2wd to 4wd tail housing inquiry

[Dirtman]

 

[adsm08]

View attachment 47839

p=m/v

 

[MikeG]

Au contraire....

pv=nrt

C'mon now, get it right.....

 

[FordRangerFan777]

let me give this a try,,,,
rather than refer to you as "that guy" we should realize you are a "new guy" and as such we haven't yet gotten to know each other.
^^ thank you. I really appreciate that.

generic mode ON:

referring to a manual transmission only.

can you change a 2wd transmission to 4wd? most definitely yes,,,,,,however the conversion entails completely dismantling the transmission
and swapping out the part that is the hardest to get to, the output shaft.
and the tail housing.
it's basically the same process as a full rebuild, special tools are needed.

is it doable? some guys can do it in their sleep, (you have already met 2 of them) others may take a couple attempts to get it right.
most just go buy a 4wd transmission, or 4wd truck.

clear as mud??
^^actually this is super clear and exactly what I'm looking for.


EDIT

have you reviewed the service manual yet?
here it is:

https://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/pdf_documents/ford_m5od_manual_transmission_shop_manual.pdf
^^I did not see this. Thank you for sharing the link.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

Ignoring the fact that I have already answered this exact question twice....


Length, diameter, and spline size of the output shaft. Aside from the obvious tail housing vs extension housing.

I'm really sorry for the frustration I'm causing. Because I didn't know exactly what you were referring to before because I had asked a few different things and because I didn't know if there was only an output shaft for the transmission or is there also an output shaft for the tail / extension housing, is why I asked the questions again. I really appreciate you retyping your post.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

View attachment 47839

I get why you're frustrated and I promise it's not intended. I'm sorry for the frustration I've caused you and will do a better job communicating going forward.

 

[adsm08]

I'm really sorry for the frustration I'm causing. Because I didn't know exactly what you were referring to before because I had asked a few different things and because I didn't know if there was only an output shaft for the transmission or is there also an output shaft for the tail / extension housing, is why I asked the questions again. I really appreciate you retyping your post.

No, the transmission has a single output shaft installed in it, either a 2wd or 4x4 version. That shaft passes through either the tail stock, or extension housing, and then splines into the driveshaft or the input of the transfer case.

The piece that I think you are thinking of is referred to as a spud shaft or stub shaft, and would go between the transmission output shaft and the transfer case. I believe some early 4x4 setups did use those, but never a Ranger.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

No, the transmission has a single output shaft installed in it, either a 2wd or 4x4 version. That shaft passes through either the tail stock, or extension housing, and then splines into the driveshaft or the input of the transfer case.

The piece that I think you are thinking of is referred to as a spud shaft or stub shaft, and would go between the transmission output shaft and the transfer case. I believe some early 4x4 setups did use those, but never a Ranger.

I kind of picked up that there was a difference between a 4wd and 2wd output shaft in one of the more recent explanations but certaintly appreciate the confirmation of it being only one piece that travels thru whichever housing is on the back of the transmission. I'm also realizing that I should have been more transparent from the beginning and @pjtoledo said it well, I am the new guy who doesn't know. I really don't know anything about the internals of a transmission so I simply don't know, which is probably another reason for the confusion on my part and miscommunication. When I ask questions it's coming from a perspective of almost zero transmission knowledge.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

I am trying to learn as I go and gather as much knowledge as I can from those that know this stuff backwards and forwards.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

I've been looking thru the service manual and was wondering from those that have done this, how difficult is it to rebuild a transmission without having any prior knowledge or training? I feel like this would be the opportunity to learn more about the transmission, how it functions, make sure everything is in good inside, and after rebuilding I shouldn't have to bother with it again for a long time. Thanks in advance.

 

[Shran]

I have half a dozen transmissions and several transfer cases under my belt and am still learning a lot every time I dig into one. I think the first one I did is still working simply out of pure dumb luck.

Aside from the service manual you need a 55mm wrench, measuring caliper, feeler gauges, good mechanical skills and a lot of patience. There are a lot of parts inside that need to be inspected and it's hard to know what to look for if you are just looking for wear as opposed to obviously broken pieces. Also there are a few things that can go in backwards. Really paying attention during disassembly will help with that.

I think it just depends on your skill level. They are not difficult to rebuild if you have really good mechanical experience.

 

[FordRangerFan777]

I have half a dozen transmissions and several transfer cases under my belt and am still learning a lot every time I dig into one. I think the first one I did is still working simply out of pure dumb luck.

Aside from the service manual you need a 55mm wrench, measuring caliper, feeler gauges, good mechanical skills and a lot of patience. There are a lot of parts inside that need to be inspected and it's hard to know what to look for if you are just looking for wear as opposed to obviously broken pieces. Also there are a few things that can go in backwards. Really paying attention during disassembly will help with that.

I think it just depends on your skill level. They are not difficult to rebuild if you have really good mechanical experience.

Thanks for the response and info! It sounds like it's definitely doable. I think I'll do a bunch more research prior taking this on.