In the middle of my auto to manual swap...

[mjonesjr]

And I can't get the freakin transmission back in. The auto came out without any problems, but the M50D will NOT go back in.

Any advise without taking the Y-pipe lose from the headers, the bolts are really rusted and they seem to be threaded into the header. I don't want to break one and then be up a shit creek without a paddle.

[mkpecor]

can you get the bell houseing to sit on top of the Y pipe? if you can rest it on the y pipe and lift up the back of tranny and slide it forwerd, the y pipe will hold the waight . or you are going to have to take the y pipe off. grind the nuts off and punch the rest through, and get new nuts and bolts. good luck

[Hahnsb2]

Some people have loosened body mounts and lifted the body slightly.

[mjonesjr]

I am going to cut the y-pipe and use a sleeve clamp until I can get someone to weld it back up.

The transmission is hitting the floor board.

[Bruce]

I am going to cut the y-pipe and use a sleeve clamp until I can get someone to weld it back up.

The transmission is hitting the floor board.


Thats what a lot of tranny shops do is cut the crossover pipe and weld it back in.

[mjonesjr]

I don't know what else to do. I am at a loss.

[MAKG]

Get an air impact and whack the crap out of the manifold-to-Y-pipe bolts. It may take a while. Kroil helps.

It's substantially easier to do this with no transmission than it is with it installed.

I managed to get all four bolts out of my 1986 Bronco II that way. And don't dismiss it as a California vehicle. I found crap from Boston (like a video rental card -- not vacation stuff) in it when I cleaned it out for the first time.

On the other hand, Exploder bolts came out with a 1/2 inch breaker bar. THAT'S a California vehicle.

Once you get the bolts out, chase the threads with a tap and replace the bolts with stainless. With some Nev-R-Seez for good measure.

[Bruce]

If you have a torch (dont know if ya do)heat the flange up almost cherry red and as it starts cooling sometimes the bolts will come right out and i usually wash them down with WD40 before i heatem. ive also had them come out just putting some heat to the flange or heating them and letting them cool works to sometimes.

Good Luck.

[4x4RangerGuy]

I actually forced my M5OD over the y-pipe when I did my swap; I don't know if you have a cat. there, but I actually was able to force it over the cat. and under the cab seam with brute force. It just ended up denting the heat shield for the cat, which I just pryed back into place.

Another person can help immensely as they can pry down on the pipe/cat. and force over the transmission.

[cocoasranger]

I also put mine in by brute force like 4X4RangerGuy without removing the y-pipe. I did disconnect the exhaust at the flange after the cat which helped greatly. After trying for hours unsuccessfully, I put two bolts thru the rear holes in the trans and put a long bar across them; that allowed the trans to be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise radially as it was pushed forward. This made all the difference and the trans soon slipped in.:icon_thumby:

[mjonesjr]

I can't use TTL much brute force because I have the front on jackstands. I had to remove the rear extended radius arm mount to drop the transmission crossmember. The Superlift extended radius arms mount almost under the trans cross member.

[Jspafford]

I took out a FM-146 and put in a M5OD without touching the exhaust on my 1989 B2. My exhaust was rusted to hell and I wasn't even going to open that can of worms.

I hammered the flange on the bottom of the floorboard flat and then wedged the tranny onto the top of the crossover pipe and pushed up on it and it popped into place. It took some time to think it through, but I did it.

IIRC I also had the shift tower off at the time, so that may have made it easier.

[mjonesjr]

I have hammered that lip as flat as possible. Maybe the floor pans are a tad different?

[4x4RangerGuy]

MJones, my truck was on a lift in the air while I was installing it; as long as you're on a flat surface with good jackstands you should be fine.

Have someone help you with a small prybar and you really shouldn't have a problem.

[Hahnsb2]

Possible to tilt the engine back, thus lowering the y-pipe?

[MAKG]

Possible to tilt the engine back, thus lowering the y-pipe?

Only if you have a body lift or suspension lift. At stock height, you'll drop the Y-pipe onto the radius arm bracket before the transmission clears.

[mjonesjr]

I cut the lower part off the y-pipe off and it went in there easy as sin.

Still got to put the t-case on and button up some things.

[88mudder]

I cut the lower part off the y-pipe off and it went in there easy as sin.

Still got to put the t-case on and button up some things.

good work

[AllanD]

Though my telling you this is belated....
what is a lot easier than cutting and rewelding the Y-pipe
OR fighting with the Y-pipe to manifold bolts is torching the rivets off the radius arm brackets.

Letting the radius arm brackets down allows the engine to droop
farther giving you the extra clearance you need.

If you actually crawl under the truck you'll see that the Y-pipe is
resting against the radius arm brackets.

SOMETIMES on a truck with good (or new) body mount bushings
just removing the bolts that hold the two brackets together will
give you just enough clearance to force the bellhousing through.


BTW, if you are seperating the radius arm brackets from the frame
you MAY also need to disconnect the lower end of the shocks
and slipping the calipers off to prevent stretching the brake hoses.

On my own truck I replaced the body mounts (urethane) made my own

AD

[mjonesjr]

I have Superlift extended radius arms on the BII so the stock radius arm brackets are long gone!

[90rangersuper]

just pulled my m5od out today to fix my f-up with the pilot bearing, same thing, came out fine, about 5 minutes from being upbolted it was out, Y pipe in there, putting it in took about a half hour, could not get the input shaft in the pilot bearing, finally after about a half hour it went in, the one trick i used was taking a ratchet strap around the y pipe on the bottom to bring it down, tilted up and wam, it went over the cross pipe, so far i have removed the auto, and put the manual in twice and taken it out once without removing the y-pipe, truck is totally stock - no lift at all.