Recent content by xuout1

Update. Transmission back in with just replacing a gear slip ring and broken synchro dog springs. Trans works great so far and mysterious extra parts are still setting on my work bench.

I will have it back in the truck in one or two weeks. Will give a update when I do.

The center shift rods use short fat pins and the 5th/rev use a ball and spring. Ends are slightly rounded on the mystery pins so that rules out roller bearing.

Chasing down part numbers for anything that looks like the pins I found and came across this. He has one of the pins that I found and never figured out where it goes ether. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1489365-m5od-top-cover-replacement.html

I did remove the button sensor on the drivers side of the cover that has the long pin under it. Unless those were stacked up behind it.

Finally got my under carriage pressure washed, truck put on the rack and transmission pulled out. When I opened up the trans I discovered the synchro collar for reverse and 5th gear was rounded off and should be a easy fix but what has me worried is the two small pins I found laying on the work...

I ended up finding a 1989 regular cab short box 4x4 with the 2.3 and going to fix that up instead. Will sell the explorer now that its driving good. Still a explorer truck conversion would be fun but early rangers are dirt cheep to buy. wonder how long that will last.

Hopefully I won't get to carried away with the ranger but it will get a quick restoration and paint. The bronco took me a whole year of going out to my shop every day before work and putting in several hours and weekends. I did a frame off on it and had to replace some floor panels.

Part I like about the 2.3 is the engine bay has room. It's a nightmare of tubes and wires under the hood of the explorer.

Was thinking the same thing. Now that I have the explore driving good I can get a bit more money out of it to help fund the ranger project. This all started after I sold my old truck and got a new one then finished my restoration on my 76 bronco half cab and realized I had nothing to do rough...

Picked up a 1994 explore for $400 with the auto trans drove it home and was going to cut the top off to make a truck for around the property. Decided maybe to find a ranger and do a body swap or just runing gear swap. Actually found a very rare 1989 short box regular cab 4x4 with a busted stick...

I think the 1997 and newer 302 had the gt-40p heads. The spark plugs were at a different angle and can cause header issues.

The soon to be truck.I replaced the destroyed radius arm bushings and did a 2" spring spacers since I got it last week.

Your probably right. Going to just cut the top off behind the seats for now for a gangsta truck until I fine the perfect parts ranger. Who knows I might loose interest by then.

The frames are the same until you get past the the front seats then the explore frame flares out and becomes a whole different animal. If I come across a 4x4 ranger then I will just transfer running gear over but most likely it will be a 2wd. The conversion to make a 2wd frame into a 4x4 frame...