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86 BII to 92 explorer tranny swap?


lost86broncoii

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
161
City
Baldwinsville, NY
Vehicle Year
1986
1986
199
Transmission
Manual
Hey guys, I need to do something about my automatic in my 86 Bii, and I have a 92 explorer 5 speed with a rusted out sending unit/fuel lines sitting in my yard. My question is what do I need to do about the pedals, can I use the explorers pedal's without swapping the steering colum and dash? Or do I need to go to the J/Y and pull a set from a 86-90 bii or ranger?
And any tips on hooking up the clutch safety switch, should I just use the one from the explorer?

Thanks:icon_cheers:
 
If I remember right, you will need the pedal assembly from a first gen Ranger/Bronco II. I can't remember for sure. If so, try to get pedals from a truck as close to '86 as you can... they were modified quite frequently. For example the pedal assembly from a '74 F150 is completely different than one from a '79 even though they share the same body.
 
Good to know Shran, cause I was looking at an 84 bronco ii's pedals but I had a feeling they looked different than the 86 I used to owns pedals... I need to find a better junk yard around here. I believe there was an 87 ranger with a 2.3 5 speed at the yard I wonder if that would work?
 
I wound up using the pedal set from an '85 BII. I can't imagine different years or rangers being tremendously different so long as you stay within the 80's. In my case, the pivot rod the pedals mount to from the explorer is longer than it needed to be. I can't remember if I changed to the BII pedal set out of necessity or if it was just a random decision.

I used an exploder clutch kit, slave, and master and wound up not being able to get enough pedal travel without cutting, extending, and rewelding my clutch master's pushrod.
 
The pedal arm changed shape in 88. An 83-87 pedal is needed to work with an 83-87 dash harness, the 88+ arm is needed for an 88+ harness. The difference is in the clutch switch and how it mounts, works, and plugs in.

The 83-87 switch is on the pedal bracket and the pedal arm pushes on a rod that is part of the switch and has a 2-pin plug.

The 88+ switch mounts to the pushrod of the clutch master cylinder and is activated by the movement of that rod and has a 4-pin plug.

The 87 and earlier arm will contact the later switch and pop it off the rod, even with the safety gate and not let the clutch pedal go down far enough to give full release.

An 88+ arm won't actuate the earlier switch.

Now there is another option. Your dash harness already has the plug for the clutch switch, it just has a jumper plugged into it to keep the circuit closed. You could use whichever arm you can find and just not use a clutch switch.

I swapped an 88 clutch arm into my 87 Ranger after swapping the dash out for a new harness and factory tach. It fits right into the early-build bracket.
 
Hey guys, I need to do something about my automatic in my 86 Bii, and I have a 92 explorer 5 speed with a rusted out sending unit/fuel lines sitting in my yard. My question is what do I need to do about the pedals, can I use the explorers pedal's without swapping the steering colum and dash? Or do I need to go to the J/Y and pull a set from a 86-90 bii or ranger?
And any tips on hooking up the clutch safety switch, should I just use the one from the explorer?

Thanks:icon_cheers:

The Explorer trans will mate up to the 2.9 as will the heavier flywheel and larger clutch.

There will be some minor wiring required to make the 4.0 starter work but as they are a better starter you'll muddle through.

you will need to replace BOTH driveshafts because the explorer trans is 2" longer than your '86 trans.

This will also require REMOVING the 1986 Transmission crossmember AND it's mounting brackets and using the Explorer crossmember in the REAR holes that are already there in your frame.

As for the Pedals, the Explorer pedals WILL work, however they will not work with an early "clutch safety switch (no worries here your factory auto truck has a jumper mounted in place of the switch) and the later pedals require a different cruise control cutoff switch, this only matters IF you have cruise control And it still works (or if you want to make it work)

The explorer pedal bracket will not work...

I have working cruise control in my 1987 with my 1987 pedal I just installed the auto trans "jumper" so my clutch
pedal does not turn off my cruise control, and I have no clutch pedal safety switch.

So basically the "not fit" isn't an issue unless you want it to be:)
 
Last edited:
you will need to replace BOTH driveshafts because the explorer trans is 2" longer than your '86 trans.

Aren't the A4LD and M5OD pretty much the same length?
 
Aren't the A4LD and M5OD pretty much the same length?

No the FM145 is the same length as an A4LD. I believe the FM146 and M5OD are longer, and the TK's are shorter.
 
No the FM145 is the same length as an A4LD. I believe the FM146 and M5OD are longer, and the TK's are shorter.

I know the 146 and M5 are the same length. I thought the A4LD was longer as well.
 
Nope it's just a hair over 2" shorter, IIRC.
 
If my old cv driveshaft wasn't toast it would have fit with no issues. I ended up having the explorer shaft cut down to the same length and it's great.
 

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