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[jtm554]

I have a 1997 ford ranger the trans is going so I want to swap it is a 2.3l 4 cylinder 5 speed and I want to know if a 2003 2.3l 4 cylinder 5 speed trans would work

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

No, the 2001-2011 2.3l is a DOHC Mazda L engine so uses a different bolt pattern for transmission

Your 1997 2.3l is a SOHC Lima engine, if a 2WD then 1988-2000 2.3l or 2.5l transmission can be use, model is M5OD-R1(M5R1)
But must be from a 2.3l/2.5l SOHC engine and 2WD, the M5R1s were also used on 3.0l and 4.0l engines but like the 2.3l DOHC they have a different bolt pattern

The M5R1s do not have a detachable bell housing like older manual transmissions did, so they are all Engine Specific

As a side note
Your 1997 was the last year Rangers had the "speedometer cable" hook up on the tail shaft of 2WD transmissions
Speedometer cable was not used but there is a VSS sensor in its place
So if you get a 1998-2000 M5R1 you will need to swap tail shaft housings and move the speedo Drive gear on to the "new" transmission's tail shaft, not a big deal to do

 

[jtm554]

Is the bell housing interchangeable? Or is it solid

 

[RonD]

I added to my post
No, M5R1 bell housings are not removable, the bell housing and main case of transmission are cast as one piece.

 

[jtm554]

What years have the same bolt pattern has a 97

 

[jtm554]

As a 97

 

[rusty ol ranger]

As a 97

Any 2.3 from 83-97 should work. As would anything from a 2.5 ranger

 

[scotts90ranger]

You need a '88 to '97 to bolt up and be as compatible as possible. The slave cylinder changed in '92 and the shift lever out of the top changed some around '95 I think...

What is the trans doing?