do you know if you have Pulse Vacuum Hubs or Live axles?

 

I'm not sure if they are pulse.

 

I believe 2000's are PVH.

Edit: But I also seem to remember there may be a mid-year change to eliminate them. What I think I remember is that TBarCYa didn't have PVH on his 2000 because it was a late build? Can't remember exactly.

 

i think it was half way through 2000 they changed to live axle.

you can check by looking and seeing if you CVs turn when you are in 2wd

 

Ha ha! I was editing my post as you typed that. Great minds think alike -- sadly, so do ours...

 

lol, that is great.

 

If your '00 has PVH, then the delay time is indeed up to 50 seconds. This allows for not only T-case engagement of the front drivetrain, but also energizing of the PVH vacuum solenoid which engages the front hubs using a vacuum pulse. (Or at least that's how it's designed).

See: Ranger PVH Diagnostics TSB

 

Good reference, Joe -- but where does it confirm 50 second engagement times? I didn't see that. Is that just what people experience or is it a spec somewhere that you know of?

It still seems like an awful long time to me.

I did see a 15 second disengagement timer though.

Unless the vacuum system is just that slow, it doesn't make good sense for a 50 second delay after the t-case has already reached 4x4 mode?

 

Mine engages in no more then 30 seconds, i flip the switch let off the gas driving and its in, even quicker when im not moving, flip it, hit the brake the light comes on and im good to go

 

John, I'd guess that most PVH Ranger people only have to wait as long as I do on my '98 for complete 4WD engagement, which is about 10-15 seconds or so, at the most. That's assuming the PVH system is working properly.

However, check out page 3 of the TSB, top left hand column in bold type:

Of course, just because the engagement vacuum pulse is approx. 50 seconds long doesn't always mean it takes that long in real life, but the fact that Ford designed it that way makes me think that maybe long engagement times were anticipated for some reason.

Who knows, maybe Ford knew the PVH systems were prone to vacuum leaks before they even left the factory!

 

Pvh take time to engage. 30 seconds seemed to be the norm for me.

Even with the AVM's its not as fast as you would think.

I believe the clutch in the pvh tcases plays a roll in the time delay.

 

Ah, thanks! I wondered where that number came from and I completely missed the part you quoted.

Well, that makes sense then. If they say you have to wait 50 seconds before you can consider it "failed", then it could take up to 50 seconds.

I don't think I'd keep those if I had them, lol.

 

I have a set of AVM manual hubs sitting on a shelf right here at home, ready to go.

 

my '01 takes less than 5 seconds to go from 2wd, to 4wd. i know this because as i'm leaving my cozy underground garage, there was a pile of snow up against it. i drove slowly into it and as i did, i engaged 4wd "high" and right away i was in 4wd mode, going thru that snowy mound!