BW1356 manual shift conversion

Hey guys, what do I need to convert my 88' with this silly pushbutton 4x4 setup to manual operation ?

Obviously I need the manual hubs, but I was getting those anyways since *I* like to be the guy who decides when it's in 4wd & when it *isn't*. But what else do I need ? From the odd comment here & there I assume there was in fact a manual shift option, eh ? If so I guess I have to grab those parts or do I have to just grab *parts* (like shifters & linkages) and make them work ? Is there by chance an aftermarket kit that would make it easy to get everything in one fell swoop or do I have to scour the yards hoping some poor schmuck with this option trashed his Bronco ?

I'm getting ready to drop the Xfer case & shafts in the next few days in preperation for swapping the tranny's so I figured this would be a good time to look into this.

What's the basic scoop here ? Get a manual linkage, hack a hole in the floor to mount the shifter & then bolt things up or what ? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

yo!

Here is a Borg Warner 1356 Electric Shift to Manual Shift Swap in a 95 Source: by Shadofax

Some of the Links are changed, such as the one to my site that is now at http://www.broncolinks.com/index.php?index=70

and;

Borg Warner 1356 Electric Shift Motor Repairs (for Explorers, parts/info is same/similar for Bronco, Ford Trucks)

Source: by Jeff S at glue.umd.edu, cached version via web.archive.org is @ http://web.archive.org/web/20041113085019/...ages/tcase.html

one more;

Borg Warner 1356 Electric Shift to Manual Shift Swap in an 87 Source: by Joey S

GL!

Man what a ******. From what I'm seeing in those links, the electric 1356 and the manual 1356 are two whole different Xfer cases. I was kinda hoping to remove an electric motor here & maybe swap in a linkage or a handle there and presto-chango now I can shift with a floor lever instead of those ridiculous dashboard buttons. Now I'm looking at swapping the whole freaking transfer case, what a hassle. I haven't dropped mine yet so I really haven't gotten a *good* look at it. Does anyone know off the top of their heads just where the diffrences between electric & manual 1356's lie ? Specifically, I'm wondering if the input & tailshafts are case-specific or if they can be swapped between cases with whatever it is that makes them different being in/on the case proper rather than in those shaft housings. I figure I'm gonna need to look at Explorer cases as well in order to find what I want and it will make my life a whole lot easier if I can find a manual Explorer case & just swap the input & tailshaft assemblies from the case I have now. Otherwise I'm stuck looking at Bronco-only manual 1356's (I just don't want to wind up buying a manual 1356 from an Explorer & then needing to *also* find & buy the input & tailshafts from a manual Bronco)

yo; I capice.

some more info;

"From 1978 though 1996 the 3 most common part-time transfer cases Ford used were the NP205, NP208, and BW1356. They all use the same circular 6 bolt mounting pattern. They also all have the same splined input shaft. This means that all three are interchangable..."by mike

Borg Warner 1356 Electric Shift & Manual Shift Parts Break-Out Diagrams but has no unique PNs to match

Source: by rsgear.com

Borg Warner 1356 Manual Shift Parts Break-Out Diagram Source: by Steve83

28 7061 Output Shaft (FRONT)

62 7061 Output Shaft

Electric Shift Parts BO by Steve83

97, Shaft, Output 7061

sorry, have to go now; maybe I can or you can search WW for the Ford pn's later?

Oh, well, well, well. The 205 shares the same bolt pattern you say ? Well now wouldn't THAT be a nice upgrade. And since the Broncos use an output yoke to the rear shaft instead of the ****** the F-trucks use an NP205 would pretty much just be a bolt-in. Now that IS something to think about. No more chain, no wimpy magnesium case, instead of *transmission* fluid it take *Gear Oil* (the stuff REAL men like to use). Electric transfer cases are for housewives & soccer moms, I want a big ******* looking shifter right out there where everyone can see it.

The only real issue I can see with doing that would be the need to fab some sort of heavy brace for it. As I recall the 205's have a sort of half-crossmember kinda mount that's offset to one side to bear the weight. It's been a few years since I pulled one down but I seem to remember that the freaking things have to weigh close to 200lbs if not more. That's an *awful* lot of weight to hang off the end of an AOD without supporting it. Whatever supports it will have to attach to the frame, no way the floorpan would hold that, especially on hard landings & such.

I'll have to look into this. Admittedly the 1356 will probably be easier to find and cheaper to boot, but I keep thinking that I'll wind up having to work on it anyways since most of the manuals shift cases were probably in trucks instead of the Bronco's so I'm likely to get stuck with the F-truck ****** for the rear output.

Now here's a thought. I wonder if the input housing for the 1356 will bolt onto an NP205 ? If the transmission end has the same bolt pattern then I'm halfway there. If the actual cases have the same pattern then the input housings would swap. I know that Mopar & GM also used the 205 so maybe i could score one from a Brand-X truck and swap the input & tailshaft housings from my BW1356 ? Hmmm, but now I've got somethingin the back of my head saying that one of the other two used an offset front diff or something like that. Maybe they aren't as compatable as I'm hoping.

This is gonna take some more research. Thanks for giving me something to think about

Hate to give you more bad news, but the NP205/AOD adapter isn't a good option. The 205/C6 adapter is cast iron, like the case housing, and slotted for the two shift rails for the 205. The AOD/BW adapter is aluminum, therefore weaker. It would also need to be slotted on the side for the shifter rails, making it weaker even more. More bad news. The BW 13-56/AOD manual shift combo is the least common, hardest to find parts for swap. To convert your electric shift t-case to manual, swapping the entire t-case is the way to go. You'll have a very hard time finding the shifter linkage for the 13-56 that fits with the AOD tranny. I've done two of these swaps, I know. There are two versions of the 13-56, one with a bolt-on shift linakge and the other with a welded-on lever for the linkage at the t-case. I have some pics posted in an old thread somewhere if you need to see what you'll need. Search every Bronco/ F-150 board you can for someone parting out a 85-89 with the AOD/ manual BW 13-56. The shifter, boot, linkage and mounting braqckets to the AOD sell for about $75-$100 at a salvage yard if you can find them. A used manual BW 13-56 goes for as much as $400 at the yards, but can be had for less from the guys parting out their rigs. F-150's and Broncos used different yoke styles and sizes. There are also different input and output shaft lengths as you asked. You can swap the shafts, as long as you use the matching tailhousing that bolts to the t-case. I'm swapping the rear output shaft, fixed yoke and tailhousing from an 86 electric case onto my 88 F-350 manual case with a slip yoke rear output. If you take the t-case apart, it would be wise to do the oil pump repair mod discussed in the other thread. JSM84

I appreciate the comment (and let me say that it was a damn good comment at that, I would have been bummed but great freaking info. Many thanks for providing it, I'm smarter for having read what you had to say), but the problem is SOLVED. I hope you get a good belly-laugh out of this one. I sure did.

In response to one of the other threads I slid under there the other day to look for the supposed 3/8" square hole that I could use to shift it manually if the electrics failed. I figured my electrics HAD failed because I've been pushing those damn buttons on the dash since Day One and never gotten it to do squat. I couldn't find the square hole, so out of curiousity I started looking for the electric shift motor. Strangly, I could not find it. There was a 10-pin plug that *looked* like it should plug into something like an electric transfer case tie-wrapped to the frame & not connected to anything but that was it. I started to investigate the case a little more & noticed something that looked suspisciously like a manual shift linkage. Following this upstream I saw that it was connected to something that looked a whole LOT like the bottom half of a manual shifter. Now at this point I was fairly certain that I would have *noticed* something like a big honking shifter sticking up out of my tranny tunnel but figured, **** I'll go & take a look. Slid back out & looked in the cab, nope, no shifter and yes, there are still two push-buttons on the dash labled 4x4 & Low Range, still looks like a pushbutton Bronco to me. So I get back under it to take another look. Yup, still looks like a manual linkage and I'm now quite *sure* that I'm looking at a manual shifter bolted onto the side of my transmission. I slid back out again and hopped into the cab and started peeling back the carpet and lo & behold, the access cover on the tranny tunnel is gone and I'm staring at the bottom half of a freaking shifter. Now it was right at this point that my mind flashed back to the big box of crap that was in the backseat when I brought it home. I had looked at it quickly and then tossed it into the garage because, well, it looked like a big box of crap. I ran to the garage and dug out this box of crap and sure enough, there was a shifter & boot in there. 30 minutes later it's bolted to the rest of the shift linkage now POW, Presto I now have a manual BW1356.

Some previous owner must have swapped in the manual case when the electric died or just because it was the smart thing to do and then later on some *other* owner downstream of him must have removed the shifter to put in the carpet and then thought the carpet looked so nice it would be a shame to cut a hole in it and never re-installed the shifter. I'm guessing the first guy did a lot of 4-wheeling and the second guy didn't. At any rate, I bought it cheap because the guy who had it before me is in jail for attempted homicide after taking a shot at his wife from *inside* the cab (that's where the powder-burned hole in my windshield came from) so I know for sure that HE's not the sharpest thumbtack & it wouldn't surprise if if he had something to do with this whole confusing affair.

If only you could get some sort of Build Sheet that detailed all the strange things previous owners had done to your vehicle. I mean, I've found my share of mystery switches, strange black boxes and miles & miles of unused wiring in my trucks but this one was a real first for me. I've been pounding away at those stupid damn buttons for 4 months now, changing fuses, checking continuity and tracing wires only to find out some freaking pinhead was too lazy to cut a hole & reinstall a shifter & boot.

Dude, that's rich!!! Quote, "My 4x4 doesn't work. I push the button, but nothing happens." We often neglect to suggest the obvious first step: CRAWL UNDERNEATH THE bRONCO, AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE!!! That's the first 1/2-electric, 1/2 manual shift t-case set-up I've heard of, LOL!!! On to better things, right? JSM84

Well, $hit, who'd a thunk it ? I mean if it looks like a duck & it quacks like a duck & $hits like a duck then it's probably a duck right ? The damn thing has automatic hubs, 4x4 & Low Range buttons on the dash & NO floor shifter. Wouldn't YOU have thought it was an automatic 4x4 ? I grew up with street rods so I can *appreciate* a sleeper, but DAMN, this is carrying it a bit too far.

Bringing one this one back for a Q

Broncobill, I was looking at this "1356 electr to manual shift" product; http://theshiftster.com/ and thought of a lengthy 1356 electr shift rebuild thread here last year or 2 yrs ago where someone mentioned using a socket/ratchet to manually shift the electr Xfer case in a similar fashion.

Were you part of that discussion & do you have it bookmarked?

I had the Link in my site, but I lost it when the Host dumped some of my files and the back-up copy was also (slightly) corrupted by them.

I have been asking this same Q of a few other broncozone members as well in PMs but figure it's time to ask all in case it was someone else.

ok, found one reference to this by our pal Broncobill in this post; "Sometimes ya just gotta laugh, Instant Xfer case swap, I'm an awesome mechanic" dtd Dec 30 2007

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?sho...c=12827&hl=

"...per one of the other threads someone mentioned that the electric 1356's had a square 3/8" hole in the case so it could be shifted manually if the electrics died..."

JSM84 posted elsewhere that the hole that the shift motor (shaft") fits thru is 3/4" diameter

and

ok, now I recall in same thread Ricky B wrote this[/url]; I'd thought I'd share some pics for those who may like to know what the t-case 12 volt shift motor does. Or is supposed to do in my case. Just for drill I removed the small motor. You'll only need a 3/8" ratchet wrench and a long 10 mm socket to remove all 6 bolts. Three of them are about 1 1/2" long and goe thru the top right circular head of the motor. The other three bolts are about 3/4" long. One bolts to the bottom flat tang of the motor case itself (ground?) and the other two hold the wire coupler harness in place on the t-case. As I suspected the triangular shaft inside of the t-case was pointing down to indicate 4 High. By merely jiggling the front drive shaft yoke a little bit with one hand, I could very easily move the triangular shaft with my other hand and get it into 2 High..."

EDIT #2;

Can anyone confirm that the triangular shaft is the shaft, shift - part number 7N095 - item number 84 as shown 1356 Electric Shift Parts Break Out Diagram w/nomenclature by Steve83?

Ive still got all the parts from one that I had that puked its guts due to the common oil line failure . Ill see if I can get some pics of the internals like the shift drum very easy to tell the difference between the internals on an electric and a manual once you see them apart not very many parts interchange . /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Yes, pt #84 is the shift shaft from the motor for the electric t-case. What i did was convert a pick-up/ F-350 series, slip yoke rear output, manual-shift 13-56 to a fixed yoke rear output, manual shift t-case by swapping the rear case half, tailhousing, yoke and output shaft from an electric-shift 13-56. Blade has confirmed this in previous posts as well that the internals are NOT the same for the manual and electric shift versions of the Borg-Warner 13-56 transfer case. The housing is essentially the same and interchangeable, except for the hole for the shift motor on the electric version. The 3/4" round hole that I plugged was where the motor mounted and the shift-selector shaft would be inside. The connections to the shift fork are what's different on the two versions. I suppose if you could physically turn the shift shaft manually, without having the motor installed, you could shift from one range to another. I think this would be rather hard due to lack of leverage. I know it's quite hard to shift the manual case without the in-cab lever and linkage attached.

ok guys, thanks!

I have had just the manual shifters in the 78 and 96 and haven't been up-close to a 1356 ESOF yet (and hope I never do).

ok I see that Ricky B who designed & is selling it has a new page on the site; http://www.theshiftster.com/instructions.html "...Now reach under the truck and grab the Shiftster ****. Flip the lever arm up so it

Thanx for the mention, Miesk---but sorry I'm almost a year late. Anyways we're finally up and running now, for any of you that are looking for a different solution to Shift On The Fly ****. I've written to the Admins here twice this week about promoting this thing, but have received no reply. So I'm gonna risk getting flicked and introduce The Shiftster here........

Ricky B

http://theshiftster.416bc.com/

http://drop.io/theshiftster/media

yo Rick!

I tried to PM you in another Bronco MB but I guess it did not work. Did you enter this in the Vendor Showroom and/or Parts For Sale & Wanted in da Classified Sections here?

GL!

miesk5 said:

yo Rick!

I tried to PM you in another Bronco MB but I guess it did not work. Did you enter this in the Vendor Showroom and/or Parts For Sale & Wanted in da Classified Sections here?

GL!

Click to expand...

Morning Miesk, how have ya been?.... /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I haven't done that yet, but I have written the Admins here twice about me donating a Shiftster to them to use as a give-away/contest prize thing here, in exchange for some inexpensive advertising or a blurb of some sort. But I've received no response from them as of yet----which is why I pimped myself here last night with out their permission. Figure the worse thing they can do is flick me from the forum.....or take me up on my offer...... /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Yakatcha later. Oh, btw, I stumbled across your Bronco Links thingy. Very nice work there Son.....