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In this post is my conversion for my 2014 5.0L FX4 from normal 4WD to 4WD auto (4A). Included in this post are all of the Ford service manual pages for reference. Part numbers presented are the ones I needed for my specific vehicle. Naturally one must look at their specific vehicle to ensure you get the correct part numbers.
My vehicle has an e-locker rear differential, thus the TCCM (Transfer Case Control Module) is different than one that does not have the e-lock.
I did this work summer of 2024, and am now writing it up some five months later now that it is in use in the winter.
You need three parts to convert to TOD – plus some single use consumables.
Torque on Demand transfer case. CL34-7A195-BE (can be BA – BE)
Torque on Demand transfer case control module for e-lock rear differential. TM264. CL3Z-7E453-GD. Be careful with part numbers for there are 4 TCM’s – with/without TOD and with/without elocker. You want the TOD either with or without elocker depending on your rear diff.
Selector switch that has the 4A. CL3Z-14B166-EA. There are two versions of the switch, with/without elock. The elock version you pull out to engage the elock diff.
The vehicle wiring harness is already setup, you don’t need to do any wiring. And from 2012 on you don’t need to do any byte modification in FORScan, the firmware already understands 4A. I needed FORScan to clear the used TCCM codes and to reset it.
In addition, the following items are considered single use only by the Ford service manual and thus I replaced them.
Transfer case mounting bolt. 2 x W716375S900 (pack of 5, you need 9 bolts so 2 packs).
Rear driveshaft bolts. N800594-S100 (comes in a pack of 4)
Rear driveshaft grease kit. 9L3Z-4W602-A (grease and boot clamp)
Transmission support crossmember bolt. W714418-S439 (comes in a pack of 4)
Transmission support crossmember nut. 4 x W520114-S440
Front sway bar bolt bracket. W717136-S439 (comes in a pack of 4, you need two and will have two extra).
Optional items.
Rear drive shaft boot. 9L3Z-4421-A. If your boot is damaged.
Rear drive shaft boot clamp. 9L3Z-3B478-A. Needed if boot is replaced.
Front sway bar bolt nuts. W520113-S440 (comes in a pack of 4)
Transmission support mount. JL3Z-6068-F (if never replaced).
Helpful Items
CRC 5021 gasket remover (most auto part stores). Used to cleanup old material where shift motor attaches.
12mm 12-point socket to remove rear drive shaft bolts.
Normal selection of E sockets, hex sockets, extensions and torque wrench.
Torque wrench that can go down to 3 Nm for the shift motor bolts.
Crimp pliers to reattach the boot to drive shaft.
Transmission jack and another jack to hold up transmission/engine assembly.
For the Torque on Demand transfer case, you may either spend a lot and get a new one or get a used one. I took the far less expensive used route. I went to car-part.com, and got an idea of how much these are, and then called a local salvage yard and told them exactly what I needed – F150 Torque on Demand transfer case for a 2014 – CL34-7A195-BE (BA – BE fits). I ended up getting one from an sheriffs 2013 Expedition with 77000 miles and it was a BD. Delivered to my home including tax for under $400 – used part prices have really started to go up.
The TOD control module has two variants. One for E-Locker diff, and one without E-Locker. Mine is a E-locker and I ended up buying it on eBay since the doner vehicle for the transfer case did not have a module for sale, nor the switch. I could not find any new – everything was backordered at the time. eBay was about $80 - more than I wanted to spend but it was the only one I could find under a hundred. At the time of this writeup 5 months later I see that they are starting to become available new for around $110 online.
Switch was new, bought on-line and I purchased the version for elock which pulls out to engage it.
I’m not going to re-iterate every step, just follow the factory instructions attached, but I will point out helpful hints.
I do not have a lift - I have some metal ramps – about 9” lift. With cardboard under them, and in 4LO - I can slowly drive right up them. Gives plenty of clearance to drop the transfer case. I use these ramps for this truck all the time for oil changes and any work that requires me to go under the truck just to get some more room. This means without additional jacking I can’t spin any of the wheels – for this job it was no big deal, everything can be done without spinning either of the drive shafts. But even with ramps with the larger 6 tons jack stands, you can get the rear up enough to spin without much effort.
There are two heat shields you will remove. The hex head bolts for them are from the top, facing down.
Front drive shaft has two different types of brackets, one type is used for the front of the drive shaft – they hold two bolts each. The other type is used at the rear of the driveshaft and holds three bolts each. Don’t mix them up. Replace the bolts/clamps if they are damaged.
Front drive shaft requires removing the sway bar clamps. These are single use only – each clamp has two bolts. No need to remove the sway bar, just swigging it down gives all the room necessary to pull the front drive shaft out.
Once the front drive shaft is removed, you have access to the vent tubing. Look up from where the front drive shaft was, the hose is on the top. Spray some penetrating fluid so you can remove it – odds are this has never been removed before so it could be brittle. Carefully removed the vent hose, using hose pliers to avoid tearing it. If you damage it, you will need to trace back and replace or splice in some new hose.
Make sure to mark with a paint stick the rear drive shaft so it stays balanced. Mark how it attaches to the differential, and if yours is a two-piece driveshaft, how they are aligned to each other. If you have not dealt with the drive shaft before, this video will help you understand the removal and installation.
Don’t forget you need a 12-point 12mm socket to remove the drive shaft bolts from the differential.
Your replacement transfer case most likely does not come with the shift motor – so you will need to move yours over. Thus, you must remove the blue speed sensor wire from the wire harness of the motor. After disconnecting, look inside the plug. You will see a red tab. Just grab that with some needle nose plyers and pull it out. Then using a pick, carefully push the tab holding in the blue wire away from the pin and it slides right now. Reverse the steps when installing it. Wait until the new transfer case is installed, then attach the shift motor and reconnect the wire to the harness.
Pull out the red spacer clip with needle nose pliers. Use a pick to push over the tab holding in the blue speed sensor wire and pull it out.
There is a thin layer of sealant on the motor. Remove the bolts holding on the transfer case motor and gently pull. You may need a very minor tap with a rubber mallet. Be careful – do not disturb the position of the shaft that the motor drives. Look at it carefully - the shaft is not round – it is keyed to the matching female socket in the motor. Take a picture – you want to make sure your replacement transfer case has the shaft in the exact same position prior to installing the transfer case. Then recheck it prior to installing the motor.
Sealant on surface needs to be cleaned up. Notice the position of the shaft, make sure the new transfer case is in the same position
Prior to removing the transmission support you must brace the transmission with a jack. It will stay there until during installation you have completed reattaching the transmission support.
(continued in next post due to text forum text length limits)
(part 2 continued)
Before you remove the transmission support crossmember (this is the long bar held in with 4 long bolts), look at it first. It is directional with a front and a back. Using your paint marker, trace the arrow or write front/back or whatever so during installation you will easily know which way it goes. Also, when you remove it, ask yourself – does this need some rust removal? Cleanup? If so – do that prior to installation. Repaint with rust preventive paint if necessary. Replace if the rust looks structural. Be aware that some vehicle versions no longer have this part available, any remaining stock is crazy overpriced so take care of the one you have.
When you remove the rubber transmission mount – look at it. If it has never been replaced now is good time to replace it.
There are 9 bolts holding the transfer case to the transmission. If you have a swivel socket and wrap duct tape around it – it can still bend but it will hold its position. This with a long extension will make getting to some of the bolts much easier. These bolts are single use only, have new ones for installation.
You will need a transmission jack to lower the transfer case. Please don’t try and lower it with a normal jack - it is 100 lbs. and oddly shaped and you don’t want to kill yourself. Please don’t use those crappy scissor style jacks – they are death traps. Harbor Freight has a nice 2000 lbs low profile high lift transmission jack that occasionally is on sale and that is decent transmission style jack. Get a helper to help control and keep it and yourself safe while lowering. To lower you need to pull back – and inch or so to release from the alignment pin and then lower.
Clean up the TOD transfer case. Look for any sign of leaks around the input or outputs. The one I got looked great - just some minor cleaning needed - so I have not researched what it would take to do seals on these. Look at the selection motor shaft, make sure it is aligned in the same direction as your transfer case (remember, you took a picture of it, match it to the picture). The mating surface for that motor may have some left-over gasket maker material. Use some CRC 5021 gasket remover with a nylon brush and get it all cleaned up.
Installation is the reverse. Attached are the factory installation instructions but they are really just a re-statement of the removal with torque values. Make sure you properly torque all bolts/nuts.
When installing the transfer case, make sure the motor selection did not move. Using the transmission jack, tilt and angle it so it lines up with the alignment pin. Install the new nine bolts, going crisscross and slowly snug it up. Torque is 17Nm.
I would suggest reconnecting the vent hose prior to installing the heat shields, it is so much easier. I sprayed my hose inside with some silicon spray – let it dry and it slid on easily.
Old and new transmission mount. Perfect time to replace it.
Install the transmission mount (possibly a brand new one if yours is original), follow the order and torques in the attached manual. The transmission support crossmember is nice and clean and all rust removed from it and repainted. Don’t forget, this crossmember is directional and you marked it when you removed it. I would suggest some anti seize around the 4 bolt holes and in the metal-to-metal contact areas of the crossmember to the frame to give it more protection from rust. I used some MRO 2400 – this is a marine grade anti-seize and will protect very well but it is messy stuff to work with. The factory manual says these 4 long bolts/nuts are single use only so I put in the new ones. I did coat the unthreaded sections of the bolts with anti-seize. The torque for these four long bolts is 90 Nm and the two nuts attaching the transmission support are 103 Nm.
When installing the rear drive shaft, you need to use the special grease kit for the drive shaft halves. See the previously linked video for how to do that properly. Make sure the alignment marks you made before are lined up so the drive shaft stays balanced to the differential. The differential bolts are single use, use 4 new ones – they come with red thread locker already on them. Torque for them is 103 Nm.
Once the front drive shaft is installed, using the two new sway bar brackets, snug up the sway bar – those 4 nuts are torqued to 63 Nm. Since the brackets are new, I used new bolts also.
Installing the shift motor is the same as removing it. You did clean all existing sealant from the motor and case – right? Now on the clean surfaces, put a thin layer of sealant on the motor and put the motor into place over the shaft. The motor and the shaft should be in correct alignment prior to installing. Install the bolts and torque to spec. The bracket bolt is 10 Nm, and the motor bolts are only 3 Nm. See steps 26 – 30 in the transfer case motor manual attached for warnings and the order to follow. Insert the blue speed sensor from the transfer case into the electrical harness and push in the red clip with needle nosed pliers. It just snaps into place and takes very little pressure.
The TOD transfer case uses Mercon LV fluid only. DO NOT USE TRANSFER CASE FLUID. Since mine was a used transfer case, I first pumped an entire bottle through it - just to flush out any moisture or old junk. There are two slightly different fill specs. The factory manual says to fill until 10mm below the fill plug, but fortechmakeuloco says to fill until it comes out. Also, the on-line factory manual for my 2014 says to fill until it comes out. Interesting. I filled until it came out the fill plug. I used a small white pump that screws right into the bottle and ended up putting in about 1.5 quarts.
The control module is on the passenger side, along the side. Easy to see but sort of tight area to reach (at least for my hands). I found the easiest was to remove the door threshold molding, pull off the door seal (just the section around the cover we remove), remove the passenger foot area cover and the box around all that stuff on the sidewall held in with three clips. There, above the blue taped wires is the TCCM.
TCCM passenger side footwell, its the black module with the sticker above the blue tape. This is the used TOD elocker version after installing. Bolt on right is the front bolt, remove it, bolt on left side just loosen and it slides out.
There are two bolts holding it in place, remove the front most bolt but only loosen the rear one. I found both of these bolts sort of hard to get to so I used a ¼” flex socket ratchet with short wobble extension and a deep socket. If you fully remove the rear bolt, it will be frustrating to get it back in so just loosen it and slide out the old controller. Unclip the wire harness, and attach to the new control module and slid it back in place under that rear loosened rear bolt and reattach the front bolt.
The selection switch was surprisingly easy to replace. I used an angled pick tool around the edges to slowly pry it out, and it came right out. Unclip the wire harness, connect to the new switch, and just press the new switch back in.
Because I am using a used control module, I used FORScan to clear the three codes it had stored in it – all related to battery and lost communication. Then I reset the module and instantly I had 4A.
Turn the switch to 4A and now you have this new 4x4AUTO indicator.
I did not have to do anything else – it just worked.
Since I have a used TOD transfer case, I did my first fluid change at 50 miles. Mainly I just wanted to remove any more whatever and I was surprised the fluid was visually dirtier than I expected. I did my second fluid drain refill at 1K miles, again for the same reason. I did a third drain refill at 2K miles – a couple of weeks ago when I did my winter oil change. I will do another drain and refill when I do my post winter oil change – usually in April and then go to a normal replacement interval.
For most of the first 2K miles, 4A was rarely used. Summer and fall – no need for it. But now – it is being used most of the time the last couple of weeks. Light blowing snow and cold wind are leaving the normal winter dry with occasional dusting of snow with some dry payment and ice patches – especially around intersections. Our neighborhood has more snow and ice – still not enough to cause the plows to come out so 4A works well in these mixed dry/slippery conditions.
Neighborhood is ice/snow with some dry patches, main city streets are more dry payment with patches of ice packed snow. Perfect for 4A after a light snow and sub 10F temps.
I have no issues at all with the system – it works exactly as I expected it to – and it was well worth it for me at the price point using the used transfer case.
That's a huge mod bro . I wouldn't attempt it myself as it looks complicated .
Even a garage would mess it up . But I commend your work , exceptional .
And I'm sure the 4A will come in handy in winter . I'm careful in driving my
truck in 2WD most of the time , as it's pointless to use 4H just for rain .
No snow where I live .
Fyaboy - I still have the prior TC sitting in my garage. The local yard I got the TOC version from will only give me scrap value for it ($25 or so) so I have not bothered yet to unload it. I just did put it on on Facebook marketplace locally - we will see if anyone needs one. It was in perfect running condition. Lots of truck fans here in S.D. so one never knows.
@Tyabnet - a very thorough write-up. Thanks! I had a '12 with the 4WD auto, but I sold it and I now have a '11 with 'normal' 4WD. I was wondering if you could clarify something for me: I have an e-locker in the back. Now, on the stock '11 I could only pull the switch out when the truck was in 4HI to engage the locker. I wanted to have the ability to engage the rear locker when I was in 2WD. I did some reading and I found that if I purchased the Raptor TCCM + 4WD switch that I could this. With this 4WD switch (2WD, 4A, 4HI, & 4LO), can one lock the rear locker in 2WD and 4A? Thanks again for the write up, I really like the idea of 4A.
Yet another 4WD Auto conversion 4A and happy
