Yesterday I was doing some plowing and was on my way to a used car dealer I do. I pulled up to one of the overhead doors and dropped my plow getting ready to back drag the snow when all of a sudden I got stuck.

OK Daaaah I forgot to put it in 4 wheel drive and so I did. Pulled up to another overhead door dropped the plow and proceeded to back drag again so I pulled it back to the first pass I dragged and went to pull forward and got stuck again.

Here is the deal, the 4 wheel drive quit working all of a sudden and the idiot light in the instrument panel is not working either, everything was fine 15 minutes prior, it is not like I abuse this, I push snow very easy, take things nice and slow.

What do you think might have happened? Is there a relay or something that might have caused this. I am making the top of my head bleed cuz I am scratching it to death trying to think whats wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

To make things worse I had to get pulled out by a Ford, seriously.

Kev

 

Check your vacuum line to the front axle. They get weathered artier a time and break.

 

+1 on vac line to the cad on the front axle. Not hard to find; get up under there, and you should see a bulge on the pass side of the axle tube with 2 lines running to it. I'll bet one of them has a leak somewhere, or got ripped off of the cad motor.

If you're in a bind, you could take the cad housing off (4 bolts-7/16 IIRC), slide the collar over to engage 4wd, disconnect the cad vac lines completely, then, slide the little fork over (line it up with the collar) and reassemble. You will need to do this every time you want 4wd/2wd until you get it fixed.

 

I had the actuator go out on my front end awhile back. Not too bad of a fix, but I had it done for free by a friend with an identical truck haha.

 

Thanks for the reply's guys. My granddaughter turned 2 today and just got home from the party and it is to dark to do anything now but will check the vacuum line tomorrow.

Regards,
Kev

 

Quick question, how do I know if there is a vacuum leak? Is air flow continuous going to the cad? Does it have to be in 4 wheel drive to check it, IE etc.

 

There are two lines at the cad, with the engine running, there will be vacuum at one of the lines all the time. When you switch from 2 to 4 wheel drive, the vacuum should switch to the other line.

 

Update the is no air coming out of either line, I put a piece of paper on each side in 2 and 4 wheel and nothing. Any ideas now what could be the problem?

As I was checking that out antifreeze was dripping, now I have to change the water pump....grrr

Seems like I got this BIG dark cloud over my head and it just doesn't want to go away.

What next!

 

That would indicate either that both lines are leaking somewhere upstream, or the vac switch on the transfer case is bad.

Follow those lines all the way to origin searching for a leak. IIRC, they tie in somewhere on the backside of the engine, pass. side. That would be my #1 spot to check.

Good Luck, hope that cloud goes away.

 

Yep, right at the back of the intake manifold, passenger side. Look for the line there. It has prolly come loose.

While you are doing your water pump, reseal the timing cover, and replace the timing set as well. If you don't do it now, you will get to take it all apart again later, and do it.