FM145 Aftermarket Shifter finally discovered!

[Shran]

My first truck was an '80 F100 stepside. 2wd, 300 six, and that 3 speed w/ OD. Not sure exactly what gear ratio was in it but they were REALLY tall. I could hit like 30mph in 1st gear! Really liked that truck although maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, it was horribly rusted out and in bad health when we got rid of it. It was also the only bull nose truck I've ever seen that did not have power steering and power brakes.

 

[Shran]

All the variations also mean that there are more parts you can use if you go custom.

Heh. Lots of possibilities and they're all mediocre at best! I obviously don't hate them, but I do enjoy trash talking my favorite body style occasionally

Easy way to avoid the powertrain idiosyncrasies is to just move away from a RBV powertrain.

I'm sure I'll have an LS swapped Ranger someday!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Heh. Lots of possibilities and they're all mediocre at best! I obviously don't hate them, but I do enjoy trash talking my favorite body style occasionally

Not that kind of custom, there are a lot of associated parts to pick from though. Like an intake tube from a carbed 2.3 is going to fit my dual snorkel air filter perfect. Two carbed 2.8's gave up their stubby snorkels for the project too. Same goes for the roughly 4 vehicles it took to piece together my cruise control.

I'm sure I'll have an LS swapped Ranger someday!

https://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/traitor-gif-10.gif

 

[rusty ol ranger]

80

My first truck was an '80 F100 stepside. 2wd, 300 six, and that 3 speed w/ OD. Not sure exactly what gear ratio was in it but they were REALLY tall. I could hit like 30mph in 1st gear! Really liked that truck although maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, it was horribly rusted out and in bad health when we got rid of it. It was also the only bull nose truck I've ever seen that did not have power steering and power brakes.

80-82s were odd years. Ford experemented with alotta stupid things, most noteably the infamous "swiss cheese" frame.

The stark contrast between the 79 and 80 models were disappointing. The build quality just wasnt there. Why do you think you rarely ever see an 80-82 truck, while 73-79s are everywhere, as are 83-86s, which, are essintialy the same truck as the 80-82 with the quality issues addressed.

 

[91stranger]

I don't understand you message back to me with my quote..... I was just saying since you found the shifter but it says it doesn't fit then why don't you contact that seller and see what their return policy is? if they have a 30 day hassle free return then get it, see if it works. if it works then great, if it doesn't work then you are out less than $10 for shipping. Sounds like a lot less headache than going to junkyards and hoping they have what you need.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

80
80-82s were odd years. Ford experemented with alotta stupid things, most noteably the infamous "swiss cheese" frame.

The stark contrast between the 79 and 80 models were disappointing. The build quality just wasnt there. Why do you think you rarely ever see an 80-82 truck, while 73-79s are everywhere, as are 83-86s, which, are essintialy the same truck as the 80-82 with the quality issues addressed.

Or is it because they made 73-79's much longer and while the 83-86's were made slightly longer they are also newer and not as many have been lost to attrition? They are all very few and far between around here anymore and 3/4 of them look sketchier than Rusty #1.

Dad's '80 F-350 was a tank. It was a go anywhere do anything truck. I know dad overloaded it with the gooseneck hauling tractors, it hauled hay... if it fit it shipped. When he cleaned all the tools out of it to sell it the bed floor was pretty much beat flat and dipped between every bed crossmember. It had a hoist in the back passenger side corner when not in gooseneck mode to lift whatever the ol' 400 could counterbalance, that thing was tested tough. 0 frame issues.

Only problems were a 4x4 hub, ignition modules (until he put a Ford one in it), the 400 would blow coolant like yours does, body rust and he would get about 100k out of an engine. It was in need of engine #3 when he got rid of it.

I don't understand you message back to me with my quote..... I was just saying since you found the shifter but it says it doesn't fit then why don't you contact that seller and see what their return policy is? if they have a 30 day hassle free return then get it, see if it works. if it works then great, if it doesn't work then you are out less than $10 for shipping. Sounds like a lot less headache than going to junkyards and hoping they have what you need.

I was saying rather than spend $280+shipping on a shifter to fix a transmission, I would be tempted to just get an M5OD that uses a $15 shifter rebuild kit to fix the shifter.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Or is it because they made 73-79's much longer and while the 83-86's were made slightly longer they are also newer and not as many have been lost to attrition? They are all very few and far between around here anymore and 3/4 of them look sketchier than Rusty #1.

Dad's '80 F-350 was a tank. It was a go anywhere do anything truck. I know dad overloaded it with the gooseneck hauling tractors, it hauled hay... if it fit it shipped. When he cleaned all the tools out of it to sell it the bed floor was pretty much beat flat and dipped between every bed crossmember. It had a hoist in the back passenger side corner when not in gooseneck mode to lift whatever the ol' 400 could counterbalance, that thing was tested tough. 0 frame issues.

Only problems were a 4x4 hub, ignition modules (until he put a Ford one in it), the 400 would blow coolant like yours does, body rust and he would get about 100k out of an engine. It was in need of engine #3 when he got rid of it.



I was saying rather than spend $280+shipping on a shifter to fix a transmission, I would be tempted to just get an M5OD that uses a $15 shifter rebuild kit to fix the shifter.

I should of been clearer. The 1/2ton trucks suffered from the expermental stuff, the 3/4 and 1 tons were alot of 70s carryover.

You guys must junk trucks alot more then us here. I know of 3 dents (not including mine) still in semi daily service just here in town. Theres also a ton of 83-86s still running around. I see 0, zilch, nada, 80-82s. The 87-91s are getting rare, and the 92-96s are everywhere, and prolly outnumber the 97-03s if we are being honest.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I rarely even see them in JY's anymore. If you do the cab corners and floors are gone. I tried to the the 4wd lever out of a 73-79 and the floor was so gone the cab mounts pushed up into the cab... which trapped the lever in the trans tunnel to the point I couldn't get the big bolt out enough to remove the lever. I tried to use a jack to lift the cab off the frame...and punched thru the floor. It isn't easy to fix stuff like that...

It took me months to turn up a CC cable out of a smallblock bullnose. The herd be getting small.

Dad's did have the swiss cheese frame. One of his employees was always running it down for it but it never bothered anything.

 

[Shran]

Our '80 had HUGE holes in the floor when we got rid of it. I'm not sure the build quality was worse, my dad put 220k on it and then I drove it another 10 or so... he put an engine in it once but that was really the only major thing that went wrong with it.

I certainly would not say that 73-79 was any better in the rust department, there are a LOT of them still running around and some are just barely hanging on. I'd venture to guess that I see more 73-79 than 87-91's by far. There are still a fair number of 80-82's running around town.

Actually I still see quite a few 67-72's around town too. And a ton of GM trucks from that era - those things never die, they just get a new coat of grey primer every few years and live on.

 

[jimbott388592]

got an 87 stx 4x4 with FM145 anyone know where i can get a shifter mine is totally worn out

 

[jimbott388592]

Hey guys, I've been lurking these forums for a year now and I have finally run into something that I feel is post-worthy. I'm sure most of you are aware that finding a shifter for a FM145 transmission is about as impossible a task as any, considering the things are damn near mythical these days. I happened to run across this today and it plainly states "Does not fit gas 4cyl models". If my 4cyl Ranger has an FM145 then why would a shifter designed to fit that tranny not work on my truck? I want to buy this shifter so badly I can't stand it because my stock shifter is beyond worn out lol. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

Apparently I am either dumb or something else I cannot get the posted link to work so I'll just give the website name.*
[URL="http://Www.core-shifters.com/collections/shifters-for-ranger/products/core-hurst-shifter-1985-1987-ford-ranger-truck-4x4-fm145-5-speed-bronco-ii-v6[/URL]"]Www.core-shifters.com/collections/shifters-for-ranger/products/core-hurst-shifter-1985-1987-ford-ranger-truck-4x4-fm145-5-speed-bronco-ii-v6[/URL]

did you ever find a shifter, I need one bad

 

[TLrolling]

Hey guys, I've been lurking these forums for a year now and I have finally run into something that I feel is post-worthy. I'm sure most of you are aware that finding a shifter for a FM145 transmission is about as impossible a task as any, considering the things are damn near mythical these days. I happened to run across this today and it plainly states "Does not fit gas 4cyl models". If my 4cyl Ranger has an FM145 then why would a shifter designed to fit that tranny not work on my truck? I want to buy this shifter so badly I can't stand it because my stock shifter is beyond worn out lol. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

Apparently I am either dumb or something else I cannot get the posted link to work so I'll just give the website name.*
[URL="http://Www.core-shifters.com/collections/shifters-for-ranger/products/core-hurst-shifter-1985-1987-ford-ranger-truck-4x4-fm145-5-speed-bronco-ii-v6[/URL]"]Www.core-shifters.com/collections/shifters-for-ranger/products/core-hurst-shifter-1985-1987-ford-ranger-truck-4x4-fm145-5-speed-bronco-ii-v6[/URL]

I had Hurst make me a shelter for my 86 Ford Ranger 2.9 l engine 5 speed manual transmission they charge me $340 to manufacturing me a tower shifter I sold the truck but I took the shelter out it's never been used I'm willing to sell it for $200 it's a purse bullet shifter Tower she up there that goes in a 1986 Ford Ranger 2.9 l engine maybe it will hook to your transmission do you have a tower shifter

 

[TLrolling]

I had Hurst make me a shelter for my 86 Ford Ranger 2.9 l engine 5 speed manual transmission they charge me $340 to manufacturing me a tower shifter I sold the truck but I took the shelter out it's never been used I'm willing to sell it for $200 it's a purse bullet shifter Tower she up there that goes in a 1986 Ford Ranger 2.9 l engine maybe it will hook to your transmission do you have a tower shifter

This what you need?

 

[gaz]

TLrolling,

That is an absolutely beautiful shifter!

 

[Uncle Gump]

View attachment 68064View attachment 68065View attachment 68064View attachment 68065View attachment 68064
This what you need?

I'm not sure I NEED it... but the shifter in the Bronco could sure use a tighter shift pattern.

@TLrolling I'm going to private message you about your shifter... thanks.