1997 E450 Parking Brake Assembly

Hi,

I'm new, but I've been searching around and can't find a solid answer to my question. I bought a 1998 Eldorado Type 2 Diesel Bus built on a 1997 E450 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. I got a good deal, traveled 1,000 miles to pick up the bus and started driving it home. About 400 miles into my 1,000 mile trip my speedometer goes out. I get it home and to the mechanic, who diagnosed the problem as a melted speed sensor resulting from the parking brake assembly overheating due to there being no ATF in it. I saw the sensor and it looked terrible. The bus was driving fine, just shifting hard for about 600 miles, but otherwise it has no issues.

Given this situation, is it likely the parking brake assembly can be removed from the transmission? (The mechanic feared it had melted into the transmission)
The mechanic quoted me $2,000 for the repair - provided that he can remove the parking brake assembly and that there is no damage to the transmission. He did say he could tell the transmission had been replaced at some point and it gave him some hope it was fine.

Do you guys have any thoughts on what I can do? Do you think I'm also looking at a new transmission?

Thanks.

Parking brake assembly is independent of the trans. Though it is bolted to the back of it.
Trans "should" be fine.
The parking brake can be rebuilt.

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J-bog said:

Do you guys have any thoughts on what I can do?

Thanks.

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remove the parking brake.
install transfer case.
install Rockwell axles

in 1997 the speedo should be running off the rear end. make sure there is the sensor and wiring still there on the rear.
parking brake with speedo drive existed from 1988 to 1991 F450's
the parking brake has it's own oil cavity and is 1/2cup capacity. yup. you read it right.
you can get a rebuilt unit from $500-900 plus install.
you don't need a trans as long as you haven't missed anything in your description.
good luck.

Hmm. The sensor being in the rear didn't even click. Lol

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The speedo melted. The gears on it are gone. The mechanic was concerned that the power brake assembly melted onto the transmission or possibly also melted the splines on the output shaft of the transmission. What do you think the likelihood of that is?

About ZERO! You will not melt the output shaft of any tranny, in the vehicle. You would have to get it red hot or many thousand if degrees F. I would look for another mechanic!

DaveBen said:

About ZERO! You will not melt the output shaft of any tranny, in the vehicle. You would have to get it red hot or many thousand if degrees F. I would look for another mechanic!

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I guess that makes sense, those gears gotta make be made with some thick steel.

The output shaft will break long before you can melt it.

E450 used a driveshaft brake up until end of production of the E450. might have switched to a rear diff mounted park brake late in production , but I canèt verify that.

I have a 99E450 and a 2001 E450 and they both have a driveshaft parkbrake they are a bolt on unit . E450 uses the same trans as the 4wd Fseries.
pretty simple unit but they can get expensive to rebuild! reman price is dependant on if your core is rebuildable , and sounds like yours will be scrap. so figure in the extra cost.

have rebuilt a few of these and I ended up drilling and tapping the fill plug for a grease fitting. filled the cavity with grease and and a few extra shots to pressurize it. then every time we serviced the tow trucks the brake got a coupel shots of grease. they were lasting a year with the ATF after rebuilding, they lasted indefinitely with grease and regular maintence.

****tiny 700 ml reservoir is usually too late when you notice a leak!****

2000 sounds about right in a shop. if it still rotates, your trans will hopefully be ok. never saw with a damaged output shaft on trans but did see hanger bearings rubbers torn apart.

driveshaft brake I took off my 97 F450 when I parted it looks the same as the E450s I have but I never had them side by side.

Is it possible the parking break assembly is fine, provided I fill it with ATF and replace the speed sensor? The mechanic never took it apart to verify anything, he saw the melted speed sensor and proclaimed the parking brake assembly to be bad.

If it was ran dry, most likely needs a rebuild.

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http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...&device=c&crdt=0&treatment_id=7&ul_noapp=true

click on the above

On a 97 there is no sensor in the ebrake.the speed sensor is in the rear.

Now it is possible that someone may have swapped an early 87-91ish brake assembly into it.they are all the same 87-97.early years having the sensor.

It also possible somebody put a reman unit in it that required the sensor to plug the hole only.

If it's not making noise and your speedo works(absolutely no reason it doesn't),put some fuid in it and run it.I used gear oil in mine for years.replaced it once when I bought the truck.
Get under it yourself.take and post pics!

94f450sd said:

Get under it yourself.take and post pics!

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Yes. +1
He did say the speedometer quit, and it was shifting hard.

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