MG Metal Works DIY kit knowledge share

[The Renaissance Tinker]

So the NP273 will mate up to the E4od? Any suggestions as too where to source the extension housing and the tailshaft?

[Turbo]

This is a good thread on conversion options. NV271 & NV273 are essentially the same except manual vs electronic. Keep that in mind when reading.
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/t...t-case.223250/

[The Renaissance Tinker]

Thanks! That’s exactly the thread I needed. I had a parts house tell me today that the 273 had a different spline count/bolt pattern than than the 271 and wasn’t at all compatible with the E4od. Totally threw me for a loop and I started second guessing myself. I’ve owned several OBS zf5/E4od 7.3 trucks, the 5r110 v10 van and now the 95 7.3 ambo but have no experience with anything ford did between 98-09.
I did look around for a diesel 4x4 e4od but they are getting hard to find. The 2wd one I have is solid and the old transmission guy I know will do the conversion for cheap as long as I do the heavy lifting and supply the parts.

[mgmetalworks]

The NV271 and NV273 front case starts out as the same raw casting, then machined differently for the shift fork lever (manual) or shift motor (ESOF). There are a number of input shafts for the NV271/273, 31 and 34 spline being the most common Ford compatible parts.

[VMCFred]

While on the topic of NV273 (ESOF) - I'm at the wiring stage of this thing and I can't find VSS wire or the Neutral indicator wire to tap into.

I looked at my wiring diagrams and my headed in spinning. Any advice on where to find these two wires to tap into is much appreciated.

[VMCFred]

Originally Posted by VMCFred

I can't find VSS wire or the Neutral indicator wire to tap into.

I found part of the answer and just to share on here. In the 05-07 vans there are blunt cut wires in the engine bay that provide access to both the VSS and the transmission park/neutral wires.

For gas engines the wires/tags are:

VSS - AFT STD (Gray / Black)
Park/Neutral - PRK_NEU (Red / White)

Ford Diesel engines:

VSS - VSO (Gray / Black)
Park only - TRO_P (Yellow / White)
Neutral only - TRO-N2 (Red / White)
Park/Neutral - not available

My van is diesel and I'm assuming I can't simply tie the park and neutral wires together to get a combined Park/Neutral wire.

What have you all done with the diesel vans with torque shift for the park/neutral?

[Turbo]

Anyone have pictures of doing up the rear leaf spring perches? I looks like I need to space mine out about 2" each side and now I'm wondering if I got a cab and chassis axle even though the picture had it off of a pickup w/ a bed. C&C axle is 4" narrower than the normal pickup (widebody) frame which has me suspicuous.

[Lilnuts2]

All Sterling pickup axles have to have the spring perches moved to fit the vans.
A Sterling rear pickup axle is within an inch (wider) or so of the width of the stock van rear axle.
A van C&C axle for a single rear wheel model is about 5" wider. The dually axles are generally narrower then your stock van axle and the inner tire will rub the body unless spacers are used.

My 2002 stock E350 SF Dana rear axle spring perches are 42-1/8" cl to cl

[VMCFred]

Anyone know where the vacuum lines should connect to on the solenoid. Trying to figure out where to connect the line from the pump and the line to the hubs. Thanks...

[mgmetalworks]

Originally Posted by VMCFred

Anyone know where the vacuum lines should connect to on the solenoid. Trying to figure out where to connect the line from the pump and the line to the hubs. Thanks...

The line closest to the end of the PVH solenoid connects to vacuum source, the other 'Ts' out to the hubs. diagram doesn't show it but there should be a check valve after the solenoid, before the hubs.