1992 Ford F-150

I've bought a dead F-150 that's been sitting for a few years. The previous owner said the transmission only worked in 4WD low.

The known issues:

1. No current title! To avoid paying road taxes, the vehicle was listed as "junk" when the transmission went out. Now, instead of just getting a new title, the vehicle has to be made roadworthy and they will inspect it in order to issue the current owner a new title, which they can then sign over to me. Even though the original owner has all of the documentation on the truck, including the original title, we have to jump through a ton of hoops. We found this out when we took it to the DMV to get it inspected and re-titled. This is just a matter of jumping through the right hoops, but the truck has to at least start and move before they can issue another title.

2. The transmission (or transfer case) isn't working right. Apparently it will move only in 4wd mode, but after it started getting flaky, they just dumped it where it still sits today and nothing further was done.

3. It won't start. I suspect a fuel issue of one sort or another, as noted above.

4. The alternator started smoking when I attached a battery to it. I've never seen that before. We disconnected that bad boy; I'll just get a new one. I am hoping that this isn't indicative of larger electrical problems.

5. It needs a comprehensive suspension intervention. It looks like the original equipment is on there. How old is the suspension? Well...

6. Mileage is unknown, because the digital odometer has no display, but suspected at "lots." Apparently this happened while it was parked. The truck is old enough that I don't have to worry about it to get it registered and inspected, but I kind of like knowing when to do my oil changes and stuff.

7. The paint is a mess, and there is some Southern style surface rust on some of the edges (front of hood, back of doors) where the paint is gone. Nothing a bit of sandpaper and some self-etching primer won't fix.

8. Tires? What tires. They are still holding air after sitting for 2 years, but I wouldn't trust them for anything beyond rolling onto and off of a trailer 3-4 times.

Yesterday I went two counties away to get a complete transmission and transfer case from a 1996 Ford Bronco. I pulled it, loaded it in the Forester and hauled it home. Cost: $250

When I got the transmission home, I drained the fluid, replaced the filter and, after a long an protracted search for my inch-pound torque wrench, bolted the pan on. I did not fill it back up (yet) as it should only be sitting for a couple of weeks, and it is a bit easier to move around when it is empty.

I am still awaiting delivery of the truck, as the title situation is still being sorted out by the previous owner. More information as it happens.

Sounds like the valves said, "no." what transmission?

Correct me if I am wrong here, but isn't the transfer case responsible for 4WD operation and isn't it downstream of the transmission? No experience with the F150 specifically, but it sounds odd.

In reply to pinchvalve:

Yes, but it could have something to do with a shifting problem. Probably not a valve. Just being a smart ass.

Could be simple as getting a new transfer case. Could be a lot more complex. Electronic controls etc.

Come to think of it... If the controls are electric, pull the motor off and crank her into RWD. Should be right on the back of the T-Case.

Are you sure you got the right T-Case? Those trucks had two and I think broncos did as well.

It is a manual transfer case- the one in my truck is as well. I'm not 100% sure it is correct, but for $250 for an E40D and transfer case, I figure I can get my money back and maybe make a profit on it as well.

I posed up my transmission question in the GRM main forum- there might be some jury-rigging and kludging involved to get it to work, and I'm hoping for the best.

Update: In pursuit of a running and therefore titled truck, I've taken a couple of days off from work. I spent a bit of time replacing the alternator on the truck today and trying to get it to crank.

The alternator was a snap once I got the right part. Ford used two different alternators on the same year and engine combo, and with a 50/50 chance of getting the right one, I got the wrong one and had to make another trip to the store. I should've just bought both and returned the one I didn't need.

I did get the truck to crank with starting fluid, and kept it running for a little bit using that, in the hopes that I could clear out the bad gas or otherwise get some gas going to the engine. No luck.

Tomorrow I have to go back to the farm and test the fuel pump. I am hoping it is the fuel pump, because that is just dropping the tank. If it is the injectors or gunked lines, I'm probably going to pay somebody to mess with it.

Ima just say this now:

Unless it is the fuel pump (which if it is electric, you'll hear it prime which makes it pretty easy to tell if it is working or not) it is NEVER FUEL...

EVER. At least, that's been my experience with over 50 cars. Pumping fluids is easy, high voltage discharges are hard.

Check the rollover switch before you go after the fuel pump.

By rollover switch, do you mean the inertia switch?

Fuel pump fuse is good, right?

Fuse is good, but I did NOT check the inertia switch.

Thanks for the heads up, Trans_Maro! A free, 30 second fix vs. an aggravating job that costs money to do is very Grassroots.

Yes, I meant inertia switch.

Did it work?

I have to drive an hour to check it, since it is still at the farm. I've not made it out there yet.

Question about the dead odometer:

Is the mileage stored in the cluster or is it stored elsewhere? In other words, if I swap out the cluster, will I get a random mileage number in there, or will it read the correct information?

It was not the inertia switch. Looks like I'm getting a fuel pump. That job is lined up a week from today.

I put in a fuel pump today. The sock on the old one was filthy and there was something rattling around inside the casing. Not a good sign. However, with the new fuel pump... NOTHING.

Getting juice to the pump, but no fuel to the engine. I guess the fuel filter is beyond a little clogged.

I'm probably going to punt on the rest of the fuel issue problem, just in case it is more than the fuel filter. We lost 2 people out of 5 on my team at work in the last week, and this is our busiest time of year. Sucks, the weather is just getting nice, too.

Fun bit: the German Shepherd out at the farm kept bringing me Sugar Baby watermelons out of the garden. I think he thought they were balls, because he would drop them at my feet and stare at me intently. By the end of the day I had 12 of them in the back of the truck.

It is running! I posted above that the fuel pump was getting current but a multi-meter showed that it wasn't getting enough current. After tracing the wiring back along the frame (and cleaning off about 150 pounds of mud and cow crap) and doing a bit of wire/connection troubleshooting, it is starting up every time you turn the key.

Work left to be done:

1. Get the title (in process)

2. Fix transmission

3. put on an exhaust.

Brett_Murphy wrote: It is running! I posted above that the fuel pump was getting current but a multi-meter showed that it wasn't getting *enough* current. After tracing the wiring back along the frame (and cleaning off about 150 pounds of mud and cow crap) and doing a bit of wire/connection troubleshooting, it is starting up every time you turn the key.

Nice!

transmission transfer cases don't go for much for those around here, especialy used ones of unknown pedigree. $250 is maybe at the high end for such an item... so hopefully it works for you.

If it moves in 4 low then its not the transmission anyway. Does it actually spin the rear tires in 4low or is it only spinning the fronts?

I'd second whats already been said, check shifting mechanism for t case. does the shifter feel liek its sliding into the 2 hi and 4 hi detents or what

Brett_Murphy wrote: Question about the dead odometer: Is the mileage stored in the cluster or is it stored elsewhere? In other words, if I swap out the cluster, will I get a random mileage number in there, or will it read the correct information?

Does it matter? Have the new title state that the mileage is incorrect. Most of my vehicles are inaccurate. Is it the digital or rolling odometer?

the correct answer btw is that the cluster stores the mileage so if you get a cluster out of another truck, it will have the mileage from that truck.

In reply to andrave:

That was $250 for a transmission, torque converter and transfer case from a '96. I understand that the later transmission is a smidge more effective, and I figure no matter what is wrong down there, replacing the transmission/transfer case as a unit isn't any more difficult than replacing one or the other.

Thanks for the info about the mileage. I don't really care what the mileage shows, but I like to have something displayed there.

Brett_Murphy wrote: In reply to andrave: That was $250 for a transmission, torque converter and transfer case from a '96. I understand that the later transmission is a smidge more effective, and I figure no matter what is wrong down there, replacing the transmission/transfer case as a unit isn't any more difficult than replacing one or the other.

Once you disconnect everything, sure. It's still a PITA. What transmission did you get?

An E4OD.

Personally I think its way easier to swap just a 100 lb transfer case, only involve unbolting one shifter and one plug on the wiring harness, and then you can unbolt the driveshafts and drop it. Doing transmission together is maybe 250 lbs if you drain it, so a lot more weight, and you have all those bellhousing bolts to find and remove, pull the starter, undo a small handful of plugs, the auto shifter, etc etc.

And the big thin is that if the truck shifts good in 4wd low then the transmission in it is fine. The junkyard tranny? who knows... coulda been the tranny that put it in the yard in the first place. the crux of junkyard parts. cheap for a reason.