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While you all Play big toys

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
19,274
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
I am only getting to slug out with my old junk. Had a situation come up last week, renters cows pushed out a section of cattle panel once used as a gate, knocked all the staples loose. A Neighbor driving by saw them headed to the highway as not much to stop them so the wife and I headed down with my old Super Duty 7.3 diesel.

The cows have a dinner bell affinity to the small diesel trucks(renters have them) so was easy to get over half to follow back onto our place thru another gap gate. Took me a bit to get the truck into lo range 4x4 as really greasy with the frost burning off the first couple inches of soil. I went in and diverted a few at the neighbors front yard back thru the opened panel closed it then set to get the wife to drive my wagon around to bring two up on the highway back to me. Well the truck decided NOT coming out of LoSide 4x4. Got last two of the sixty off the neighbor's place and brought the truck up the hill.

Fun fun, I have ZERO diagnostics equipment for my '99, gave that crap up long ago. Is electronic shift(ESOF), so find a schematic start at obvious, shift motor, reversing motor off two relays, shifts both direction not stuck. Check switch, not powered, uses a variance of resistance to a processor to drive relays to shift motor per the Ford Super Duty Pages on the net. Finally find my DVOM, resistance checks seem to spec but no response. Look to information can find on the Schematic notes a GEM unit General Electronics Module, drives the 4x4 the door locks, miscellaneous other crap. Then try to find this thing, go on Super Duty Ford Fanatics pages AGAIN find out in on the Back side of the fuse block. ***!!

Get the bustard out, get the engineering number off it F81B14B205 EL, check the net. TONS of used, most are Yard controllers, would trust them as far as could throw especially at $120-250, then check the new or reman units, least expensive $495 week to ten day ship, Indiana. Screw it waited til Monday called local Ford dealer, $541 exchange but have six in warehouse have one next day no freight. Ordered it, picked it up yesterday afternoon struggling with a sinus infection or head cold something kicking my tail, parts man cuts me slack to $491 exchange plus tax. Get up late this morning, install this damn thing and reassemble the interior of the truck, fuse block had to come OUT to get at it. All is good in the world again but what a POS to diagnose, locate and then swap. Only lasted twenty years, WTH!! What was bad of Shift Levers?
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,343
Location
WWW.
2018 and Freightliner has whats called a Sam controller it operates various things one being the tail and marker lights. If there is a problem you disconnect the batteries and wait
ten minutes then reconnect batteries to see if it clears it's self. If it doesn't it can start getting expensive $1,450.00 for a new Sam controller. There are no fuses or relays in the
system to check so your left hanging.
 

petepilot

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
central shenandoah valley va,
funny you should bring up sam controllers ,friend of mine was having problems with his frt shaker past monday ,talked to him today he`s made it to idaho and has started having issues with it again, looks like that 1450 is in his plans
 

Wes J

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2016
Messages
649
Location
Peoria, IL
No need for a fuse. The module monitors current draw and shuts down if it's pulling too much. It can throw you for a loop because it looks like the module is bad and not spitting out any current. You have to disconnect the module from the load and test again. We've been dealing with that kind of stuff in industrial equipment for 30 years. In cars for 10 years. Only logical it would make its way to trucks.

As far as your Ford goes, a conversion to a manual lever is a common fix. The access panel should be on the tunnel. Just grab the parts at the wrecking yard.
 

kenh

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
264
Location
bonners ferry,id
I bought my 2001 F-350 with manual Xfer case

I vaguely remember something about the transfer cases or internals being different between the two.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
19,274
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Looked into the wrecking yard equipment as mine does have the bolted in plastic tunnel plate, none around close by, found a damaged one in MI for $250, but then would still have the build the adaptor to the shift nub on the case. Is a Double D machining but no bolt hole, also NO Neutral on these as are ESOF designed. Got it working so not too concerned of it, old truck may get locked into 4x4 and retired to the farm as a mule. 340,000 miles and rusting like the old GMs once did.

All to simple to build crap as this as can be slapped together by a blind one armed trained gorilla in the factories, simplifies assembly time and guarantees a high return for failures. Hate to hear the Class 7s and up are going this route.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,343
Location
WWW.
No need for a fuse. The module monitors current draw and shuts down if it's pulling too much. It can throw you for a loop because it looks like the module is bad and not spitting out any current. You have to disconnect the module from the load and test again. We've been dealing with that kind of stuff in industrial equipment for 30 years. In cars for 10 years. Only logical it would make its way to trucks.

As far as your Ford goes, a conversion to a manual lever is a common fix. The access panel should be on the tunnel. Just grab the parts at the wrecking yard.

Sure there was a need for a fuse-it was too simple. Sorry a SAM module for lights at that price is asinine. Let's see I think the Boeing 737 Max 8 uses two SAM modules for its controls.
That's the problem most all lights go out in the fog at night because Sam says there's too much current draw in the middle of nowhere with a driver that can barley wipe his *** with
both hands.
 

Don.S

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2016
Messages
397
Location
Montreal Canada
On my 2000 f250 I had the stupid plastic gears in the electric 4x4 actuator break. When I found out the price of a new part I spend the next 3 months of winter crawling under the truck and manually putting the truck in 4x4 every time I got stuck. Finally found one off a scrap truck and put that on.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
19,274
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Other than no Neutral I am considering trying to fashion a manual lever kit that will mount where the old electronic system hangs. Something as a bolt up no modifications to existing architecture other than gain the lever.
 
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