Headers and Transmissions

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Been looking for a budget set of headers that will work on my 94 3.0, either using the factory townpipe and cat, or with a catless downpipe. Only ones I’ve found have been over 500 dollars...meanwhile that’s what I paid for the truck.

Also passively looking for a new transmission. Mine shifts pretty rough. The junkyards are FULL of manual 2wd transmissions, but 4wd manual transmissions are pretty tough to find. Is there a way to replace the tail shaft of a 2wd trans with the tail shaft from my current 4wd transmission? 2.3, 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 all share the same bellhousing right?

 

[adsm08]

In your situation trying to convert a 2wd to a 4x4 is inefficient as you would be doing all the same work to just rebuild the trans.

If you haven't already, start by changing the fluid. The M5OD doesn't shift nice on a good day, but low or dirty fluid can make it worse.


I also never understood not buying a part that you want or need because the price is too high a percentage of the price of the vehicle. If you want/need it you want/need it.

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

I have changed the fluid yes, but with that many miles the synchros are just plain wore out. The tailshaft doesn’t just bolt into the end?

 

[Dirtman]

2.3, 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 all share the same bellhousing right?

Not even a little bit...

 

[adsm08]

2.3, 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 all share the same bellhousing right?

I missed this part. The 2.3 and 2.5 Lima engines share a pattern. 2.8/2.9/4.0 share a pattern. The 2.3 Duratec and 3.0 are both their own things. And the M5OD has an integrated bell, so it can't be removed.

Oh, to make it a little more fun, the 4.0 uses a different gear set.

I have changed the fluid yes, but with that many miles the synchros are just plain wore out. The tailshaft doesn’t just bolt into the end?

The tail housing does just bolt to the end of the case. What you are trying to do is not that simple. The output shafts are different bewteen 2wd and 4x4. Length, thickness, and spline count are all different.

What that boils down to is that you can't just slap an extension housing and transfer case on a 2wd trans and have a 4x4 trans.

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

What that boils down to is that you can't just slap an extension housing and transfer case on a 2wd trans and have a 4x4 trans.

Ok, so I would have to swap ALL the gears and synchros into my case and at that point it’s not even worth buying used.

So I guess I’ll have to buy a rebuild kit or wait for a 3.0 4x4 with relatively low miles to happen in. Does a 3.0 happen to have the same bellhousing as a 5.0? I’m looking to maybe do that swap later on down the road. If it doesn’t bolt up, I’d have to use the R2 version out of a bubble nose v6 f150 right?

 

[adsm08]

Ok, so I would have to swap ALL the gears and synchros into my case and at that point it’s not even worth buying used.

So I guess I’ll have to buy a rebuild kit or wait for a 3.0 4x4 with relatively low miles to happen in. Does a 3.0 happen to have the same bellhousing as a 5.0? I’m looking to maybe do that swap later on down the road. If it doesn’t bolt up, I’d have to use the R2 version out of a bubble nose v6 f150 right?

3.0 isn't the same as 5.0.

I'm getting ready to rebuild mine. It isn't hard, but you need a press, which I have, so I'm set on that front. What you are up against is more than just a gut swap. You have to completely break down the output shaft assembly to swap shafts, and the speed gears are pressed on.

Price of the kit I'm getting is just a little more than I'd pay for a JY trans around here, if I can find one. I'd hit up Cobra Trans, and then start asking people you know if they have a press. Or hit up HF.

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Gotcha. Yeah I have access to a press at work. But it shifts well enough to not worry about it since I won’t be able to use it with the v8.

So the m5od-r2 and t-case it is I guess. Do you know if the f150 transfer case will be plug and play with the ranger body harness? I’d have to adapt the speed sensor since mine is cable, but I’m sure I can find one of those combos somewhere...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Use an older tcase set up for a speedo drive. Pretty much everything older than ‘97. Watch the width some are wider than others and some (like my NP205) need a little tweaking to work with a newer trans.

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Can you explain what kind of tweaks? Also what I can find them in? Not looking for anything crazy off-road capable, just something budget friendly that is an easy swap that can take mild off roading. No lift or solid axle or anything is planned, and I’m debating real hard on just a leveling kit.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Mine is out of a '77 Bronco/F-150/F-250.

I had to notch the transmission in two places. One for the shift rails and one for a boss that stuck out from the t-case. And make an adapter ring because the NP205 goes into the trans farther than my M5ODR2 was intended to have the t-case go inside of it. Older transmissions are designed to deal with all of that.

You can see the notch for the shift rail at the top, the boss at the bottom and the black spacer ring I had made to go between the trans and t-case.



The NP205 is a nice compact t-case that fits the chassis well. It is really stinking heavy and the 2:1 low range isn't as low as some of the others though. There are more pics scattered throughout my build thread over this last summer.

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Awesome, thank you. I will be sure to look every time I go to see if they get anything in

 

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Thinking of buying a full explorer for the engine axle and other various odds and ends to do the b8 swap. I’ll be looking for a 4wd m5od-r2 from an i6 or v8 obs f150, or a 4.2 4x4 bubble nose stick. Will the older tcase from the obs bolt to a transmission from a bubble nose if I were to find one of those first?

Also keep in mind I have the ttb front end, so what all will go into the engine mounts and oil pan clearance? Because I’ve read that it’s a little different than the sla setup.

With that also being said, how hard will it be to make the OBD2 5.0 play nice with my OBD1 ranger body?

And I redid the exhaust on my truck since the old one crumbled into nothing