TK4 to TK5 Swap

[TexasDuck66]

Hey there, I just found a wrecked Bronco ll that has a Toyo Koygo 5 Speed in it and I was wanting to know if it was difficult and required any other parts for me to put it in my 83' Ranger 4x4 2.3L that has a TK4. My trans shifts buttery smooth but going 55-60MPH right around 3000RPM give or take is not ok for me.

I'm active duty military and currently stationed in Norfolk. While I am in, I'm gonna be making trips back home for the holidays/vaction every year in East Tennessee which is about a 9-10 hour drive from here and I'm just wanting to highway cruise better, get better fuel economy, and avoid wear and tear on my engine. I drove from San Diego to Norfolk in this truck and it was unbearably slow, averaging 55-60 on the interstate.

But the biggest question I have is can I buy this trans, rebuild it if needed, and stick it in my truck without having to buy a different front or rear driveshaft? Basically a plug in and play? (Note I'd be replacing the clutch, throw out bearing, rear main seal, etc while I'm under there.)

 

[bilbo]

I did this swap in my Ranger for the same reasons. Nothing was wrong with my TK4, I just happened upon a dead Ranger nearby with the TK5 and I wanted the extra gear. I pulled the trans, crossmember, and drive shaft just to be safe but the trans worked with my old crossmember and shaft using a different set of holes in the frame. The shifter was slightly further aft so I had to modify the opening in the tunnel to make room for it. My truck is 2wd so it may be different for you as you'll have the transfer case but I would imagine the case is the same between both transmissions. Also, apparently the shifter on the TK5 uses a plastic housing that can have issues. The TK4 shifter can be adapted to fit but may give trouble getting into reverse. There's some info on the internet about it. My TK5 didn't have a shifter so I had to adapt the one from my TK4. What I did was put an extra gasket under it and it works ok, but there's probably a more elegant way of handling it.

Having the extra gear is really nice. It was worth the effort in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[ford4wd08]

Bronco II should be a V6 vs your 4 cylinder. I don't believe the bell housing patterns will match up.

 

[Shran]

Bronco II should be a V6 vs your 4 cylinder. I don't believe the bell housing patterns will match up.

Bellhousing on those is removable, should just be able to swap it.

I would not count on being able to rebuild it quickly if needed. I'm just assuming here, but parts will be very difficult to find. Even coming up with part numbers may be a challenge. Just a friendly warning on that, I have built a couple FM-145s and 146s and even those that were used for a couple more years were painfully hard to find parts for. I would put together a Plan B if you need to go that route.

Ideally, this is what I would suggest, find a M5OD from an '88 or newer 4 cylinder 4x4 truck plus the driveshafts. '88 or '89 and the same wheelbase as yours for the rear, auto or manual donor will work. '85-89 auto or '88-89 manual for the front. Trans can come from any year between 88 and 97. May take some digging to find this stuff but if your TK-5 swap doesn't work out for whatever reason, it's your next best bet.

 

[TexasDuck66]

Bellhousing on those is removable, should just be able to swap it.

I would not count on being able to rebuild it quickly if needed. I'm just assuming here, but parts will be very difficult to find. Even coming up with part numbers may be a challenge. Just a friendly warning on that, I have built a couple FM-145s and 146s and even those that were used for a couple more years were painfully hard to find parts for. I would put together a Plan B if you need to go that route.

Ideally, this is what I would suggest, find a M5OD from an '88 or newer 4 cylinder 4x4 truck plus the driveshafts. '88 or '89 and the same wheelbase as yours for the rear, auto or manual donor will work. '85-89 auto or '88-89 manual for the front. Trans can come from any year between 88 and 97. May take some digging to find this stuff but if your TK-5 swap doesn't work out for whatever reason, it's your next best bet.

I highly appreciate it, if I were to sell my TK4, how much do they go for? This trans is feels brand new. No grinding or anything, bushings are even tight as well.

And the way you tell a Toyo Koygo transmission is from the curved shift stick correct? All the other TKs I've seen have them and even the picture used to represent one on here has one.

 

[Shran]

I highly appreciate it, if I were to sell my TK4, how much do they go for? This trans is feels brand new. No grinding or anything, bushings are even tight as well.

And the way you tell a Toyo Koygo transmission is from the curved shift stick correct? All the other TKs I've seen have them and even the picture used to represent one on here has one.

TK's and Mitsubishi transmissions all have curved shifters. Mazda M5ODs have straight ones. You have to identify TK and FMs by looking at the trans itself. FMs usually have a metal tag attached denoting what it is.

As far as what it's worth, hard to say. Couple hundred bucks probably if there is no slop in the input shaft, it's clean on the outside, and doesn't make any noise. The challenge will be finding someone who both needs it AND wants it instead of a 5 speed. Its usefulness is very limited because of the better options out there.

 

[TexasDuck66]

TK's and Mitsubishi transmissions all have curved shifters. Mazda M5ODs have straight ones. You have to identify TK and FMs by looking at the trans itself. FMs usually have a metal tag attached denoting what it is.

As far as what it's worth, hard to say. Couple hundred bucks probably if there is no slop in the input shaft, it's clean on the outside, and doesn't make any noise. The challenge will be finding someone who both needs it AND wants it instead of a 5 speed. Its usefulness is very limited because of the better options out there.

I gotcha, that Bronco ll turned out to have a FM145, it's an 1985 4WD. Can I swap a FM145 4WD tranny and transfer case into my truck? Would I need to do any special modifications, custom driveshafts, cross member, etc?

 

[Shran]

I gotcha, that Bronco ll turned out to have a FM145, it's an 1985 4WD. Can I swap a FM145 4WD tranny and transfer case into my truck? Would I need to do any special modifications, custom driveshafts, cross member, etc?

Yes you could use that trans. They are notorious for eating input shaft bearings, anything more than a tiny bit of play in the input shaft will indicate a need to repair it. You should be able to use the front driveshaft from that truck but not the rear - you will need a shaft from an '86-87 Ranger 4x4 of the same wheelbase as yours that had a FM-145 in it. You will also need a 4 cylinder bellhousing for the FM-145. No crossmember modification necessary.

The transfer case in that truck is the same thing as you have now, you could use it, or the one you currently have...doesn't matter.

 

[TexasDuck66]

Yes you could use that trans. They are notorious for eating input shaft bearings, anything more than a tiny bit of play in the input shaft will indicate a need to repair it. You should be able to use the front driveshaft from that truck but not the rear - you will need a shaft from an '86-87 Ranger 4x4 of the same wheelbase as yours that had a FM-145 in it. You will also need a 4 cylinder bellhousing for the FM-145. No crossmember modification necessary.

The transfer case in that truck is the same thing as you have now, you could use it, or the one you currently have...doesn't matter.

Sounds like I'm better off to just find a Ranger with a TK5 in it. A bell housing for a 2.3L FM145 already sounds hard to find. Same with a rear driveshaft. I would love to have a FM145/46 because from what I hear, they're more durable since.

 

[gearfather]

Sounds like I'm better off to just find a Ranger with a TK5 in it. A bell housing for a 2.3L FM145 already sounds hard to find. Same with a rear driveshaft. I would love to have a FM145/46 because from what I hear, they're more durable since.

i still have parts.for tk5 or fm145 .input,cluster and bearings etc. if needed...612-309-3999

 

[TexasDuck66]

i still have parts.for tk5 or fm145 .input,cluster and bearings etc. if needed...612-309-3999

If you have a TK5 for a 4WD 2.3L, I'll be gladly to take it off your hands.