which tranny would work best?


84projectFORD

84projectFORD

15+ Year Member

Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
689
Points
3,101
City
Phoenix, AZ
Vehicle Year
1984
Transmission
Manual
ok so my 4 spd int he 84 is tired and ready to go. i want to put the mazda 5 spd in but really wont have the time to cut into the floor and gat everyhting else to work. if i put a FM145 or 146 in would i have to change a bunch of stuff other than the d-shaft? also would this tranny hold up to a 4.0 and a decent amount of desert prerunnin off road?
 
Using a M50D doesn't require you to cut up the floor. There is a floor pan that you bolt in from the donor truck that'll match the tranny.

The FM's won't last behind a 4.0.

Do you have a manual now?

What engine do you have?
 
yea its the teh 4spd manual and it has the 2.8L carburated in it for now till i do my 4.0 swap down the road. Would i need a donor vehicle for the tranny swap or can i just get a tranny from someone and put it in?
 
If you found a M5od now, it would bolt to the 2.8.

A donor vehicle would be a good choice, that way anything that you should need could be snagged off to make things work.
 
yeah i know but its pretty hard to find one in AZ with a 4.0 or 3.0 w/ the M5od 2wd for a really good price. the FMs are much easier to find and i think would last if i did the 3.0
 
yeah, but the FM's won't bolt up to the 3.0. The 4.0/2.9 and 3.0 don't share the same bell housing pattern.
 
why does it say in the tech library that any of the manuals will bolt to any of the V6s? did i read wrong?
 
I tried to find where it said that and I couldn't...

anyhow, here's how it goes:

2.8, 2.9, 4.0 transmissions will bolt up. (same engine family)

3.0 Separate bolt pattern

Lima 2.0, 2.3, 2.5 transmissions will bolt up (same engine family)

Duratec 2.3....???? (we never did clear this up the last time it came up...)

Basically, you have to keep it within the same engine family.

I would say you should look for a m5od from a later model 4.0.
 
I will take an answer back. There are a few rare aerostar vans that came with 3.0's and an FM tranny. Pretty hard to find.
 
Simple_serf said:
I tried to find where it said that and I couldn't...

anyhow, here's how it goes:

2.8, 2.9, 4.0 transmissions will bolt up. (same engine family)

3.0 Separate bolt pattern

Lima 2.0, 2.3, 2.5 transmissions will bolt up (same engine family)

Duratec 2.3....???? (we never did clear this up the last time it came up...)

Basically, you have to keep it within the same engine family.

I would say you should look for a m5od from a later model 4.0.
Click to expand...

oh i must have input the 3.0 in there thinking they were the same. my bad. Ok so i just found a built 5 spd by R.B.R. for the ranger that will bolt to the 4.0. (come with clutch also) will this bolt right up to the 2.8 or will i need a differetn slave cylinder or anything? I know im bein kind of picky but i only have teh weekends to do it and i cnat let the truck sit on a rack in the shop if i cnat get it done in a weekend so i want to have everything ready to go ya know
 
You'll need the slave cylinder AND CLUTCH LINE for an '88-92 Ranger/Explorer

The clutch line from your '84 OR from an '85-87 will not work with
the '88-92 slave cylinder, nor will the '85-87 slave cylinder fit in
a Mazda trans.

There WILL be some cutting on the floor.

You will need to replace the shifter boot mounting plate on the floor.
the floor plate from a later Ranger that had a Mazda trans.

BUT the floor opening of the '88-up trucks are longer front to back.
ALL the extra length of the hole is at the front of the plate.

You can basically use the '88-up floor plate as a template because the
rear edge and most of the length along the sides is the same, as are the
two rear bolt holes for the plate mounting screws.

You will also need to relocate your transmission crossmember 2" to the rear
(the mounting pad is located differently on the Mazda trans.

And finally you'll need another driveshaft slip yoke, the Mazda uses
a larger output spline.

AD
 
perfect! that is just want i wanted to know!! thank you guys for your help. i have wanted to build a play ranger for a while now and i finally have the truck to do it.
 
oh one other question. will the speedo cable in it now work in the m5od? and also sould i be able to just take the bell housing off my 4 spd tranny and put it on the M5OD?
 
Last edited:
No.

The reason that you can't swap trannies between engine families is because the M50D uses an integral bellhousing. You can't remove it.

Couldn't tell you about the speedo....some M50D's don't have provisions for the speedo cable, because newer trucks use the electrical signal off of the rabs system.
 
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