i ended up with two f150's that kind of fell into my lap today, but i have very little mechanical experience. The truck I'm going to use for the parts is a '97 f150 with 4wd. the one I'm going to work on is a 2000 f150 with 2wd, the biggest task im going to undertake is converting the 2000 from 2wd to 4wd, i have a very nice shop at my disposal at my work. Any advice is very appreciated since the only thing I've ever changed in a truck was oil.

 

Good luck 2wd to 4wd is quite an undertaking. You might as well go to a solid axle in the front since your gonna be doing a lot to change it over to 4wd.

 

You're crazy to even attempt this.

Jim

 

Same response as everyone else... In case you didn't look, the 4x4 is a torsion bar setup and the other is a coil spring setup. It would be a daunting task for an experienced fabricator/mechanic and should NOT be attempted by a novice due to the obvious safety concerns regarding suspension.

I have done auto to manual conversions, NA-T jobs, a V-10 swap, and some other stuff. I wouldn't even consider doing this job unless it's a frame swap - and again - not a job for a novice.

However... when I was 16, I did a frame swap on my 68 Cutlass and it taught me a lot. The only way to really learn this stuff is to do it, but it can be an expensive lesson.

 

B advise that:
You will run into a huge electrical transfer and hassle with the dash, Pats, GEM and 4x4 switch control and harness in addition to all the mechanical work.
The front suspension will be a complete change out.
The GEM will need to be transferred along with all the harness for 4wd.
Firewall solenoids and vacuum lines.
You will need to wire into the brake system the 4L lock out circuit and neutral or the GEM will not permit you to go 4L.
The dash in the 2000 is PATS equipped and may be missing the 4x4 lights, switches etc.
Speedometer, and other differences are a ?
Do not change the PCM because it is 'married' to the Dash in the 2000
You have a bigger job than you envision along with trouble shooting what doesn't work out.
Pay attention to the 4x4 your taking apart because it has to go back in unchanged by very much.
You pull this of and you will be a FORD expert on all the systems.
It's called being a back yard engineer.
Frankly, as little as I know, even I would not attempt this for practical reasons due to the year difference, the driveline differences and the design changes just due to the years.
If it were nearly all just mechanical it would be a lot easier but electronic control added makes things twice as tough because you have two systems to run with.
Better take a long look at both trucks underneath and consider the changes in control systems before even beginning.
Good luck.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ True... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Believe it or not, you don't have all the parts you need. You'll need the matched GEM, PCM, and cluster out of a 2000 4x4 to start, and then you end up with a vehicle with unknown mileage. Who knows what else...

I'd love to see it done, but you should expect suicidal thoughts about 25% into the project and if your time is worth anything at all, you're better off buying a 4x4.

 

The better answer is to choose 2wd or 4wd, fix that truck and use the parts truck as a parts truck instead of making Frankentruck. Some parts you will be able to steal off the parts truck and use. Anything that is not interchangeable or you don't need, sell on ebay or craigslist and use the money for new parts. I would consider keeping the motor and trans regardless of if you need it today, unless you really need the cash. In the end you'll wind up with one solid truck of your choosing without breaking the bank. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

It would be an interesting project, for sure...

But the simple way would be to sell both trucks and get an original 4x4 lol.

 

Two questions come to mind. How much money do you have and is the 97 a Manual shift on the fly or Electric?