Another "Will this work" Question

[FordracingBII]

I have a 97 Mazda B4000 4.0 manual 5 speed 4wd elec transfer case and the trans is hard to shift, 5th gear makes a very bad sound and is unusable, gets stuck in 3rd. The transfer case has been nothing but clunks and grinds and left me stranded the other day. I have a 85 Bronco II 2.8 4wd with a 5speed and manual transfer case. I know the BII trans will bolt to the 4.0 and the transfer case is attached. Will there be any other issues besides the length of the front and rear drive lines?
Is there any sensors that the 97 trans has that the 85 won't have?
Any issues with the computer not seeing the right trans or the elec shift transfer case?
I will be glad to be rid of the 97 elec transfer case that causes so much trouble.
If this will work it will save me a ton of $ and should be a quick swap not to mention make my truck fun to drive again.

 

[Shran]

To answer your question...yes, it COULD be done...SHOULD it be done, no, I do not believe so, for these reasons:

- I am not sure the 4.0 starter will work.
- The TK-5 (assuming that's what it is in the B2) is a much lighter duty transmission than your M5OD and is probably just as worn out as your M5OD.
- The 1350 t-case is also weaker than your 1354, and does not have a provision for electronic speedo. Your speedometer and odometer will not work.
- You will need two new driveshafts, as you mentioned - '85 trucks have small 1210 rear u-joints, your '97 has 1310's, and there is not a conversion u-joint made to my knowledge. So you are left with building a custom driveshaft with weird joints from both trucks, or having a very spendy custom driveshaft built.

Using the stuff from '85 is ten steps backwards and a lot of money wasted. Find a good M5OD and t-case that actually fit your truck, or learn to rebuild them yourself... they're not terribly complex.

 

[adsm08]

Additionally the 85 trans is shorter, which means relocating the cross member forward.

The 85 trans will not hold up to the 4.0, hydraulic lines are different, and the connections are in different spots, shifter is in the wrong spot, etc.

Frankly, I think you are wasting a lot of time and effort with the idea you propose. The 5th gear of the M5OD is all the way at the back, in the extension housing. It's not even in the main part of the case. This means with a little ingenosity (that's my own word, I made it up myself) you can actually service 5th gear hard parts with the trans in the truck.

 

[Shran]

The 5th gear of the M5OD is all the way at the back, in the extension housing. It's not even in the main part of the case. This means with a little ingenosity (that's my own word, I made it up myself) you can actually service 5th gear hard parts with the trans in the truck.

I have been trying to run that through my head to determine whether that's possible. The hard part would be getting the countershaft nut torqued back down when the repair is done. I think you'd have to pull the top cover off so that you could lock it into 1st and 3rd, and you might have to remove it anyway to get the 5th/reverse shift fork out. I will be swapping out a worn out M5OD in the near future with one I rebuilt so I will have to take some notes as to how difficult it would be - I agree that it sounds possible.

 

[adsm08]

I said possible, not easy.

I have serviced the 5/R gear with the rest of the trans together before because when I did my 4x4 conversion last spring I had everything back together and then found out the gear was in backwards. I was able slip everything out around the output shaft without removing anything that would have been inaccessable in the vehicle. The little detent ball was not fun at all, but it was possible.


For what it's worth I'd get another trans and fix this one later to use as a spare, or to sell.

 

[FordracingBII]

I just had the TK5 and 1350 transfer case rebuilt right before the aerial maneuver that that totaled the BII. Being short on $ right now and that trans and transfer case just sitting there knowing that it bolts up (with a few modifications) was looking pretty good.
I have never had much success rebuilding transmissions but I have tools and time so maybe i will take the plunge and see if I can fix the 5th gear problem.
If it's not one thing its 10 others.
Today I locked the mile marker hubs to go 3 blocks to the store in the snow and found out the hubs lock in and the transfer case shifts into 4wd but the front wheels do not have power to them and I have narrowed it down to the front differential. Is there a weak part in these front axles? any idea what part may have broke? or is it a junk yard item?

 

[Shran]

Without actually being there to look at it, it's hard to say. Dana 35 axles are fairly strong but not bulletproof. If your axle shaft u-joints are all intact, then it could be an issue with the ring & pinion, or something broke inside the transfer case, or your lockout hubs are not locked in all the way, or a shaft broken inside the spindle. Not much else it could be.

Are you sure that you have zero power to BOTH front wheels? With an open differential, you will only have power to one wheel, and it will always be the wheel that has no traction...like if one wheel is on dry pavement and the other is on ice, the one on the ice will spin.

 

[FordracingBII]

Hubs lock in and turn the axle shafts. Transfer case hooks up the front drive shaft. With both front wheels off the ground hubs locked axle shafts turn but drive shaft does not. With both front wheels off the ground hubs locked would spinning 1 wheel foreword cause the other front wheel to spin backwards? I have no movement of opposite front wheel. Both hubs unlocked if I turn the front driveshaft shouldn't the front axle shafts turn? mine do not leading me to think that the connection between the drive and axle shafts inside the differential is broke.
Thanks for your reply

 

[Shran]

When the hubs are both locked in, with the wheels off the ground, they should spin in opposite directions. Both axle shafts should also spin.

When the hubs are unlocked, the wheels are disconnected from EVERYTHING else and should spin freely. They may still spin the axle shafts a tiny bit and that is also normal.

The test I'd try is lift both fronts off the ground, lock the hubs in, transfer case in neutral, and spin the front driveshaft. Do both wheels spin? Or you could try leaving the hubs unlocked, tires on the ground, t-case in neutral, and spin the front driveshaft. Both front shafts should be turning. Note any unusual noises or resistance.

You could also remove the rear driveshaft, lock the hubs in, and see if the truck will move with the t-case in 4-hi or 4-low.

 

[cp2295]

Id get a junkyard m5od or if youre up to the task rebuild the one ya got. Junk that e transfer case for a manual shift, i picked one up at the jy for 100$ with the shifter/linkage. Straightforward swap on that end just cut a hole for the shifter. Theres many writeups i believe to hook up the 4wd lights, i did it and its very easy. Dont waste time on that tranny from the b2 its weak and not worth the effort.


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[cp2295]

Any 1354 manual shift will work btw, whether it be from a 3.0 or 4.0


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