My truck has the manual transfer case shifter and I have had no problem with it shifting, even when underside is clogged with mud. I am looking at a 2001 Supercrew 4x4 and see it comes standard with the Shift on the Fly (SOF), which I assume is either electrical or vacum operated.

Anyone have a problem with the SOF? Is it reliable?

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Mine: '97F150,XLT,SC,4x4 ORP,4.6L,3.55LS,17" ORP wheels w/265/70/17,auto,6 CD,Towing package,alarm,Rhino grill guard w/PICCA lights,dual exhaust.

Wife: '99Explorer Limited,pearl white/tan leather,4.0L,4:10LS,CD,sunroof,towing pkg.,alarm

 

my cousin has a 350 (98 or 99) and he had trouble with his SOF. so he had it changed so that he manually turns a switch at the tires. then he turns them on and off with the switch inside the truck. but if he is not going to use the 4wd on that day then he leaves it off at the tires.
I have a 2000 4X4 SOF. 3 weeks old. no trouble yet, and i dont perseve any either because i have seen no bad news on it here on F150 online.

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2000 F150 Lariat 4X4 Extended Cab, Short Bed 5.4L, ORP, Towing Package,Captains Chairs, Soft Tonneau, Ford Bed Liner, Tube Side Steps,Deep Wedgewood Blue/Silver, Slinding Rear Window

 

early build date 97 (5/96) with 47+K miles on it. No problems with system. Have the electronic switch on the dash. Love it.

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97 F-150 SC Lariat, Styleside, White over Gold, 4.6L (Windsor), Automatic, 3.55 rear end, electronic 4X4, w/ every option of Lariat and ORP packages except the 17" wheels (I even got the OR decals now!) Almost completed the Towing Pkg. options, MOD's so far: K&N air box mod, Gibson Super Truck, clear Bugflector II, Leer TSC 600 hard cover, Bridgestone Dueler OWL ATP 265/75 R-16's, TrailMaster Invader N7 shocks, Smittybilt step bars, Ford moulded mud guards, "White-white" head lamps, Cloud Rider Design's SS Grill and bumper opening, Bosch Platinum + 4's, Hayden 30K+ Tranny Cooler, Superchip on the way!

 

I too have a early built date 1997 F150 Lariat ,date 3/22/96 . So far no problems with any 4x4 switches, SOF (electronic)on dash. I use it on the fly, works fine...Lariat#1

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1997 Red/Silver F150 Lariat Flareside 3 Dr. SC..... ORP & Tow Package, Complete Lariat Option Package ,{APPEARANCE} AVS Carbon Fiber Headlite Covers, Tail Lite Slots & Door Sill Protectors,Owens Fg. Step Boards, Tinted Windows,Ford 2-Piece Bra,20" Chrome Exhaust Tips,A.R.E Bed Cover Lid,Pendaliner Inner Tail Gate Protector,Zie-Bart Total Paint & Under Coating W/ Sounder Deadener Protection, Lariat #1 Plate under glass on Front Bumper,Custom made Ford Red Window Decals,Blue Tinted Rear Lic. Plate Protector,Blue Billet Valve Stem Caps, Ford Chrome Hitch Receiver Cover, HD Bed Mat, Red reflectors above Rear Bumper {PERFORMANCE} 4.6L WINDSOR Auto, 3.55LS, 4-Wheel ABS,Platinum 3 Spark Plugs,K&N Air Filter W/ modified stock MAF side air box,Custom Cold Air Chamber (Dam) to keep hot air from K&N Air Filter,Outerwears Blue Pre-Filter Cover,Tornado Air Man.,WMS Velocity Tube,Dual Exhaust System W/Stock Muffler,Performance Fiction Carbon Metallic Z-Rated Disc Brake Pads,Goodyear Wrangler A/TS Tires,55 Watt Halogen(replacement) Reverse Lites, Pilot 55 watt Halogen (add-on) Reverse Lites on Hitch under truck,Driving Lamps upgraded to 55 Watt Cool Blue Halogen Bulbs,Driving Lamps(Foglites) work W/ High Beams On & Driving Lamps(Foglites) also work (ON or OFF) W/ Park Lamps On W/Switched Relay, A.R.E Cover wired W/interior(dome) light wired to a mounted door jam switch thats wired to hood light {AUDIO} Stock In-Dash Cass. W/6 Disc Changer & 4 Stock Speakers,Trenz Billet #3 Antenna {SECURITY} Ford Total Security System W/ Motion Alarm All on factory Key Fob,Ford Warning Decals on Windows,A.R.E Cover & Hood also wired to Alarm System This is LARIAT#1..... IN The Great State Of Indiana "Where more than corn grows in Indiana".........http://hometown.aol.com/terrylariat1...page/auto.html A Very Proud Member of ...www.f150online.com




[This message has been edited by LARIAT1 (edited 02-02-2000).]

 

Thanks for the repies.

 

Dewayne,

The system on your 97 is similar to the system on the 2001. The electric switch used on the Supercrew activates an electric shift motor that pushes the shift forks in the T-case where as your 97 a stick pushes the shift forks. The front axles use the same vacuum shift on both models. Just make sure you engage the switch every month or so to insure the shift motor doesn't bind.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

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00 F-150 XLT SC Flairside 4x4 4.6 w/5spd
Warn XD9000i, skid plates, Draw tite class III,
Rancho RSX Reflex shocks,
SmittyBilt Nerfs, Borla Cat Back
Modified Air Cleaner Outlet Tube,
Superchips

 

Dewayne,
I have had the following trucks with electronic shift:

'90 Ranger
'94 Ranger
'94 Bronco
'95 F150
'97 F150

The only one I have had any trouble with was the '90 ranger. It wouldn't shift into 4X4 right after I got it. The dealer fixed it in an afternoon w/o further difficulties. I am witness to the quality of Ford's elect. shift.



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97 F150 Lariat 4X4 Ext. Cab. 5.4, AT, Tow Pkg, bedliner, white/grey 2tone w/ grey leather, Fact. CD changer, Gibson Side Swept, K&N, Bosch Platinum +4's,Michelin LTX 265/70 16, S/D Triton V8 emblems, Both doors cracked, Piston slap quieted by Mobile One & Slick 50 Synthetic.

 

Jimw,

Ford didnt make 98' f250s or f350s. Just FYI.

 

My '99 has the shift on the fly and it has worked great so far. I have always been skeptical of the system. I have heard some horror stories, especially with the Superduties, but Ford has supposedly fixed that. I was told that it didn't work in reverse, so after we got 12" of snow I tried it. It went right through a 4' drift backwards and forwards! It is kind of nice not having to worry about locking the hubs in too, but I still am partial to the lever. It makes it feel more like a truck.

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1999 F-250LD 4X4 XLT Supercab SB, 5.4L, AT, 3.73LS, 33"Wrangler ATS, Dual Exhaust, custom air intake, Color: Harvest Gold cc "Ready to Farm"

 

The new trucks (Light Duty's) don't have manual hubs even if you do have the manual lever.

In my opinion, the manual lever has less possibility of something going wrong, (like the shift motor not working).

I currently own a '99 Super Duty with the Shift-On-The-Fly system, and I have had nothing but problems with it.

Doug.

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Currently have:'99 F-250 Super Duty, 4x4, SC, XLT, 5.4L, 4.10LS, Deep Metallic Blue/Med. Graphite, Superchip.

On order: '00 F-250 Super Duty, 4x4, SC, XLT, 6.8L, 3.73LS, Island Blue/Silver with Med. Graphite Interior, Ordered 10/11/99, Still "Clean and Unscheduled as of 2/1/00, So I cancelled the order.

NOW on order: '00 F-150, 4X4, SC, XLT, 5.4L, 3.55LS, Off-Road, Island Blue/Silver with Dark Graphite Interior, Ordered 1/20/00, Serialized 1/27/00, Build Week 2/14/00.

 

My Expy had problems which kept it going in and out of the shop for 17 days. It turned out the transfer case motor and the front and rear driveshaft speed sensors were shot. Apparently it left the factory that way. I bought it in May and didn't use it till Jans 1st snow storm. I should have tried it earlier---Bob

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99 EB Expedition 5.4L with all the perks,3.73 LS,Heated Mirrors and Seats. Everything but sun-roof. Rhino Step Bar, Ford Bug Shield,More to come...




[This message has been edited by ExpyBob (edited 02-15-2000).]

 

I'm with funkster. The manual hubs sucked if you were out in the mud. In regards to the Electronic vs. Manual (lever) shift I prefer the manual. It makes it feel more like a truck.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

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99 4x4 XLT supercab 5.4L Flareside, Deep Wedgewood Blue/Med. Graphite w/Captain Chairs, Pioneer DEP-4000, Tint, K&N, Bedliner, 3" Catback w/3 Chamber Flowmaster, 285/75/16 BFG A/T on American Racing Python wheels, Stull Billet Grill, Clear Corner Lenses.

'00 Expedition XLT, Silver w/Dark graphite interior, 5.4L, Stull Billet Grill, 2/4 Drop and some other stuff. All in all she'll stay stock. Ok, maybe a Flowmaster 50 series soon.

 

Thanks to all for your replies. I feel better about the SOF.

 

Hi, folks...

I tried to send this to the e-mail list, but the e-mail addr I subscribed with is being moved to a new server. No verify, no post!!

Anyway, this is partly in response to Jean Marc Chartier's comments about the electric shift motor.


---begin original message---

This is my first time posting to the list. Hope my rig isn't too far back in the stone age to be considered 'late model.' Just thought someone might benefit from my experience.

I just bought a used 1992 F-150 XLT SuperCab 5.0l A4OD w/push-button 4wd/4lo. I want to share this little gem about the Borg-Warner 1356 T-case. This weekend I took the truck on a good 'shake-down' drive through Kelso Valley/Jawbone Canyon (Mojave, CA) and up into the Kern River area. I camped at Kern, and after a heavy-duty storm I put the truck in 4lo to exit my flooded campsite. This I did, and things worked fine...until I decided to shift out of 4lo. Wouldn't budge! I pushed the button, and a relay tripped in the shift module, but no action from the T-case, and the indincator didn't change. After several attempts (including pushing the buttun, then backing up) I backed off and started the 'washing machine' troubleshooting.

I traced the electrical for both the shift module (behind the glove box) and for the shift motor (backside of T-case). The wiring and fuses were all peachy, but when I pushed the button the drain on the electrical system behaved like a shorting motor (gee). I got under the beast and rapped (gingerly) on the outside of the shift motor with a screwdriver handle but no results. I then broke out the tools. I spread a tarp over that side of the truck, put down a back-pad, and spent the next 30 minutes groveling in the mud and windblown rain. I removed the shift motor housing (1 10mm bolt, 2 10mm nuts, 2 7/16 nuts) and examined the armature. Looked spic'n'span. I then tried to twist the armature by grasping the end of the shaft. Didn't budge. I then grabbed the armature itself and turned. The shaft broke free and spun smoothly. Hmmm? I put the thing back together, started the truck, pushed the button, and...voila!...wokred like a charm.

I don't know yet wether I need to grease or replace the shift motor, but it seems to work for the moment. You've probably all heard this before, but two things are glaringly clear to me - always carry a toolbox, and know how to use the tools. Oh, yeah, a service manual is handy, too. (BTW, the manual says very little about the elec T-case).

I've posted a picture to my website diagramming my repair, and another picture illustrating the 'bed tweak' caused by the F-150's flexible frame. That's a 'feature' right? (:-D) The link is:
http://tom.fluxtech.com/tom/tcase.html


Bye for now!


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Tom Kenney
tkenney@bearcomp.com
tom@fluxtech.com

 

I have the manual lever, never found it to be cumbersome. But one question, on my old Broncos I had the manual lever but also manual hubs at the front axle. My 97 doesn't have the manual hubs (doubt that they ever came with this).

The question is as follows: When I shift into 4x4, after a brief delay I here an electronic click in the dashboard (like a relay). Is this some sort of mechanisme that replaces the manual hubs at the front. If not does my front axle always run??? This is probably a stupid question, I know.

But I always thought that I did have hubs at the front. Only these hubs are automatic and are engaged when I shift into 4x4 by vacuum or something....

Thanks for your input

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1997 4x4 XLT 4.2l ORP 5-speed
For more details and pics please see my site...Thanks
www.eph1fifty.cjb.net