'85 Ranger Restomod

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 6, 2018

Made a lot of hay prepping the trans. Bunch of little technical crap needed done.

Filled it with oil:

t-case notch:

t-case dry run:

New notch for shifter:

I am happy with the angle too.

I need a little more oil, change the rubber shift rail plugs to steel cup plugs, finish boring out the bellhousing bolts (I have two done but neither of my drills are enjoying it) and bench bleed the clutch... and I think it is about ready to put in.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 7, 2018

Picked up Boss today:

As he bumbles around the yard acting all cute with his little raccoon yesterday's news isn't very impressed by his antics.

He is a pretty cool little pup... currently howling in his kennel though. We had just gotten thru all this crap with Bullitt. :annoyed:

While she was running errents I hit the JY quick, I did manage to find another 205 shifter, out of a '76 though with a divorced case. Lever is a little longer, bent part below is the same.

Eh, it is a long ways from down there to up here... gonna have to play with that.

My ideal solution to the different lever length would be to find another FX4 lever to attach to the 205 lever which would also make all the levers match. However I think the tree they grew one was cut down a long time ago.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 15, 2018

Getting things staged for the big swap, trans is pretty much done... will be done as soon as the stupid expansion plugs for the shift rails that nobody in town stocks comes in. So I staged the trans on the bench so I could bore out the bellhousing holes. Also when the time comes there is a lot more room to get the trans off the bench and under the truck from the passenger side than the drivers side in my little garage.

I also dug the heavy steel ramps my father in law made out of the barn. The floor in the garage isn't great, I trust the steel ones more than my plastic ones for longer term use.

Also grabbed my pedal assemblies, I don't think either will work. Truck has an '88 dash harness which takes a different clutch switch. I will probably stick it in while I can work on it outside and leave the shunt in it until I manage to sneak up on an '88 clutch pedal. Kinda nervous about it, after 17.5 years of just jumping in it and turning the key I kinda want the switch to keep my muscle memory from getting the better of me.

85:

89:

So its getting closer to happening, I think all i need for parts is a starter and to get a spacer ring drawn up and burned out for the t-case.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 16, 2018

I drew the spacer in CAD over my noon hour, I need to double check the fitment of this gasket tonight. The one at home I could shave off a bit of the OD, I might be able to shave some of the ID too. One came in the trans seal kit and one came in the t-case seal kit so I have two of the things, I know the other one has way huge bolt holes. I suppose with 7/16" holes this one came with the 205 since the t-case only uses 3/8" bolts.

Denisefwd93 · Jul 17, 2018

Tell me more about the T-case swap?

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 17, 2018

Denisefwd93 said:
Tell me more about the T-case swap?

NP205 tcase from a '77 Ford truck of some kind going onto the M5R2 trans out of an '04 F-150 Heritage.

Because of the rear wheel shift rail (left) the mounting flange of the transmission has to be notched.

Factory notch in transmission extension that came with my tcase:

And because of how the input shaft seal retainer protrudes you have to make a spacer so it clears. It measures right at 5/16" gap, I am having mine made 3/8" thick to provide ample clearance.

And I did the mod to twin stick it so I can put either end in neutral and have the other end in either high or low.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176680

NP205 was chosen because it is common and compact. M5R2 is about the best fitting manual with an overdrive out there and mine is the last year it was made so it has all the refinements that trans received.

Denisefwd93 · Jul 17, 2018

Thank you I'm actually learning something and actually know what you're talkin about

this really impressed me on eBay, twin stick cable controls.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Np-205-GM-Twinstick-Transfer-Case-Cable-Shifters-Kit-Stainless-PN-Csbgy48-205gm/1356856146?iid=261777869979&chn=ps&ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-117182-37290-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fp%252FNp-205-GM-Twinstick-Transfer-Case-Cable-Shifters-Kit-Stainless-PN-Csbgy48-205gm%252F1356856146%253Fiid%253D261777869979%2526chn%253Dps%26itemid%3D261777869979%26targetid%3D413039610601%26device%3Dm%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9007219%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D1057491338%26adgroupid%3D53049245918%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-413039610601%26abcId%3D1133896%26merchantid%3D7978264%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwp7baBRBIEiwAPtjwxIoW4NgDXDX-5G4KOlrUFWZIzeNrLCFToIiNLSsYCgGeNmIKOYVmFhoCOukQAvD_BwE%26srcrot%3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1601408613849%26rvr_ts%3Da94da0271640ab1465f49ea0ffede455

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 17, 2018

Denisefwd93 said:
Thank you I'm actually learning something and actually know what you're talkin about

this really impressed me on eBay, twin stick cable controls.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Np-205-GM-Twinstick-Transfer-Case-Cable-Shifters-Kit-Stainless-PN-Csbgy48-205gm/1356856146?iid=261777869979&chn=ps&ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-117182-37290-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fp%252FNp-205-GM-Twinstick-Transfer-Case-Cable-Shifters-Kit-Stainless-PN-Csbgy48-205gm%252F1356856146%253Fiid%253D261777869979%2526chn%253Dps%26itemid%3D261777869979%26targetid%3D413039610601%26device%3Dm%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9007219%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D1057491338%26adgroupid%3D53049245918%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-413039610601%26abcId%3D1133896%26merchantid%3D7978264%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwp7baBRBIEiwAPtjwxIoW4NgDXDX-5G4KOlrUFWZIzeNrLCFToIiNLSsYCgGeNmIKOYVmFhoCOukQAvD_BwE%26srcrot%3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1601408613849%26rvr_ts%3Da94da0271640ab1465f49ea0ffede455

No problem.

My current shifter scheme is to use two stock NP205 levers and a couple little heims to make this:

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/NP205-Stainless-Steel-Twin-Stick-Shifter-Kit/productinfo/21610/

Out of these:

Cable shifters are neat but kind of bulky and they are pricey. I can't do much more as far as making shifters until I get all this put in my truck and see how it all fits together and with the truck. I think if I just pivot the levers on the forward pivot on the trans they are going to be too far back so it will take some kind of apparatus to move them farther forward... just gotta wait and see how it goes.

Denisefwd93 · Jul 17, 2018

Very cool! And you can actually run Lo hi front or rear or both from what I see on the shifter knobs?

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 17, 2018

Denisefwd93 said:
Very cool! And you can actually run Lo hi front or rear or both from what I see on the shifter knobs?

No mixy matchy, that will blow it apart, there is an interlock in the case that prevents that from happening. Both ends can be in the same range and either/or both ends can be in neutral.

So when I am sneaking around the houseyard I have have in FWD rather than spinning in RWD or bucking/binding in 4wd. I have 500+lbs of V8 over the front wheels for traction. Or if I blow a rear u-joint (like I did last fall) I can just tie it up out of the way and continue on in FWD rather than wait for dad to run out a wrench, remove the driveshaft on the shoulder of the highway and then continue on in FWD.

The main claim to fame for twin sticking is for guys locked on both ends. Locked trucks can't turn sharp in 4wd so they kick the rear in neutral to creep around a tree or obstacle.

Denisefwd93 · Jul 17, 2018

85_Ranger4x4 said:
No mixy matchy, that will blow it apart, there is an interlock in the case that prevents that from happening. Both ends can be in the same range and either/or both ends can be in neutral.

So when I am sneaking around the houseyard I have have in FWD rather than spinning in RWD or bucking/binding in 4wd. I have 500+lbs of V8 over the front wheels for traction. Or if I blow a rear u-joint (like I did last fall) I can just tie it up out of the way and continue on in FWD rather than wait for dad to run out a wrench, remove the driveshaft on the shoulder of the highway and then continue on in FWD.

The main claim to fame for twin sticking is for guys locked on both ends. Locked trucks can't turn sharp in 4wd so they kick the rear in neutral to creep around a tree or obstacle.

I didn't realize I was saying mixing matching no I didn't think you could do that but I think it's cool that you can select front rear or both

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 17, 2018

Denisefwd93 said:
I didn't realize I was saying mixing matching no I didn't think you could do that but I think it's cool that you can select front rear or both

I thought it would be neat too, cheap enough to do. I have $20 in the lever, going to have a couple bucks in some steel and whatever the heims are.

I really thought about the kit at Jeff's but I figured it would take fabbing to get it to fit into a Ranger anyway.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jul 17, 2018

It started:

That looks like the makings of a good winter project, lets just that fester a bit longer. :secret:

Not much to take pictures off, spent too much time trying to get thing backed up on ramps but decided my floor is too uneven. Covered quite a bit of ground.

Goal is to get the trans and t-case operational in a month for our car show... we will see. Then front axle after that and floor probably this winter at work when things slow down (air tools and wire welder > angle grinder and old stick welder :icon_thumby:

)

When I get the shifters in and the floor fixed I can finally get my new carpet put in I bought in 2011 :yahoo:

Shran · Jul 17, 2018

85_Ranger4x4 said:
The main claim to fame for twin sticking is for guys locked on both ends. Locked trucks can't turn sharp in 4wd so they kick the rear in neutral to creep around a tree or obstacle.

The technical term is "front dig"

Great work so far, I am looking forward to seeing your final shifter design. I happen to have two 205 shifters myself and it should be even easier for me since my trans was designed to have a 205 behind it. Twin stick 205 has been on my mod list for quite a while.

Denisefwd93 · Jul 18, 2018

I love it and it really doesn't look that difficult. There does seem to be a lot of these transfer cases around! But in my case I'll be lucky if I even get around to getting the "shiftster" to manually switch my BW1354

'85 Ranger Restomod

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