Ford Technician Shares Insider Tips on Transfer Case Shift Motor Replacement
YouTuber and Ford guru produced helpful video for 2004+ F-150 and Super Duty owners looking to repair 4WD system.
It can be immensely satisfying to repair your own vehicle. Unfortunately, unlike more basic cars, F-150 owners must contend with sophisticated four-wheel-drive systems and loads of tech to boot. That’s why we’re always happy to provide as many DIY guides as we possibly can. Additionally, we’ve previously also written our own how-to manuals when the situation called for it. It always pays to do as much research as possible before tackling any repair work.
If you’re having a problem with your four-wheel-drive system, there’s a good chance that the transfer case shift motor is the culprit. According to Ford Master Technician Brian Laskowski aka “FordTechMakuloco,” it’s a very common problem on modern Ford trucks. Fortunately, replacement doesn’t seem too hard and it can be done relatively quickly. And the video is an easy watch too.
A Common Wear Issue
The transfer case shift motor is responsible for governing the shift between two and four-wheel drive modes. Without it, the affected truck becomes stuck in whatever mode it was in when the motor fails. Laskowski claims it is a common problem for all F-150 and Super Duty vehicles, plus the Expedition and Excursion. Basically, if your truck throws a P1867 code, you’ll need to replace the motor. “It’s a very common failure but luckily it’s a very quick fix,” says Laskowski. While he does recommend buying the relatively expensive Motorcraft unit over non-Ford replacements, the good news is owners don’t even need a lift or a jack to complete the job if the car is in two-wheel drive. Plus, the whole procedure seems extremely straightforward.
First, Laskowski cleaned the area around the motor with some pressurized air. Then he separated the wire harnesses between the body and the motor. Older trucks have two of them while newer ones will just have one. After that, the next step is to separate the wiring between the motor and the transfer case itself. It involves actually going into that harness to unlatch a wire that’s inside it. There’s a retainer clip that can be released with a small screwdriver or pick. It will release with just a little push. “What’s nice is that these go back in only one way, there’s only one pin open on a new one just like this one, and they’re round so they stick right in. There’s no indexing…they’re not spade connectors,” says Laskowski. According to Laskowski, that’s the hardest part of the job.
New Motor Preparation
After separating the wire, the next step involves actually removing the motor from the transfer case. There’s a number of nuts and bolts responsible for the connection. After that, he cleaned the shaft with a Scotch-Brite pad and used some pressurized air to clean the debris from the area. Next, he sealed the circular area around the edge of the shaft with some transmission or gear sealant. Putting the new motor in is possible now. “Now the new shift motor comes pre-indexed for two-wheel drive. Remember, it can only spline into the shaft on here one way. So you’ll know what gear you’re in based on if it splines or not,” says Laskowski. The motor should just line up very simply. Otherwise, the shaft needs to be turned manually so it can be properly connected. After that, the three screws need to be tightened with 89 inch Ibs of torque.
Final Steps for New Motor
The bracket needs to be torqued and threaded next. Like the screws, the bolts should be torqued to 89 inch Ibs. After that, it’s a matter of reconnecting the wiring that was disconnected as part of the first step to removing the old motor. Once that was finished Laskowski went into his scan tool and cleared the codes from the truck. And that was it! Fortunately, the whole process isn’t terribly difficult and pretty much any DIY enthusiast can complete the task. Laskowski is an excellent resource for truck repair and the video needs to be watched if you actually going to replace a transfer case shift motor.
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