Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-17-2017, 10:51 AM   #11
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Moab, Utah
Posts: 69
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgmetalworks View Post
I sent you an email a few minutes ago. Hope it clears things up for you.

Yes, it did. I knew you would know how to solve this.
Thank you Michael.

bad luck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 11:56 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
MountainBikeRoamer's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: OrangeCounty, CA
Posts: 1,275
Garage
Haha, don't leave us hanging!

So what does it take to make 1997 pieces play nice with 2015 parts?

(If that's hard-earned/figured-out and proprietary MG metalworks knowledge, I guess I understand....but hoping you can enlighten the rest of us here....)
__________________
Mike T
___________________
'95 Ford E250 RB30 PH
MountainBikeRoamer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 12:32 PM   #13
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Moab, Utah
Posts: 69
Well MG said there are 2 things that are needed, trans output speed sensor info, and rear axle speed sensor info. He showed me where to get the needed parts like a tone ring that goes on the transfer case, and an electronic ratio adapter. And the ABS sensors in the front axle need to be changed.
Again thanks to MG and everyone else for their suggestions.
bad luck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 01:28 PM   #14
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 76
I'm still new to the SMBForum community, but I would just like to commend everyone and all for the sincere, insightful, genuine, and useful responses to this person's post. The fact not a one of you made some snarky or innuendo infused comment to the "limp mode?" title speaks volumes about the maturity and sincerity of this site's membership.

As for me, I tittered like a school boy when I first read the title.

You are to be commended.
bongcrosby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 04:20 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Newberg, OR
Posts: 1,385
Quote:
Originally Posted by MountainBikeRoamer View Post
Haha, don't leave us hanging!

So what does it take to make 1997 pieces play nice with 2015 parts?

(If that's hard-earned/figured-out and proprietary MG metalworks knowledge, I guess I understand....but hoping you can enlighten the rest of us here....)
It's not difficult, it's just math.

The long and short of it is this:

The trans output speed sensor on this particular 2wd van (We're talking the 4R100 trans here) outputs 3 pulses per revolution of the output shaft. When the trans is converted to 4wd using ford F-series TRUCK parts, that output shaft tone ring has 18 teeth. so...3 pulses per revolution vs. 18 pulses per revolution and you're off by a factor of 6 when you convert a 4r100 to 4wd in a van. This makes the trans shift into overdrive at about 10mph and nearly stalls the engine btw...speaking from experience of course. So...You either cut all but three teeth off the truck output shaft (symmetrically...I hope that's obvious to folks. This is not that convenient when the trans is built since you need to have pretty good access to the output shaft) or you get an Electronic Ratio Adapter and modify the pulses from the sensor based off of a correction factor.

For the other sensor...the one that takes a reading from the ring gear on the older vans... You're just trying to get the same number of pulses per mile as a stock van but now you're taking a sensor reading from the driveshaft rather than the ring gear. The newer axles have outboard speed sensors but they're way off in tooth count to work. The late model axles can work in an older van but they just take more work and a little more understanding of what sensor info needs to be sorted out.
mgmetalworks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 08:22 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
carringb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corvallis, OR
Posts: 5,300
Hearing about the wiring errors during conversion, makes me question the rest of the conversion?

Did they use brackets to accommodate the E-series frame width? Or just weld some truck brackets to the frame? If its the latter, that doesn't bode well for the geometry of the whole setup, and getting it wrong makes death wobble more likely.
__________________
2000 E450 dually V10 wagon
carringb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2017, 10:22 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
freeagent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 156
I live in Phoenix, if there's anything I can do to help you get your van back don't hesitate to reach out. I got lots of space here/tools if you need a place to work on it before you head home.
__________________
2005 E350 4x4 V10
freeagent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2017, 06:06 AM   #18
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Moab, Utah
Posts: 69
No, I'm not in Phoenix I dropped the van off for the conversion last June 1st and am still waiting at home, for them to finish it. But I do appreciate the offer.
bad luck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2022, 11:06 AM   #19
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by bad luck View Post
I met a guy named Mike Leavitt at Overland Expo in Flagstaff, last spring and he had a nice 4x4 van that he had converted. And since the Phoenix area is so much closer than taking it up to MG in Portland I thought WTH. HUGE mistake, I wish I had gone to MG instead, I dropped my van off with the axles on June 1st and have been waiting ever since.
I did send MG an email for any advice he might give us. I know he could solve this. But I'm waiting for a reply.
I asked the mechanic in Arizona about the engine codes but he hasn't got back to me yet.
Thank you so much for all the advice.

Man, I wish I saw this post earlier... I'm currently having a terrible experience with Mike Leavitt here in Idaho working on my van. Told me he had a kit and the conversion would take 2 months and now it's been 8+ months and still don't have my van back and it's all taken apart. It's been lie after lie with this guy.

He has also not taken care of my van at all...It's been left outside the whole time, mud in the undercarriage, and found people were eating inside of it. Not only that, they left food/trash with the doggy door open so mice got in and ate the leftover food and started eating the interior of my van. I've had enough and now fighting him for a refund on my deposit and now also have to pay $5k just to get it craned off his property onto a truck and shipped to UJoint in Colorado. So my van is now damaged, I'm out even more money and again won't have my van complete for another 7+ months cause of waitlist times. What a nightmare it's been...if you are reading I highly recommend you don't use Mike Leavitt for your conversion.
onefern is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2022, 11:57 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
marret's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: FL and VA
Posts: 1,948
Garage
Wow onefern, terrible story, wish you the best going forward. Welcome, even under a negative situation.
__________________
Chris
2008 GMC 3500 Quigley Weldtec 4x4 Savana SMB
marret is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:51 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.