Hi, everyone I am posting my first tread so please bear with me. I have a 97 ford f150 supercab 4x4 styleside lariet. I am having problems with my 4 wheel drive not engaging. I have the electronic shift 4x4 shift button style. When I go to shift into 4x4 my light comes on saying that i am in four wheel drive, but it is not locked in. I hear a sound that it sounds like it is shifting it into 4x4, but is is not. I also shifted it to low range 4x4 and it goes to low range but i still only have two wheel drive. If you guys could give me some places to start looking that would be great. I really dont want to spend mega bucks at a dealer. I also talked to a guy that works at a ford dealer and he said that it could be the shift fork that engages the front drive shafts. He said that i would probably need a shift fork kit installed on my pickup, but he said to do this they have to pull the front axels and drain the front pumpkin. I am interested in any kind of response.

 

I have a '97 F150 with the shift lever. I am having the same problem. I raised the thing on jackstands and engaged the 4 wheel drive and the front tires won't turn. Both drive shafts turn but not the front wheels. Have I sheered a pin or something in the housing? Or, is this a vacuum line problem. I don't abuse the truck and seldom do I utilize the 4 wheel option.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for replying, I have talked to some ford machinics and they tell me it is a common problem on these ford pickups. The problem is the shift fork that in located inside of the front pumpkin. It has to be taken apart and a shift fork kit has to be installed. I currently have the parts for mine but am looking for some one else to put them in.

 

Hey guys!

Please, before you go to all that trouble, please be sure that the vaccum motor that moves that shift fork is working. It (the vaccum motor) has so many things that could go wrong with it, from a stuck shaft on the motor,, to a vaccum leak on it's connection, to a bad vaccum switching valve mounted on the engine firewall. (all easy do-it-yourself fix's)

An easy check is to have someone watch the shift lever on the the front diff. while it is shifted into and out of 2 hi and 4 hi. The truck doesn't have to be moving and can be done in park or neutral. It should move the shifting fork lever about 1 inch left to right. This hold true on both the electronic and manual shift models of trucks.

If the shift lever is moving left and right, then and only then would I suspect the fork is broken inside. Does that make sense!

Any more help or questions please shout!

Good luck and let us know you findings.

Gene

 

Thanks for the help guys. I don't see any vacuum lines going to the unit. There is an electric mudule on the drivers side. What the heck is that and could that be my problem? Does anyone have pictures of what this is? I have a manual but it's pretty poor. I really hate to take this in the shop if it's nothing serious.

M.

 

Ace, is that on the drivers side of the pumpkin right down on the diff.?
I don't know, I'm using my knowledge from working on my 2000 maybe the 97 was different and didn't use the vaccum system. The parts I had to change on mine (the vaccum valve on the firewall) I took off a late 90's expidition that had been totaled and it was the same.

Gene

 

Well here's the skinny on my front wheels not locking problem. After intensive research I found a broken vacuum line. It's sitting on the right wheel well and connects to the vacuum switch motor on the front differential. It was just hanging in the air.

The problem then was where the heck is the other end suppose to go to?

I went to my local Ford dealer and they stated that the part that was broke is only a factory installed part. To replace, just go get some regular vacuum line. He could not tell me where the vacuum line originates from.

So after some intensive searching and using a little deduction, I found the other broken half on the right (passenger) side of the firewall. Hooked up the new lines and presto! Fixed the problem for $2.53 (6 feet of vacuum line). Five feet would have worked but I didn't want to chance it.

Thanks for all your help! I hope this helps someone else.

Marty

 

anyone know how tp remove the vacuum motor assembly? I removed the c-clip and can not get the unit out. Also, what exactly is the unit called? I need to get a part replacement, it is smashed

 

i have a 98 f-150 and im having the same problem, where was the vacume motor located?? and where did the vacume line u replaced end up coming from?? im trying to fix it and the dealership said the shift forks were broken but they just looked up underneith the truck. i dont think u can see them by doing that so ima do my own investigating. thanks guys