I didn't have any problem with mine when I did my rebuild and my case was from an '87 pickup..except for the chain, all of the hard internal parts are original.

 

I hope everyone knows about the two major issues with the B/W 1356 T-Case. #1 Pump arm failure. (Actually the case web fails)
#2 Worn, busted shift forks. (Can be caused by #1)
They have been written up in several threads. (Do a search)

I have found a third problem on the manual shift T-Cases. (This wont happen on a electric shift) It showed up on two of my four T-Cases. (I have two trucks and two "back up" T-Cases. The one I wore out and the other was like this when I got the case from a yard.

The problem is the case bushing where the shift arm goes through. Actually I dont know if theres a bushing there. It may be just a hole in the housing gets worn. If you have a situation where the T-Case works in 2WD high range and 4WD low range, but not in 4WD high, You have the begining phase of this problem. If left like this, it eventually will lose all shift.

Let me show you whats happening. The shift arm that is outside the case has a shaft that goes through the housing and attaches to a "shift plate". The shift plate is what moves your shift forks. Here you see me holding it where it should be.

The plate is designed to pivot Northwest to Southeast in this pic to shift. If the housing gets worn, the shift plate can "pivot" Southwest to Northeast. As you can see here, the fork knob is just about to fall out of the plate.


If the knob falls out of the plate, you will lose the top arm which controls 2WD to 4WD.

That top arm moves up or to you in this pic to get 4WD. The spring will keep it in 2WD. If you shift in to low range, the lower arm will move up and push the top arm in to 4WD. Thats why you have 2 high and 4 low. But eventually, the plate can pivot enough to lose all control of the lower arm also.

I dont have a fix for this yet. I got two cases to experiment with. When I get time, I will tare them apart and see what I can do. I will post to this thread what ever I come up with. if someone else has allready dealt with this, feel free to post your fix.

But for now, when you take your case apart to fix the pump arm or shift forks, be sure to check this. There is a big spring that holds the plate so it doesnt pivot eazy and you might not even notice that there is a problem. (untill your 400 miles from home and you bust a driveshaft and think "I can just drive in 4WD high range". NOT)

What if you extended the shaft and welded a plate on the end to hold the shift plate in place. Like so:

 

something else is going on if that knob is sliding of the plate..From the pictures, yours looks to be in the same condition as mine, it definitely doesn't look like there is any excessive wear in that area.

 

Pfun, that may be the eazy way to fix it! I was going to dissemble the whole case and bore out the hole and press a bushing in. But that's a lot of work. I bought an extra set of forks before I even took this apart because I thought that was what was wrong. So I got some to experiment with. I think the "knob" is pressed into the fork. Not sure if I weld on it what will happen. (Melt the fork) maybe it unthreds or pulls out.

Jermil01, you can't see the ware. It's at the other end of the plate.

 

Got a manual 1356 to go through myself with 80K from a `96 and I want to reinforce the pmp arm & check and or replace the shift fork tabs. If you follow up on this and find a solution please post it up asap because pfun41 has a pretty good idea if it works. So if this is another fix that will ensure longer life out of the T.C. then I`d like to knock this out before I swap out the two units. Thanks man !! :thumbup -Kevin-

 

Put a bolt in it and forget about it. I had the same problem it was second time mine has been on a tow truck.

You can have the case re bushed but but when the bushing wears out you be back in the same spot.

I was here when mine broke had to be pulled to the top of the hill. after that I only had low range and no front drive.


I real hate having my stuff towed it's the ultimate walk of shame.


Mine was like this


The pin is retained by the little plastic ring in the shift fork. It is very easy to remove.
I went to the hardware store and found a flange head bolt I think it was 5/16ths and trimmed it to fit.

After trimming and a quick test fit. I used a castle nut with a cotter key for final assembly and added a fender washer.



I've never had any trouble since and did not rebush the case since the ability for the assembly to rock is gone.

 

Just to clarify:
The first picture under the flat bed pic shows where the second pin "should be" in the wide groove, correct?
The second picture shows the bolt head about the same distance away from the assembly as the width of the bushing, but I'm confused.....because
The third picture shows the bolt head "flush" against the assembly and the castle nut "looks" to be tight against the other side??
The fourth picture I can see the cotter pin but not if the castle nut is installed?
When you say you trimmed the bolt is that just the length you trimmed or something else? I get that the bolt keeps the upper pin on top of the edge of the assembly but you don't want it to keep the assembly tight against "whatever" because it has to move, right? So how far can it move away? Just enough so the assembly (maybe should say plate?) can't let the upper pin slip off like it does??
I know this sounds like a lot but I can't tell from the pictures and I haven't opened it up yet, just trying to grasp it ahead of time to be ready to buy and install everything without guessing.....thanks man! :thumbup -Kevin-

 

So huggyb did you just drill a hole in the bolt for the cotter key and why a "fender" washer? Did you need the extra width for some reason. So the bushing was just so the bracket didn't slip off and the bolt now solidly mounts the two together so nothing can move, right? Looks like an easier and more reliable way to fix it. More likely for the welded method to break......cool! :thumbup -Kevin-

 

Yes drill a hole in the end the bolt for the cotter pin. I wasn't sure if the head of the bolt would be wide enough so I added the washer the only thing to remember is that the bolt cannot be tightened up that is why it needs a cotter pin. This repair is a couple years old now it shifts great.

 

the only thing to remember is that the bolt cannot be tightened up that is why it needs a cotter pin.

I suppose you could use a nylock if it doesnt get too hot.

 

The bolt goes in the range fork which replaces the lower pin. I used a bolt that would give me a solid shoulder all the way into the shift fork then I trimmed off the end of the bolt for clearance in the cavity where the nut goes. The bolt is there to stabilize the shift cam and support the roller. The bolt will not be tight maybe .010" clearance whatever gives the cam ample clearance to shift with no binding. The upper pin just rides on the top of the cam which engages/disengages your front axle.

hopefully that answers your question.

 

Yes perfectly. Easier to understand when you use the correct terminology :brownbag ....lol. Now I get the 2nd picture!! It shows you either putting the bolt in or pulling it out a little to put the nut on. Either way I understand needing a longer bolt so you get the full shoulder so you don't have "threads" in the middle for it to ride on. To do so you have to get a longer bolt so it needs to be shortened so it doesn't bottom out in the cavity! So basically the shift cam just needs to be able to rotate back and forth and not so loose that it wobbles and allows the upper pin/roller to "slip off".
The spring keeps it engaged for 2wh and the upper fork shifts it into 4wh-hi, unless it sljps out of the shift cam. Then all you get is the lower fork engaging for 4wh-low but no more 4wh-high. Once it slips out of the bottom of the cam even 4wh-low disappears and you're sol....thanks now I get it, nice fix! :thumbup -Kevin-

 

Done with $6 spent

 

Ed your my new hero.....:beer

 

I suppose either of these methods would produce a good fix.

 

Way to go. I was thinking of going to a manual. Nice permanent fix.

 

This thred is about Manual T-cases. The electric cases dont have the same shift plate.

 

hi, i recently made a post regarding weakness in the tcase bw1356f is this weakness you talk about in any relation to the weakness Bakerbaker describes in the other thread

"The BW1356 does have a weakness. There are moldings inside the case that get wore down from the pump arm. The steel rubs on the magneism case and wears down a groove and will eventually let the pump spin and destroy the transfer case from the inside."
http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317354

or is this another weakness in the BW1356F that should be addressed while my mechanic is in there?

 

These aren't really a weakness, but rather known issues. And these are 2 separate items. I'll go get a pic of the ribs and pump arm issue (and fix).

These are the ribs in the case side that hold the arm in place. You can just see where the arm has been contacting the rib and over many years slowly wears a notch:

The fix, in the forground. Welding this little piece of mild round bar on the end makes the contact area with the side of the case almost 3x what it was. It's unlikely it will ever have an issue here again:

Installed:

more tcase internal pics here is interested:

http://www.supermotors.net/registry/628/30964

 

thank you for clarification, so putting in that piece prevents the pump arm from free spinning and destroying the tcase from within?

 

wow i finally see what you guys are saying, light bulb moments are fantastic! so welding on that circular piece on the end of that metal doohickey will increase the surface area and prevent the pump from free spinning

 

Yes, it will slow dramatically the wear that one day could cause the breakthrough and spinning. Like the other issue that started this thread, fixing these things while the case is open is smart. This case is not weak, it is rather strong and is used in 1 ton ford trucks.

 

Huggyb:

I have this same issue with my 1356. The excessive side to side play has made shifting almost impossible. I am currently rebuilding my TC.

This "issue" is exacerbated by the amount of clearance between the outside edge of the shift plate and the inside edge of the TC housing. In other words, the TC housing could have, but does not, provide any support to prevent this side loading from causing excessive wear in the shifter bore. I also thought about boring it out and installing a sleeve but then decided that was too much work and unnecessary.

Instead, the solution I have been working on is to machine a spacer (basically a washer except I turned it on my lathe) to fit on the shifter rod between the TC housing and the shift plate. This spacer physically prevents the shift plate from moving laterally, which is the main issue.

I have not finished buttoning mine up yet and am rethinking the fix. Your solution accomplishes the same thing, but probably in a stronger and more reliable fashion as it applies the "counterforce" at the end of the moment arm where the force has the greatest effect. My washer counters the same rotational force, but given its proximity to the point of rotation (the shifter bore) it will likely not be as effective.

So, the question is, how is your fix holding up? Any problems or still good to go?

Thanks,

Baxter

 

It is sitting in parking lot at work right now. I'd lock in 4x4 and drive up a light pole but the gaurd would get all pissy with me. Since the Eagle has been parked the Bronco is a prime mover this month. In short shifting into 4wd is still perfect. Bushing the case would be optimal but unless you have time to kill and a competent machine shop the $6 bolt makes a 1356 pretty indestructible for most purposes.

 

In short shifting into 4wd is still perfect. Bushing the case would be optimal but unless you have time to kill and a competent machine shop the $6 bolt makes a 1356 pretty indestructible for most purposes.

Thanks. I performed this fix last night. Mine was not quite as simple as yours. The pin that holds the roller on my fork was not held in with the plastic ring like yours. It was press fit and appeared to be mushroomed on the inside edge to hold it in place. I got it out, but the inner diameter was smaller than the almost perfect 5/16 on yours (I have a fork like yours as well so I could see exactly what you were dealing with, but it is worn badly and unusable). I ended up tapping the entire length of it 5/16-24 and using the castle nut on the end. it is very secure and is working again.

Shifting between 2H and 4H is smooth and easy. Shifting into 4L is also pretty easy. Shifting out of 4L is VERY hard. Also, my 4x4 light is on all the time now. It used to only barely come on sometime. Now it is on all the time. the 4L light works as it should. I did verify that, when I shift into 2H, the TC actually disengages the front drive shaft, so it is a problem with either the switch or the alignment of the selector plate which activates the switch. Any suggestions would be appreciated. For now I am going to drive and and see how it does.

I am still considering bushing it. Actually, I am really considering boring it out and installing a needle bearing to be a permanent fix. Given the stress the TC case sees in this area, it really needed to have a bearing there, IMHO. A bushing will just wear in the exact same way (albeit it might make another 10-15 years). I think a needle bearing would really make for much smoother shifting as well.

I'm not quite sure how to hold the case in either my mill or lathe to accurately bore that hole though. I will have to think about that one for a while.

Thanks for your help.

Baxter

 

The only problem I could see with a needle bearing is if the shaft isn't hard enough you have wear there since it will be softer. If I went the route of a bushing I probably would've used a steel bushing with a teflon lining. I don't know how many versions of the shiftfork BW made I guess we see that yours is just a slight bit different. I can't imagine where your shift light trouble is at. I havent had a shift light since I did mine due to the trans swap at the time I didn't have the correct wiring harness and still have yet to lay my hands on one. The only thing I really miss is cruise control on the road with the deeper gears and OD I constantly have to watch my speed it loves to run about 75.

 

The only problem I could see with a needle bearing is if the shaft isn't hard enough you have wear there since it will be softer. If I went the route of a bushing I probably would've used a steel bushing with a teflon lining.

I had not thought of that. Still, it seems to me that needle bearings would greatly reduce the friction in the system thereby also greatly reducing the opportunity for wear. Of course, that is a theory. :goodfinge I will have to explore the options and see what makes the most sense. As it turns out, I tried going through the shift pattern again this morning and I will say that it is shifting very well. 2H to 4H and back is quick, crisp, firm but not hard. Shifting to 4L (with the tranny in N) is firm and not too hard. Shifting between 4L and 4H (with the tranny in P) is firm and a little harder but still not too hard. If I can figure out my shift light issue, this will really start to become a non-priority.

I havent had a shift light since I did mine due to the trans swap at the time I didn't have the correct wiring harness and still have yet to lay my hands on one. The only thing I really miss is cruise control on the road with the deeper gears and OD I constantly have to watch my speed it loves to run about 75.

If you have the plug for the 4x4 light switch, you could easily hot wire into the light circuit. I got a pigtail from a junk yard but it was not the right one, apparently. It had the correct plugs on both ends, but it did not work. IIRC, the tranny plug has 4 wires but the switch plug only has two. The switch works as follows (1) circuit open - no 4x4 light; (2) one leg grounded - 4x4 light on; (3) both legs grounded - 4x4 and low range lights on. A little trial and error and I was able to splice into that circuit easily. You can simply ground the tranny wires one at a time to figure out which one drives which indicator light. The Low Range light is key for those of us running the E4OD since it tells the ECM to change the shift points in 4L. Otherwise, it would never shift out of 1st gear.

Why don't you have cruise control? Cruise control is a must.

Baxter

 

My original plan was to swap out the 1356 for a black doubler and NP205 combo. With my Bronco if whoever is driving it doesn't know the difference between 2w, 4w, or 4wl they really have no business being in the driver position. The lights are cool but unnecessary.

 

if whoever is driving it doesn't know the difference between 2w, 4w, or 4wl they really have no business being in the driver position. The lights are cool but unnecessary.

I totally agree with this statement except for those driving with computer controlled E4OD transmissions. The 4L light is the only way the computer knows that the truck is in 4L and when it is, it totally revamps the shifting curve for the tranny so that it shifts as much lower speeds. I don't think it does anything with the 4x4 light at all.

On a different note, I looked at the electric shift case I have and, not only would it be a possible donor case to drill the two holes (only one hole if you don't care about the 4x4 light :goodfinge) the location of the holes is part of the casting. In fact, the holes are already there about85% of the way through. I did not check the diameter, but I suspect you could easily drill the last bit through and then run a 5/8" reamer (I'm pretty sure my shift arm mixed right at 5/8") through the shift hole and have, essentially, a brand new manual case.

Baxter

 

4x4 Light Issue Resolved

It turns out the 4x4 light being stuck on was nothing but a bad switch. Just in case anybody else has this issue, on the manual shift 1356 transfer case there is a switch that screws into the front of the TC that signals the 4x4 light and the Low Range light on and off. It has two connectors and it turns each light on by sending one of the two connectors to ground. It is essentially a two position momentary switch. The switch has a steel ball on a plunger and the plunger has a copper sleeve that makes the connections. When it is all the way out, both wires are open. When it goes in a little, one of the two wires is connected to the switch's case and, therefore, to ground. When it gets pushed in a little more, the second wire also goes to ground. The shifting plate which is the subject of the fix in this thread manipulates this switch as it is moved from one position to another.

I pulled the switch this morning and one of the wires was grounded with the switch out of the TC. My TC imploded last weekend due to the shifting issue described in this thread, so maybe it took a hit on its nose which could have seated the ball a little deeper in the switch. I don't know. The switch is alumunim so it is very soft. The ball is held in by a slight detent swaged into the end of the switch body. I took a large drill bit and drilled the detent out, cleaned the switch, reassembled and re-swaged the end of the switch to retain the ball. I took only enough material off to get the ball to come all the way forward in the switch. Upon reassembly, the switch worked as it should and I now get no light in 2H, 4x4 light in 4H, no light in N, and 4x4 and Low Range lights in 4L. :beer

Also, as I learn how to properly shift the TC in and out of 4L, the shifting is becoming a lot easier. :thumbup

As a side note, my truck has had a disconcerting vibration which starts at about 65 MPH and varries depending on if I am accelerating, decelerating or cruising, with the vibration most pronounced when cruising. I have previously been unable to chase down the source of the vibration. As it turns out, it was the TC and, apparently, the sloppy shifting lever and/or plate. There is still some SMALL amount of that vibration present. It basically radiates through the manual shifter and into the cab of the truck. If I hold the shifter it now basically goes away. I am wondering if I had a better fitting connection between the shifter and the TC housing, such that it no longer had any discernible play, if the rattling would go away completely. Hmmmm. I was thinking that, now with the shifter working as advertised, I would not further pursue this issue. However, I am certain that the remaining vibration and the knowledge that it is coming from the TC will likely cause me to pursue another remedy. In the meantime, it will be nice not to have to suffer with that awful rattling at 65 MPH.

Baxter

 

There is still some SMALL amount of that vibration present. It basically radiates through the manual shifter and into the cab of the truck. If I hold the shifter it now basically goes away.

Mine does this somewhat. You should determine if your front axle is rotating. Some times even with the T-case in 2wd and the hubs unlocked, the axle will turn up to speed. There are two ways to check. Next time your driving at a constant speed, and you hear that sound, try to eaze the shifter in to 4x4. If it starts grinding, stop. But if it just "snaps in" , your axle was turning. I zip tie my front universal to the rad arm. It holds the driveshaft/axle from turning. Then if I need 4x4, it will just break the tie.

 

I didn't mean to sound crude with the not knowing what mode the t case was in statement if sounded that way. I think the front drive bearing may be heading south on my particular T-case, I have a noticeable amount of noise I never noticed before or the axle that I had professionally regeared is not running right. I will dig into that a little later. I normally only shift my case into 4l when in neutral.