Buying an '87 Bronco 2, site unseen.

[54Superwasp351]

It has a bad (manual) transmission. I have the VIN on hand, where I can check to see what fits this particular vehicle, or run the VIN for an Interchange.
Thanks

 

[franklin2]

I did the same thing, except I was there looking at it. It was a 1984 Bronco II with a bad transmission. I would price it as if everything was bad, engine, frontend, etc. I got it for $550, but still had to repair the driver's floorboard, and do some engine work also (waterpump was bad, radiator was bad). It had the Toyo Koygo 5 speed in it (4x4). I looked on this site and they said all the different 5 speeds were different lengths, but I had a 86 ranger with a Mitsubishi 5 speed, and a quick measurement with the tape told me they were very very close.

I went in to do the swap, making a lot of assumptions. But it bolted right in place. The 84 and 85 were oddball, so I had to use the flywheel from the 86, and also the throwout bearing and clutch master. It all bolted right in place. The Mazda M5 tranny is the one everyone wants, but this Mitsubishsi gave me good service in the pickup and now in the Bronco II.

 

[wildbill23c]

I believe body wise the Bronco 2's were all interchangeable, at least up till 89 when they did the facelift. Engines, transmissions, 84-85 had the 2.8L V6, 86 and on had the 2.9L V6. 84-85 had a 3 speed automatic c3 or c5, I believe in about mid to late 85 they switched to everyone's most hated A4LD 4 speed automatic, and that remained the only automatic option through the rest of production. The manual transmissions seemed to change around depending on years and 4x2 or 4x4 if I recall. Early ones had the TK4 or TK5. Then the FM series, and I believe last year or 2 they had the M5OD if I'm not mistaken...someone of course will correct all this nonsense soon enough LOL.

I would give scrap price for it, if the transmission is bad, its not drive-able, if its not drive-able I wouldn't give more than scrap regardless how the engine sounds sitting in a driveway, if it even runs. If you have to haul it away, its worth scrap price, if you can drive it home its worth scrap price or more depending on overall condition.

 

[franklin2]

The above post reminds me about the radiator and radiator support. The 84 BII looks exactly like the 86 ranger in the frontend/grille area. Till you go to swap the radiator. The older units used a radiator with a top and bottom tank, all brass and very expensive to replace. The 86 uses a aluminum radiator with plastic side tanks, and only a little over $100 brand new. Even though they look the same, the radiator support is very different for the different radiators. I was able to modify the earlier radiator support to accept the later radiator. It helped that I was using a electric fan and didn't have to retro fit the shroud also.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Its either a TK 5speed or Mitsu FM145/146.

I think a 145/146 interchanges fine but the TK has a different line for clutch hydroluics, but it can be made to work.

The TK5 is generally regarded as the better of the 3 choices.

 

[franklin2]

When I swapped from the TK to the FM146, I took the complete hydraulic clutch system off and swapped it, without taking any lines off. No bleeding or anything required. Since the FM146 had the hydraulic throwout bearing in it, I had to install the clutch master, reservoir, and hydraulic lines, at the same time I was installing the trans. I would move the trans forward, and then fish all that stuff up through beside the engine, and then move it some more, slowly working the whole mess forward. It was a pain, but I had a instantly working clutch when I bolted it all in place.