M5OD swap

[Mr. Tarkanian]

My Bronco II A4LD/M5OD swap is about to come together, I have everything I need except the clutch kit. I have a couple questions, though, for you that have done the swap:

1) My M5od came from a 95 explorer sport 4x4, and I've noticed that the top cover does NOT have a Nuetral Safety Switch made in it, nor is there a port for it. If I just don't use an NSS at all, will it cause issues?

2) Can I use the complete Hydraulic Clutch plumbing system from the 95 explorer? Will it bolt up to my firewall and pedals? My BII is an 89.


I appreciate any help in advance. This is my first trans swap.

 

[country0001]

You can use a pedal assembly from an 89-92 ranger or a 91-94 explorer. Not sure on the nss.

 

[Mr. Tarkanian]

Yes, I've already got the pedals installed, I took them from a 91 ranger. Wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected.

Anyone else?

 

[adsm08]

It isn't a safety switch on the manual trans, it's a neutral sense switch, and all it was really for was controlling idle quality. After a few years of the heavy 4.0 flywheel they realized it wasn't needed and deleted it. Unfortunately it was (for some dumb reason) wired in as part of the starting circuit.

Just take the two wires that are supposed to go there and solder them together to close the circuit so it starts.

The hydraulics, well you can use pretty much any year you want to after 1988.

 

[AllanD]

It isn't a safety switch on the manual trans, it's a neutral sense switch, and all it was really for was controlling idle quality. After a few years of the heavy 4.0 flywheel they realized it wasn't needed and deleted it. Unfortunately it was (for some dumb reason) wired in as part of the starting circuit.

Just take the two wires that are supposed to go there and solder them together to close the circuit so it starts.

The hydraulics, well you can use pretty much any year you want to after 1988.

The Neutral sense switch is NOT wired into the starting circuit on any year ranger that I have the EVTM for... and the only year up to 1994 I don't have
an EVTM for is 1991. (Someone local borrowed it and never returned it)

On Hydraulics be aware that there are some interchangebility issues.

The 1988-1992 used an aluminum bodied slave cylinder with a BLACK or RED
coupler on the clutch line and the same large bore master cylinder used back to 1983.

1994-up use a plastic bodied slave cylinder with a black coupler and a slightly different smaller bored master cylinder and a different line that have a Yellow/Gold connector.

The Yellow/gold connector is NOT compatible with the black (rarely red) connector.

The "early" 1983-92 Master cylinder is identifiable by the fact that it's mounting flange is a molded part of the master cylinder body

The 1993-94 master cylinder is identifiable by it's metal mounting cup

The later 1993-94 only master cylinder will absolutely not work with the
1988-92 slave cylinder because this slave requires more fluid displacement to actuate.

Doing it the other way around using the large bore "early" master with the later "plastic" slave will work but it has a few "issues"
1)High pedal effort
2)RAPID clutch actuation
3)Difficulty "modulating" the clutch
4)The potential for breaking the pushrod or cracking the
firewall if you make a habit of pushing the pedal completely to the floor.

I run a large bore M/C along with the plastic slave but
I've both reinforced my firewall AND added a positive pedal stop to prevent me from over traveling the clutch and breaking things.

I rarely have to push the pedal more than an inch to shift
This goes along nice with my Hurst shifter.