CHUZIE's 4R70W install

[chuzie]

****ATTENTION potential 4R70W installer**** If you intend to reference this thread in accomplishing your installation, I STRONGLY urge you to carefully read through the ENTIRE writeup. Modifications were made along the way so everything is not necessarily is perfect operational order.

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This is the beginning of my transmission swap. There is a lot of good info on Classic about this swap and this will just add to or duplicate that information found on the following threads:

http://www.classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183817&highlight=4R70W+ZF

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184809

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182915&page=3

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1787098&postcount=194

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1623884&postcount=1

The C4 has served me well but with the 35" tires, 4.56 gears and my personal requirement to make this rig drive to events, I am forced to install something with overdrive. Currently my RPM sits around 3,000 @ 60MPH which is unacceptable to me. I have no desire to travel faster than 60 because this huge rolling brick becomes a massive drag device and MPG go even further down the toilet. I would prefer to see my RPM cruise around 2300 RPM and with the 0.7 gear ratio of the 4R70W, I will be able to achieve that assuming my math is good.

Below is my list of parts which I have added as of the conclusion of the project

starter-junkyard-'99 AWD V8 Mountaineer-$ Included w/ transmission
converter-junkyard-'99 AWD V8 Mountaineer-$ Included w/ transmission
flexplate-junkyard-'99 AWD V8 Mountaineer-$ Included w/ transmission
4R70W-junkyard-'99 AWD V8 Mountaineer -$320 + $30 core
ZF crossmember-BC Broncos-ZF-$125.99
ZF adapter-BC Broncos-50-4303-$441
harness-Baumann-HPF2 or HPF2A-$ Included w/ controller
controller-Baumann-OS1-$565
shift cable-Lokar-ACA-1808-$52
Lokar Dipstick -$$105.90
JB Fab Twin Sticks-$149.03
Aux cooler lines-$23.99
Adapter seal 471950-$18.36
Misc fitting, bolts, and other crap-$59.61
14 quarts of trans fluid and trans filter:$90.00

Finally picked up a 4R70W from a 1999 Mountaineer AWD 5.0 with 100K miles from a local salvage yard. They only provide a 90 day warranty so I have to really get in gear (no pun intended) to complete this conversion and road test it.

While at the salvage yard I had them throw in a starter and flexplate. All together it was $350 out the door.

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To prevent having to gut the transmission to replace the output shaft as required for other 4R70Ws utilizing the Advanced Adapters 4R70W to D20 adapter, I specifically utilized the AWD 4R70W variant as its shaft length is sufficient to use the ZF to D20 adapter while only needing to cut 1/2" from the end. Eliminating the transmission dissasembly is very appealing as is the flexibility of using a ZF adapter for potential future upgrades if need be. The other advantage of using the ZF variant is the cost being less than the other adapter.

I measured 1/2" from the end of the shaft and used some blue painter's tape as a guide. My cutoff wheel worked well but I was careful to constantly rotate the shaft as I was cutting so as to prevent an angled cut.

After the cut, the shaft came to 5.938"

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I chose to do the cut first before pulling my C4 from the Bronco in case I botched something up and had a useless transmission. With the cut successful, the dissassembly could commence.

I measured the distances of the front and rear driveshafts for reference before and after the installation of the 4R70W. My lengths are different than stock as I have a 4-link in the rear.

Front: 24-3/4"
Rear: 35-7/8"

Since I don't own a transmission jack, I just used cargo straps on the front and rear to lower the transmission assembly to the floor.

Next, I pulled the flexplate only to find that, after doing so, it was actually an AOD plate as depicted by the AOD stamp on the back. This makes sense as my motor was from an 89 Mark VII. Just wish I had noticed this before I removed the flexplate. Now I have a spare if anyone is interested.

Here is my C4 next to the 4R70W

Since my 4R came already pulled, I do not have mounting bolts for transmission to engine nor do I have a dipstick. The length of the 4R mounting bolts is different than the C4 by about 0.465" which is due to a difference in the bellhousing thickness. This means I need to pickup six 7/16 x 2.25" bolts and start figuring out what I am going to do about a dipstick.

The heat here in Tampa today was brutal so I am glad it only took me 3 hours to get all this done.

Next time I plan to separate the D20 from the C4 and begin installing the adapter.

As of now, I am on the fence if I want to do any upgrades to the 4R while it is on the ground and I need to determine if I am going to mount my temp sensor in the port on the transmission or inline at the cooler output.

 

[Kyle.malone]

I am going to recommend you pull the breather cap off and put a extended line on it. The reason being, I have been fighting mine leaking when at an extreme angles. I just cut up my floor to get to it since I couldn't get it off without dropping everything and that was just not going to happen. Also, what shifter are you using?

I picked up a junkyard dipstick, but couldn't get it to fit with all the other stuff I have going on under the hood. Ended up going with a Lokar dipstick.

 

[Broncobowsher]

'89 Mark VII engine, you got the right balance on the flexplate.

 

[chuzie]

Thanks for the info Kyle. I am going to place an order for a Lokar dipstick tomorrow as I too have too much going on under there and don't want the headache. I assume it is the flexible version???

Good call on the breather. I will add that to the list too.

As for any internal modifications / upgrades I mentioned earlier, I think I will hold off until this puppy is up and running and tests good before I bother with internal mods.

bowsher, that was a statement, right? Just want to make sure we are on the same page that the 89 Mark VII was a 50oz. Either way, I am putting the original flexplate back on since it is already AOD. The guy at the salvage yard gave me a hard time about the flexplate trying to tell me he won't be responsible for what happens to my engine. I tried to convince him I knew it was a 50oz late model engine but he just kept on.

 

[Rox Crusher]

I got my 4R70W from a 2000 Explorer and it came with a really nice vent tube arrangement that resides on the backbone of the tranny and then routes the discharge down low out of the way. You can see it in this photo



I used a conduit bender to bend the OEM dipstick into a shape that would work with the combo I have (Explorer 5.0, BC Headers, no body lift)

 

[Broncobowsher]

Thanks for the info Kyle. I am going to place an order for a Lokar dipstick tomorrow as I too have too much going on under there and don't want the headache. I assume it is the flexible version???

Good call on the breather. I will add that to the list too.

As for any internal modifications / upgrades I mentioned earlier, I think I will hold off until this puppy is up and running and tests good before I bother with internal mods.

bowsher, that was a statement, right? Just want to make sure we are on the same page that the 89 Mark VII was a 50oz. Either way, I am putting the original flexplate back on since it is already AOD. The guy at the salvage yard gave me a hard time about the flexplate trying to tell me he won't be responsible for what happens to my engine. I tried to convince him I knew it was a 50oz late model engine but he just kept on.

I was originally writing it as a warning, then I saw you had the '89 engine. So it became a comment that you do have the right parts. You are doing good.

 

[chuzie]

Holy crap! The Lokar dipstick is $100!!!! Not sure that is in the cards at this point in the game. May have to go with Rox's suggestion on bending the tube.

 

[Rox Crusher]

Holy crap! The Lokar dipstick is $100!!!! Not sure that is in the cards at this point in the game. May have to go with Rox's suggestion on bending the tube.

We took a piece of scrap tranny cooler line and bent it to match OEM dipstick tube then we started bending it to fit the rig. Once we had it right, we used it as a guide to bend the OEM dipstick tube.

 

[fordguy]

We took a piece of scrap tranny cooler line and bent it to match OEM dipstick tube then we started bending it to fit the rig. Once we had it right, we used it as a guide to bend the OEM dipstick tube.

hughes makes one for less than a 100, here is a link http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HUP-HP4335/

 

[Rox Crusher]

hughes makes one for less than a 100, here is a link http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HUP-HP4335/

the OEM tube, or direct replacements for it, won't work with the BC Broncos headers without modification and it is so tall the top end has to be bent in order to fit under the hood (no body lift in my case)

 

[Broncobowsher]

I ran the stock Explorer dipstick and tube without a body lift. Tall, yes. But it cleared the stock hood fine. I did have to relocate the mounting tab, originally to the head and the 351 has heads spaced further out. I just changed it to the bellhousing bolt so it would work with any small block.

There is also the option of using a mustang dipstick and tube. Shorter.

 

[chuzie]

Can someone tell me how many roller bearings are on the input shaft for a D20? The shaft came out when separating the D20 from the adapter and I need to account for them all before I continue.

My research tells me 13. Can someone confirm?

 

[Kyle.malone]

There is also the option of using a mustang dipstick and tube. Shorter.

You are correct, but I couldn't get it to work with mine either. My bronco just like me to spend money I guess on stuff I don't really need but have to have.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Can someone tell me how many roller bearings are on the input shaft for a D20? The shaft came out when separating the D20 from the adapter and I need to account for them all before I continue.

My research tells me 13. Can someone confirm?

13 is correct.

 

[chuzie]

13 found 13 installed. Setback complete. Thx

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2

 

[chuzie]

You are correct, but I couldn't get it to work with mine either. My bronco just like me to spend money I guess on stuff I don't really need but have to have.

Kyle, remind me about your setup. Engine, headers, lift, exhaust routing etc. Wonder if it is worth the money to avoid the eventual failure of a stock tube.

I have 302, long tubes, true dual exhaust.

Thx.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2

 

[chuzie]

hughes makes one for less than a 100, here is a link http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HUP-HP4335/

Took a look at this one and it is a stock stick and tube so I will just run into the same issue as using one from an Explorer or Mustang. I'm just gonna bite the bullet and buy the Lokar setup.

 

[chuzie]

4R70W install continued...

First order of business was to remove the D20 from the C4. In doing so, the spud shaft (D20 input shaft) decided to stay with the C4 intermediate housing instead of come out with the D20 and the roller bearings all ended up in the bottom of the C4 case. I had a garage covered in gear oil.

I had to completely drain the D20 and remove the inspection cover to retrieve the 13 roller bearings. Used wheel bearing grease to make them nice and sticky and put them back where they belong.

After cleaning up my garage and finishing the bearing issue, it was time to swap the new spud shaft and bearing on the old drive gear.

Here is the old assembly...

The snap ring holding the drive gear on the spud shaft was a real pain the butt since it had no eyelits for snapring pliers. Advance Adapters does not include a new snap ring so destroying it was not an option. I ended up opening it up enough with my snapring pliers to get one end just out and over the spud shaft spline. Then I slowly worked it with a couple of flathead screwdrivers. I tweaked it a little but felt comfortable it was still usable. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but there is not much axial load on that snapring anyway.

Drive gear removed from old spud shaft and bearing.

Next I had to mate the adapter ring, bearing, and new spud shaft which are all a pressed fit. I followed 76MaBronco's suggestion and mated the bearing and shaft first. Since I do not have a press, I opted to place the spud shaft in the freezer for 30 minutes and the bearing in the oven @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. The two mated like a couple of horny high school kids! Slid right on with no force whatsoever.

After letting the assembly cool for 5 minutes or so in front of the fan, I threw it in the freezer and placed the adapter in the oven @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Once again the parts came together perfectly with zero force.

Now the bearing had to be secured in the adapter with the large inner snapring provided by Advanced Adapter.

Next the drive gear was installed on the new spud shaft assembly and the darn snapring was reinstalled. It is not any easier installing it now than it was during removal.

I used blue RTV in the channel of the adapter where the new O-ring seats.

Then installed the new O-ring. I also added a coating of silicone to the OD of the O-ring once it was installed to reduce friction during installation to the D20 housing.

*** EDIT: Some folks (including me) have been trimming the gasket that goes between this assembly and the D20 case thinking it goes over the assembly and not under it. Before installing this assembly, install the gasket and no trimming will be necessary. The gasket is dummy proof so it will only go on one way.

After the gasket was on (in theory ), I installed the assembly and gave it a slight tap with the mallet to seat.

Now my D20 is complete with new spud shaft, adapter, and bearing!

Next, I installed the ZF adapter ring. All 6 holes line up in all configurations but the adapter does have a dimple that goes at the 12 o'clock position. The 6 allen head bolts secure it to the D20 case.

The gasket that goes between the ZF adapter and the transmission is dummy proof too, but not as obvious. Just be careful to make sure that all 6 holes are lined up. The ZF adapter has 6 sets of 3 holes each for multiple clocking options. I just did as others have in the past and went with the middle of the three holes.

I marked the gasket to the ZF adapter to make sure it didn't rotate during mating to the 4R70W. To my surprise, it slid on rather easily and I had it bolted in no time.

Now most folks using a T-Shift D20 with this setup make a vertical cut in the webbing on the driver's side to accomodate the transfer case shift adapter and cut off the rear boss so the inner flag can move forward.

Today I chose not to do that as I am waiting to decide if what JB @ JB Fab is sending me will work with my J-shift or if I am going to have to modify my old twin sticks. I just don't want to jump the gun and make irreversible modifications if I am not sure how I am going to proceed with the twin stick issue.

Since the twin sticks are coming from the West coast, the project may be on hold for a few days. Waiting to resolve this before installation would be wise.

I noticed there is not a breather in the 4R70W intermediate case like there was in the C4. Has it been rendered unnecessary?

Oh, I also reinstalled my flexplate and, as always, realized how much I HATE torquing that darn thing!!!

Add $90 to the total cost for 14 quarts of Mecron V trans fluid and a new trans filter.

Add $105 for the Lokar trans dipstick I have on the way

Add $140 for the new twin sticks from JB Fab (if they work).

Score one for the good guys too. Found that the mini starter I was using on the C4 will also work with the 4R70W; came off a 92 F-150 5.0.

 

[Rox Crusher]

very nice write up

 

[Viperwolf1]

The D20 to ZF adapter was next. For whatever reason, Advance Adapter is still sending out gaskets with IDs that are too small to fit around the adapter housing. This gasket goes between the large round ZF adapter and the spud shaft adapter. I used a razor blade and cut about 1/4" all the way around the gasket to get it to go on. The gasket is dummy proof so it will only go on one way.

Apparently it isn't completely dummy proof. The gasket goes between the D20 and bearing retainer (before you put the gear/spud/retainer in) and it actually fits as is. No big deal if your silicone works.

The vent in the C4 adapter was for the C4 venting. You have a vent tube at the rear of the 4R70W, just in front of the adapter.