'85 Ranger Restomod

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 5, 2018

1qaz said:
Car show...two weeks. You going to make it?

I will be there... truck ain’t looking good though.

I didn’t have enough faith to preregister at the meeting last Wednesday...

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 6, 2018

alwaysFlOoReD said:
I always thought a speedi sleeve needed thread locker or the equivalent to prevent seeping under the sleeve. Once the locker is cured it shouldn't move.

I asked dad about it this morning, he said there is no way I should have been able to more or less push it in place by hand. And he has never had one shift while putting the seal on.

He says there is no way it could be the correct size for the crank.

I have never installed one before so it is all news to me. It was snug but I didn't NEED the tool or a hammer.

Shran · Aug 6, 2018

85_Ranger4x4 said:
I will let you know, we will be up in your neighborhood at the end of the month.

I probably have a good set of floor pans too.

Bring a sawzall.

:thefinger:

Or a trailer, you can take a cab home with you

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 6, 2018

Shran said:
I probably have a good set of floor pans too.

Bring a sawzall.

Or a trailer, you can take a cab home with you

A floor pan is cheap, cab corners are where it gets problematic to find. If you have a good pair of them...

I am going up with my brother in a Mustang for the Mustang Rally in Sturgis... probably a no on the trailer.

EDIT:

Not much accomplished tonight, I did get the crank cleaned, the NSS wiring isolated, a plan formed to delete it and re riveted the heat shield under the bed.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 7, 2018

Well one part I wasn't to the point of waiting on is ready for paint...

I have the new speedi-sleeve too, fingers crossed I can get the trans in tonight...

Twister · Aug 7, 2018

If you dont mind me asking, how much that spacer run you?

85_Ranger4x4 said:
Well one part I wasn't to the point of waiting on is ready for paint...

I have the new speedi-sleeve too, fingers crossed I can get the trans in tonight...

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 7, 2018

Twister said:
If you dont mind me asking, how much that spacer run you?

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

They quoted me $15, the guy that does the invoicing wasn't there and the guy that was there didn't know where and/or if it had been done.

I couldn't make it myself for $15 and if I did it wouldn't look nearly as nice.

I did draw it up on draftsight first though so they didn't have any labor into designing it, just drag and drop onto their computer and get it nested into their next run of 3/8.

BlackBII · Aug 7, 2018

That's a good deal! Definitely worth getting a perfectly cut piece.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 7, 2018

BlackBII said:
That's a good deal! Definitely worth getting a perfectly cut piece.

That is kind of what I thought, even at $50 it is an awesome looking piece.

Anyway, actually covered some ground tonight:

Found this in my clutch kit, yet another slave cyl o-ring, don't know what the bigger steel ring is for.

LSC003 is the slave minus the throw out bearing:

Used a block of wood to drive on the sealing ring, stuck the flexplate back on it and gave it a few love taps with a deadblow to get it on the last 1/8". FYI that thing is really friggen sharp, I cut my finger about as bad as I ever have on that internal lip.

Pilot bearing and rear seal:

And separator plate:

And flywheel:

So tomorrow night is the PPA/disk and hopefully trans...

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 9, 2018

Fought off heat, disease and injury but trans is in. :yahoo:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/MPdnYS]

It is high enough to get the trans jack under it, now it is time to move in for the kill...

but wait, the firewall seam is in the way

Get some vice grips and give it an attitude adjustment

10:30, it was hot, my nose was running from a cold that came on about halfway thru the process and I had about headbutted everything sharp I could find under the truck I could so I stuck the crossmember and a 2x4 scrap under it and called it a night. Crossmember is going to be very close to lining up with the holes in the frame from when the A4LD was in the truck.

Stock '88 floorplate:

Gotta test fit the new shifter, kinda neat in neutral it has the same angle as the steering column (just noticed that):

RangerFabWorks · Aug 9, 2018

Great progress bud. Hope you feel better soon!

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 9, 2018

blackwidow67 said:
Great progress bud. Hope you feel better soon!

I had high hopes of getting the rest of the bellhousing bolts in it and getting the driveline angle set tonight.

Right now I just want to sleep. :bawling:

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 13, 2018

Trans is sitting on its mount mount bolted into the old A4LD holes all nice and pretty.

Much slimmer than an automatic.

Ok, that is secure, lets get the last two bellhousing bolts in but wait...

Remove crossmember and let the trans down...

Then poke the crossmember back in.

Ok feeling brave now, time for the t-case.

I got it in there lined up and everything was looking great but it wouldn't go the last little bit. Discovered the countershaft pin was hitting the transmission case. So I had to back the t-case off and hacksaw the corner off the transmission. Kinda almost seems like this transmission and t-case were never intended to go together by now doesn't it?

The nut between the input and front output is on the countershaft pin.

The bottom left (drivers side) corner of the transmission is what is hitting.

The factory mounting was just round and offered no such interference.

So with a liberal application of a hacksaw (that I really need to remember to get a new blade for) that corner is gone. Not sure if that counts as cutting corners or not...

And IT IS IN!!

I need to work on where it mounts to the frame rail, mainly get a piece of angle iron I think and get the bushings for it. It is hanging from a single 3/8" bolt at the moment with the jack under it helping a little bit.

Its late, I probably should be heading in but dang that 4wd lever boss looks really nicely placed...

Heck ya! Now I need to figure out how to get two levers to do that... (can also see better how the transmission fits around that countershaft pin/nut)

I had a third gen Explorer driveshaft in my parts cache... and it is too short. I don't think my driveline is any shorter than it was with the little C5/1350. The compact 205 is making up for the longer M5R2.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 14, 2018

Glued in the t-case bolts last night. Biggest gripe about this case aside from its weight is every freaking hole is a thru hole and pretty much every bolt has to have sealer on it. Can't wait to see how many leak...

Nice easy access from above:

I had 5 bolts in and tight, #6 would not start at all, top PS one.

Guessing maybe 1/8" off... not sure how that worked. I probed it and it was not my ring,the t-case itself was off. So I loosened the other 5, got a jack under the t-case and twisted it up some and got that bolt started. Let the tension off and all bolts turned freely by hand so I don't think anything is in a bind now. Weird deal...

Anyway, played with t-case levers some more.

Both will clear the stock floor hole:

Trans is in second, it can't get any farther to the left. Lever probably wouldn't be bad if not twin sticked but another one outboard of that one could get obtrusive. Thinking of straightening and shortening them. At least shortening them anyway.

Did some research on what t-case bracket is supposed to look like, shouldn't be too hard to replicate.

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/NP-205-Side-Brackets/productinfo/21673/

I don't need that much reach (as if my frame is narrower than a fullsize or something) so a stock/stock replacement one won't do me much good. Bushing is interesting though. It actually goes thru the plate I need to make.

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/1977-1979-Ford-Bronco-and-F-Series-Truck-Transfer-Case-Side-Mount-Black/productinfo/23095/

Dad was over and I was showing him my progress, he commented now would be a great time to fix the floor pan. I know, still working out how I want to do it. At my house I have no air tools, could borrow my FIL's little welder though. Wonder how well my oscillating saw will cut a steel floor...

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 15, 2018

I did some more playing with the levers last night, they are a little baggy on the bolt but I think they will work nicely.

All the way ahead:

All the way back:

'85 Ranger Restomod

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

Junk Collector

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

Active Member

Forum Staff Member

Ranger Custom

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

The O.G blackwidow67

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

Forum Staff Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals