Converting 2wd Trans to 4x4, 2.3l

[ShyTown]

The transmission in my ‘95 operates just fine but it’s pretty noisy so I’m thinking of rebuilding it (with inspiration from @rebelrider.mike ‘s thread).

Seeing as how my truck is my daily it can’t be down too long, so I figure I’ll find a pulled one locally to rebuild at my leisure this winter/spring.

Wouldn’t you know there’s a pulled 2.3 trans available locally for an ok price, but it’s a 2wd not 4x4. If I wanted use this trans, is it as straightforward a matter as swapping in the correct 4x4 mainshaft and rear housing or should I keep looking?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shran]

The short answer is - yes - but make sure it's for a 2.3 Lima and not a 2.3 Duratech. The Duratech case is of no use to you, the guts might be. Bellhousing pattern is different, make sure it matches yours, that's the easiest way to tell if you don't know the donor year - Duratech engine was found in 2001+ trucks.

The long answer is, if you are swapping parts in these, you want to stay near your truck's year fairly close unless you know the little nuances. The early ones ('88, 89, maybe '90) have a few different parts in the 5th/rev cluster than the early-mid 90's ones. The shifter stub and top cover changed in the late 90's... then in the early 2000's there was a "HD" model behind the 4.0 that had other different pieces. I don't know how much of that crossed over to the 3.0 and 4 cylinder trucks of that time period. There are also some differences with speedometer sensors/gears in various years but that's a non-issue for you with the 4x4 trans.

Really what I'm saying is if you found a 2011 donor and tried to put the guts in your '95 case you may run into issues. But if your donor was say a '97... or a '92... you are pretty safe.

 

[ShyTown]

The short answer is - yes - but make sure it's for a 2.3 Lima and not a 2.3 Duratech. The Duratech case is of no use to you, the guts might be. Bellhousing pattern is different, make sure it matches yours, that's the easiest way to tell if you don't know the donor year - Duratech engine was found in 2001+ trucks.

The long answer is, if you are swapping parts in these, you want to stay near your truck's year fairly close unless you know the little nuances. The early ones ('88, 89, maybe '90) have a few different parts in the 5th/rev cluster than the early-mid 90's ones. The shifter stub and top cover changed in the late 90's... then in the early 2000's there was a "HD" model behind the 4.0 that had other different pieces. I don't know how much of that crossed over to the 3.0 and 4 cylinder trucks of that time period. There are also some differences with speedometer sensors/gears in various years but that's a non-issue for you with the 4x4 trans.

Really what I'm saying is if you found a 2011 donor and tried to put the guts in your '95 case you may run into issues. But if your donor was say a '97... or a '92... you are pretty safe.

Great info, thanks man! It’s off a ‘96, so should be good. Does transfer case type matter?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Great info, thanks man! It’s off a ‘96, so should be good. Does transfer case type matter?

No, the BW1350 and BW 1354 are interchangeable as far as the transmission connection. The only possible issue would be if you have a manual transfer case because the boss may not be drilled/tapped in the 2wd case to accept the t-case shifter

 

[Shran]

Great info, thanks man! It’s off a ‘96, so should be good. Does transfer case type matter?

Nope, after 1989 they were all Borg Warner 1354's. Same transfer case all the way up to 2011 with a couple of minor revisions.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I thought the shifter boss was on the extension housing... shouldn't be an issue there.

You should be good, the main differences between those as noted above is the rear housing and output shaft, doing it in a weekend if you had a spare started with the new bearings on the countershaft and input shaft would save some time but tackling the output shaft is the bulk of it...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I thought the shifter boss was on the extension housing... shouldn't be an issue there.

You should be good, the main differences between those as noted above is the rear housing and output shaft, doing it in a weekend if you had a spare started with the new bearings on the countershaft and input shaft would save some time but tackling the output shaft is the bulk of it...

You might be right, didn’t think of that

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

The 4x4 extension housings are practically unobtanium. Right now I see 3 on ebay: 1 for $500 and 2 for $600, one of them from an HD without the manual tcase bosses.

You can buy a 4x4 mainshaft for <$150 and do the other 99% of the rebuild in advance, but you'll need to yank the extension off your trans when you swap them, then wait overnight for the rtv to cure if you're into that.

Don't forget to buy an input shaft shim kit and main/countershaft stake nuts. IMO the bearing kit ought to include those, but it doesn't.