'90 2.9 5sp FM132 help

[cruchief]

Hey folks, thanks for any help here. Customer has a 90 2.9 2WD w/a Mits FM132 jumping out of 4th. Since I can't buy a input shaft(4thgear) anymore I am curious if any other unit will bolt in beit a FM146 or M50. Hard searching archives for a similiar post so I thought I'd ask experts. Again, Thanks.

 

[AllanD]

the Mazda M5OD-R1 2wd trans from another 2.9 (or 2wd 4.0)
is a near direct bolt-in replacement for the Mitsubishi FM132

the Mazda has a non removeable bellhousing

The 4.0 trans will work but it has different internal ratios (not that someone switching from
a Mistu FM132 in a 2wd would ever notice) and the 4.0 version of the trans is generally easier to find

the only slightly serious issue with this swap is shifter location.

the Mazda shifter is approximatly 2-1/2" further forward and that requires the appropriate floor-plate, the removeable (aprox 10"x18") plate under the carpet that the shift boot mounts to.

Obviously the hole in the carpet is located differently, but if you use a sharp new blade
in a stanley-type utility knife and cut the carpet from the back (itthe underpadding is pre-scored) you can take the piece of carpet you cut from the front of the exsisting hole and glue it in place (3M spray adhesive) to the back of the shifter hole before screwing the shift boot back in place.

Be sure to get the shift lever with the mazda trans, it is different from that if the FM132.

The worst part of this whole job is actually getitng both floor plates out, the little machine screws (8mm heads) that hold the plates in place go into clip nuts (tinnermann clips) and you should expect to break atleast two or three of those clips between the two vehicles

That's it and it really is just that easy....

Hope that helps you out.


BTW, before installing the donor trans remove the front bearing retainer anc check for plastic chips, do the same to the tail cone (there is a little plastic cup that funnels oil into the cluster gear extension ) and that is also a debris trap...

Lastly pull the top cover and clean out the little oil ramp on the drivers side of the trans that feeds oil into the input bearing.

If all these areas are clean and the shifter bushings are't sloppy the mazda trans you put in
shouldn't come back to haunt you.

AD

 

[cruchief]

Hey AD, thanks for the response. The unit in this truck should probably go away for the M50 since part availability is better on the 50. Sounds like the swap is pretty straightforward. And I'll probably do a mild rebuild before I install it in this guys truck just cause we can. Again, thanks.