4x4 conversion with tranny swap

[Natedog]

Picked up my rebuilt tranny and xfer case today! Guy couldn't find a stick for the trans though.

What would be a good year and model shift stick to use? I looked at wreckers today and saw a 99 Ranger 4.0 stick....would that be good? What about the best boot and plate to use? I've looked and there are many slight variations it seems.

 

[AllanD]

Don't use the early style transmission crossmember, instead use the later one.
To drop the early one requires seperating the catalytic converter and
the Y-pipe and trust me, you don't want to get involved with that

The later style crossmember, ala' Explorer mounts under the exhaust,
but still offers an increase in ground clearance over the "dogbone" crossmember.

As for the skidplate? if you have an actual factory Ranger Aux tank the bronco2 skidplate won't work, it mounts differently and the rear most crossmember that
the back mounts to is also different.

If you really want the correct skid plate for your aux tank PM me,
I have one.

I also have spare aux tank straps

I've set-up my '87 supercab with the AUX tank from an F-350/450.
And I'm using the F-350/450 skid plate.

I've also converted my truck to in-tank high pressure fuel pumps

And relocated my fuel filter back to the location where the frame
mounted pump was (same location as on an '89-up) to make it easier
to change.

AD

 

[Natedog]

I've got a method for doing the catlyst remove and reinstall down pat only takes me a couple minutes...not that I enjoy it though...lol. Yes I have actual Rnager auxiliary tank and it didn't look the same height/depth as the BII tank. Thanks for verification and pms.

What size are the clutch pressure plate bolts? Another thing that I'm missing!

 

[Natedog]

Got my original core flywheel back from the shop....they couldnt' get one until Monday and I'm tired of waiting on them and driving back and forth to BFE. Bought a new ring gear and having local parts store press new gear on, machine flywheel surface, and press pilot bearing in and out.

Bad news is when I went to pick it up, they machined a 0.006" step into the clutch surface....making the pressure plate sit up 0.006" higher than the disc clamping surface. I thought these flywheels are supposed to be flat....which when he looked it up, it shows them all as flat. He says some early ones had the step and mine did, so he machined it that way. The new made in China flywheel I looked at earlier today was flat.

Had mine machined flat (the Chinese junk is sounding better...lol). Fawkin machinist didn't get the starter ring gear on all the way around either!!!! I took it anyways cause apparently this particular NAPA auto parts could screw it up even worse. I'll finish the job with a brass drift and bfh.

BTW, the flywheel to crankshaft bolts are the same for manual and automatic transmission...Ford just used about a 5/8" thick spacer behind the flexplate to make up the extra length.

 

[Natedog]

Factory a4ld hole in the floor:

Backside of engine with 2 new freeze plugs ans new rear main seal installed. Snotted the crap outta both freeze plugs and had to use one of those copper/brass expanding plugs in the back of the right head. Tried to hammer standard cup type in last night but the angle too much.

Bellhousing area on my 1987 2.9 engine:

M5R1 and clutch cover sheet metal for 2.9...is the sheetmetal peice different? I got three all basically the same (2 a4ld and 1 fm145) pictured here. Seems the bottom and maybe the very top area are different when I line it up to my new tranny:

Front of my new Mazda M5R1 tranny:

Side:

Ready to install the flywheel except for this!

 

[Natedog]

...Dang forgot to get pressure plate bolts...anybody know what size they are supposed to be?

BTW these bolts are M8x1.25....at least on my flywheel they are. I've heard that some are 5/16" and some are 3/8"....don't know for sure tho.

 

[Natedog]

Don't use the early style transmission crossmember, instead use the later one.
To drop the early one requires seperating the catalytic converter and
the Y-pipe and trust me, you don't want to get involved with that

The later style crossmember, ala' Explorer mounts under the exhaust,
but still offers an increase in ground clearance over the "dogbone" crossmember....

Need to measure for my driveshaft soon and want to make changes one time only if possible. Got any pics of the different crossmembers? My stock 1987 xmember has, "Auto" stamped into the end on the flat part, is the manual crossmember different and if so, how?

 

[Natedog]

EDIT: My crossmember fit fine, but still don't know the difference (if there is any) between the 'auto' and 'manual' tranny mount crossmembers.

Measured for driveshaft yesterday and the front u-joint to carrier bearing is 9 3/4" and carrier bearing to rear pinion flange is 50 3/8". Pinion angle and transfer case rear output are both at 5 degrees (somehow this worked out, don't know how since the rest of the truck has been fighting me all the way! I'm going to make a standard one piece drivehsaft and cut out the carrier bearing cross member. I'm looking to replace the crossmember with a similiar shaped piece of channel that is 32" long x 5" wide (or a little less) with the raised center of the channel piece about 3/4" tall x 1 7/8" wide x 0.115" thick steel. The rivets will be replace with grade 8 bolts. These bolts are 3 5/8" apart at the ends of the channel. Thought I was going to cut out the crossmember above the gas tank from my old frame and use it, but it is too wide. So I'm looking for a suitable peice.

I need some steel U-channel with a flange on both legs of the ‘U’, that looks kind of like this: __I””””I__ I’m not sure what the proper name is for this type of channel. The size and shape of channel that I need is 32" long x 5" wide (or a little less) with the raised center of the channel piece about 3/4" tall x 1 7/8" wide x 0.115" thick steel. A piece longer than 32” is OK, as I can cut them too length, the other specs are the important ones.



I think this is what I’m looking for but since there is no picture I’m not sure:

Hot Roll MC Channel

A.K.A.: U Channel, Ship Car Channel
Alloy: A36
Characteristics: Rough, blue-grey finish. Usually heavier, with longer legs than other channel.
Workability: Excellent candidate for most processing techniques.
Applications: Trailers, Walkways, Ramps, Structural support
Length Tolerance: +/- 1/16”

 

[Natedog]

Cut out my carrier bearing cross member and a friend is going to bend up a new 'flat' one that has the same 'hat section' shape to it out of some 0.125" steel, even though it prolly doesn't need to be there, I'll feel better if it is. Picked up my new one piece 60.25" driveshaft Friday afternoon and installed it today since it rained cats and dogs all day yesterday and last night.

Bought a shifter and shifter stub (to match) that has the pinch bolt fore/aft on the passenger side and the locating pin on the front of the stub! Picked up a couple extra pinch bolts with nuts too. Still need the transfer case shifter for M5R1 setup and a boot in good condition for both shifters!

Turns out the shifter was wrong for the tranny so I cut and welded it so that the stick is at the proper 30* tilted back and inline with the driver.

Got my rebuilt m5r1 swapped into my 87 Ranger and running, but can't physically get the shifter to go into 5th or Reverse! It feels like it barely maybe starts to move over to the right one more gate...but doesn't. The shift stick is not hitting anything and no boot on yet so there isn't anything that I can see to keep it from going into 5th and Reverse.

I shifted it before installing and it went into all gears. I've had the shifter stub and busings out to replace them since the install and that is it.

Gah!!! I removed the shifter stub and found out that it was in backwards (180* off!!!) seems my stub shaft is supposed to (and now does) have the retaining pinch bolt going side to side at the REAR of the shifter. Of course I already cut and welded my shift stick last night and it's all pretty and painted too. Will have to cut again and weld again or may just goto the wreckers in a few minutes.

Not sure which way is correct now...

On the rear edge of the lower part of the shifter stub (below the pivot ball) is a 0.5" long machined flat about 0.75" from the bottom of the paddle like part that engages the shift rails, it keeps you from shifting into 6th gear LOL when coming out of 5th gear! The sides of the lower stub have flats too, but the one side is longer than the other. The one side is machined flat for about 1.5" from the bottom up (paddle like part that engages the shift rails) while the other side is only about 0.75" as measured from the bottom of the shifter stub.


These machined flat surfaces are same dimensions on the longer shifter stub too.


The transmission shop says that there are two types of top covers (shift rail/cover assemblies) and that they interchange but the shift stubs are top cover specific. I've now heard similiar from a reliable source.

The 'short' shifter stub that is a fore/aft left side pinch bolt is about 1 7/8" from the bottom of the pivot ball to the bottom of the 'paddle' that engages the shift rails and about the same 1 7/8" from top of pivot ball to the top end of shifter stub (where the shift stick slips over the stub). The total length of the shift stub is 4 11/16"

Pulled the longer shifter stub out and measured it! The 'long' shifter stub that is currently installed in my trans is about 2 3/16" long from the bottom of the pivot ball to the bottom of the 'paddle' that engages the shift rails and about the same 1 7/8" from top of pivot ball to the top end of shifter stub (where the shift stick slips over the stub). The total length of the shift stub is 5."

In regards to the lower half of shifter stub (below the pivot ball!) Notice longer machined flat on left side and shorter machined flat on right side:

Notice longer machined flat on right side and shorter machined flat on left side also approx 1/2" tall machined flat on narrow edge about 1/2" from bottom of 'paddle':

Approx 1/2" long machined flat at very bottom of 'paddle'

Approx 1 1/2" long machined flat at very bottom of 'paddle'

Shifter cut, turned, welded at wrong angle? Pinch bolt at front of shifter. Does pinch bolt go across front, back, wrong shifter stub, or huh? That's my tcase breather hose laying next to shifter.

These machined flat surfaces are same dimensions on the longer shifter stub too.

Pics and actual measurements are posted here now! It appears that if this longer shift stub is correct, then my pinch bolt goes side to side either at the front of back of the shifter.

FYI, it is about to my thumb knuckle (1") from the shifter retaining plate gasket surface down to the top of the trans plate and then about 1.5" or a bit less from there down to the top cover gasket surface.

OK all back together and it shifts fine with the shifter stub in the trans so that the stick pinch bolt is at the rear of the shifter going side to side and the locating pin on the right side.

Need to cut and re-weld my shift stick again.

FYI this tranny and shifter require a decent amount more effort to shift than either of my Toyotas do.

Aerostars with manual trans the stick pinch bolt is on the front. Why the heck didn't Ford make them all the same???

 

[Natedog]

Old and new frame crossmembers where the driveshaft carrier bearing and two-piece shaft used to go and the new 'flat' straight across member that my friend laser cut and bent up.

End view (old one is 0.115", new is 0.125"):

Cut and weld shifter! Same tilt as stock of course.

m5r1 in! But not quite ready yet.

 

[zainyD]]

Looking good man, nice job so far.

 

[red85]

Great job, Nate. Lots of details and good pics too. Who owns the Toy with the half doors? That looks like a pretty decent trail rig. The 22RE's just don't seem to die.

 

[Natedog]

Thanks, Zainydj!

Great job, Nate. Lots of details and good pics too. Who owns the Toy with the half doors? That looks like a pretty decent trail rig. The 22RE's just don't seem to die.

Thanks, I always like to get good clear info to help me with my projects and mods so I try to give the same.

That's my rock crawler 81 with 22R and it's been a pretty bullet-proof truck. I had all the stuff to convert it to EFI (from a 22RE Celica) and sold that stuff because it runs so good even with the carb that it wasn't worth the effort for a few more squirrels under the hood. I've had it laying on it's side still running. Now for sale in the Classsified section here at TRS...I'm going to miss it.

 

[Natedog]

Drove it today!!! And it hauls ass compared to with the a4ld junk!!! I love it! Gotta few details to clean up, but mostly done! My shifter boot etc is on the way, still need 4.10s for front axle, going to swap my cleaned up TB with TPS, do a tune up on it, remove un-needed pulleys since AC is gone, fix headliner, manual front hub conversion (when I swap the front gears), install tcase shifter when I find mounting bracket for a4ld/M5R1 with manual tcase setup....alll I can think of at the moment.

 

[danger88ranger]

What all did u have to do to just swap cabs? I have an 87 reg cab thats pretty rusty and i have an 88 with a really nice solid cab that im thinkin of swapping out i just wanted to get an opinion from someone who has done a swap like this before.