help with transmission compatibility

[Jeeker]

I have the opportunity to buy a running ford 2.3 carbureted engine from a 1978 mustang 2
it comes with an automatic transmission which I don't want. question is will this engine bolt up to the T5 tranny in my Ranger
I have a (1980s) turbo 2.3 SVO engine in my Ranger now that has issues I would like to switch out to the carbureted engine

Much Regards

 

[Brain75]

You have a T5 in your ranger now? From the tech articles they never came with a T5.... Mustangs (source of the elusive World Class T5), and Chevy S10's and GMC Canyons came with em. (among a bunch of others)

I would strongly suspect your T5 is not native which means we need to know everything about the implanted T5 to tell you the answer... do you have Ford style (Ford symetric butterfly bolt pattern) or Chevy (I believe that one was called Muncie)? I assume strongly that either someone took a Mustang WC (the most desired T5) and put the Chevy tail housing on it (or else your shifter knob would be in the middle of the back seat), or else you have a Chevy T5. Even so the shifter would be back from stock position a few inches.

I don't know for specifics which pattern the Ford 2.3 used in 1978... my searches and knowledge skips from 1956 to 1990, didn't dig in the intermediate years

 

[bobbywalter]

tk 4 or 5

 

[Jeeker]

Thanx Brain for the acknowledgment I am a bit green with all the specifics of each transmission?
someone swapped a 1980s Ford 2.3 Turbo in my 1994 Ranger I have zero history on this project I got the truck in trade about 6 years ago! it was running ok for the first 5 now its basically running in limp mode and burning oil
so I found a 2.3 carbureted engine id like to swap it with? from a 78 mustang 2 ! what ever transmission is standard with a 1980s 2.3 Turbo SVO
is apparently what's in there now ( I thought I was told at some point they were T5s ) is there a way for me to tell what I have
first hand if I crawl under the truck to have a look?

Thanx again Brain
Regards

 

[bobbywalter]

probably a m5od

 

[Brain75]

Take a look at the door sticker, only just to verify if it is original or not... find your code (from the sticker) in the chart, then scroll past the chart for pictures... based on a flat oil pan, ribbed body etc etc - details in the pix you can tell all the original factory installed trans no sweat.

Ford Ranger Manual Transmissions - The Ranger Station

Model Trans Code P/N Vehicle Speed Ratios Mitsubishi FM132 D 1988-1992 2.9L 2WD 5-Speed Unknown Mitsubishi FM145 D E67A-7003-FA 1985-1987 Ranger 4X4 5-Speed 1st: 3.769 2nd: 2.210 3rd: 1.516 4th: 1.00 5th: 0.812 Reverse: 3.400 Mitsubishi FM146 D 1988-1992 2.9L Ranger 4X4 … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Brain75]

BTW, this is what a T5 looks like (chevy tailhousing):

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dst89HqW8ow/maxresdefault.jpg

and mustang (WC)

https://lmr.com/item/LRS-7003A/mustang-t5-transmission-79-93?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&scid=scbplpLRS-7003A&sc_intid=LRS-7003A&msclkid=c8096716bd27154d52c800240e5839ab&utm_term=4584551179230327&utm_content=0-29.99

Note the shifter knob is way far back - like I said, in the middle of the back seat.

 

[scotts90ranger]

A '94 would have came from the factory with an M5OD but a lot of people put in the T5's that came in the turbo stuff just because they're more well known when from what I've heard only the "World Class" versions are any better... but whatever, if it's unknown gotta go by pictures, several ways to skin that cat...

The old Limas are compatible from what I've heard, don't think the flywheel balance or anything changed like that but the oil pan is going to be different depending on several factors, in '86 the Lima engines switched oil pan gasket types so the rear main caps and front seal housing changed as well as 4 of the oil pan bolts on the older ones were 8mm instead of 6mm on the newer style... Depending on what accessories whoever used on the original swap you can likely make whatever work but might need to get somewhat creative as some of the holes in the block and some casting bosses were added in '86 as well...

 

[scotts90ranger]

One note the carbed engines are going to have lower compression (well, higher than a turbo engine) and probably have restrictive ports in the head and if I remember right rated in the 70hp range...

 

[Brain75]

I got really interested in the whole T5 in a ranger idea when this thread started so I searched... apparently a T5 in a ranger is not a rare thing, The first 3 hits I got were all people who did it here on TRS... (all 2.3's though) too bad putting a T5 in when my M50D pukes isn't straight forward behind the cologne engines... FWIW, the T5 is THE most sought after trans by the old 48-52 crowd and since MDL now makes a kit for the 53-56 it's probably becoming the choice for those guys as well... I did a T5 (chevy) swap into my 1948 back in 2012.

The idea of getting rid of slave cylinder and having a much smoother and better supported trans is so appealing. When I did the swap in 2012 I found out the T5 had been in continuous production for 30 years - it is behind all kinds of vehicles and back in 2012 it was still being made... Don't know the status today, but if only one manual survived the 'death of manuals in modern vehicles' I would hope it was the T5.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I got really interested in the whole T5 in a ranger idea when this thread started so I searched... apparently a T5 in a ranger is not a rare thing, The first 3 hits I got were all people who did it here on TRS... (all 2.3's though) too bad putting a T5 in when my M50D pukes isn't straight forward behind the cologne engines... FWIW, the T5 is THE most sought after trans by the old 48-52 crowd and since MDL now makes a kit for the 53-56 it's probably becoming the choice for those guys as well... I did a T5 (chevy) swap into my 1948 back in 2012.

The idea of getting rid of slave cylinder and having a much smoother and better supported trans is so appealing. When I did the swap in 2012 I found out the T5 had been in continuous production for 30 years - it is behind all kinds of vehicles and back in 2012 it was still being made... Don't know the status today, but if only one manual survived the 'death of manuals in modern vehicles' I would hope it was the T5.

In the two weeks shy of 25 years of having M5OD's I've rebuilt the one in my '90 twice, last time just because the front bearing on the output shaft went out but everything else was fine, I think I've put two slave cylinders in it just cause I was there, I think one master cylinder about 20 years ago (not sure how I'm old enough to say that...) and some other piddly stuff... not sure if I'm just used to the dumb thing but it's broke in enough to shift quick and not too notchy... the '97 is only 220k miles old and is a bit notchy in some gears, after 80k on the clutch I got it with it's almost time to put the spare Centerforce I have in there... I'll put in a new slave and pull the master to flush the fluid in it real good since it's squeaky sometimes...

I mean in that 25 years I've only driven a handful of manual trans vehicles, 4 separate M5OD-R1's, the T5 in the ex's S10 (wasn't a huge fan of how it shifted, shorter but notchier), the ZF5 in my F350 and the Geo Tracker I put 100k on... I kinda like the M5OD of all of them... but they shift nicer when everything is nice and broken in

That's just personal opinion though... the internal slave is super inconvenient but I haven't had a catastrophic failure myself, the Explorer I had had a slave cylinder leak for a while but just had to top it off once a week until I changed the clutch...

One thing to keep in mind the clutch kit you get matters on what transmission you have, all the stock Ranger clutches have the same input shaft spline but the T5 has a different tooth count...

 

[Brain75]

"clutch kit" lol... putting it in a '48 everything was invented on the fly... most of the guys use an astro van pressure plate a custom "high performance" clutch disc (summit/speedway) coupled to the chevy version of the T5 (from an S10) using either a Dwight Bond or a Cornhuskers adapter plate, throwout bearing from the local bearing shop (an off the shelf part, but not anything used in any other clutch common), bushing to go into the pilot from amazon, etc etc... aint no KIT to it

I just like that the T5 in my "old" truck is completely dumb, no computer, no switches, no nothing to fight me and pretend to be smarter than me doing stupid stuff. Maybe I am poisoned by all the "other rides" - only 1 vehicle I have has no transmission issues right now - the '48... (the '90 is exhibiting classic slave cylinder issues hard to get into reverse, etc... and the GM throws traction light every time I go down a steep hill and randomly decides it is going to shift really hard once in a while with no codes)

 

[Jeeker]

thanx fellas for all the info so in the end should I buy this running carbureted 2.3?
or am I getting in over my head ( after I identify my tranny ) plus I'm on a budget with all this
the guy only wants $300 for the engine and trans which is automatic
mine is a standard 5 speed I guess I could go auto but id need the shifter setup also from the mustang2?
plus its almost winter here and it would be a driveway pull
unless I store it until spring

 

[scotts90ranger]

Sorry for getting sidetracked, if the 2.3 would fit your needs it shouldn't be a big deal to swap in as long as the oil pan isn't too goofy.

The auto on it is likely a C3 I think?

 

[Brain75]

OK guys double check what I am saying, cause this needs someone with more 1st hand knowledge than me.
The 2.3 came in 2 flavors... the old("pinto") 2.3 was OHC lima block
2 different mustang flavors, the regular and the turbo - but both are still lima blocks.
The turbo 2.3 was plagued by issues.
All of them would be the same and interchange fine...
Then there is the new ecoboost that we don't even want to discuss and confuse things (DOHC Mazda L block) which is a really new engine.

If the oil pan won't fit, you could swap the oil pan off your current block, since they are both 2.3 lima's.

Please someone double check me - all the "old" 2.3's are the same block/trans bolt pattern/etc, right?