M50D-R1 from 2WD to replace AL4D auto 4x4?

[88GmaRanger]

Hello,

My 13 year old son and I are rebuilding an 88 Ranger XLT for his first vehicle. We have two trucks available to us.

Truck 1: 88 XLT 2wd with a 2.9l and M50D-R1 transmission. This truck was his great grandma's, she's owned it since brand new and it has about 80k miles on it. The motor and trans are clean, run well/ shift well but the truck was a Michigan truck so the body and frame are destroyed from all those years of salted roads.

Truck 2: 88 XLT 4wd with a 2.9l and AL4D auto transmission. This truck is a super clean Arizona truck with near prefect body work and frame. But the motor is leaky and has years of caked on grease. It's also automatic and we both really want manual transmission.

I'm reading on this site that the M50D-R1 won't bolt to the 2.9l motor that has the AL4D. And that the drive shafts might be different lengths. I'm also curious about how the transfer cases on the 4x4 would interact with the motor/m50d-r1 since it came from a 2wd truck.

Both trucks are identical in bed length, extended cab, even down to the exterior/ Interior colors (blue on blue).

Do you now if this swap would work if we completely swapped both the motor and transmission? We'd then have drive shafts that we could take from the parts truck also.

Is this possible?

 

[bobbywalter]

you need to convert the m50d to 4x4.

its basically a straight forward swap as the transmissions in 4x4 form are real similar in length.

 

[bobbywalter]

you need a 2.9 or 4.0 donor transmission. the 4 cyl and 3.0 are different bolt patterns.


you can take the guts from a 3.0 4x4 trans and convert your 2.9 trans to 4x4.


but 4x4 4.0 transmissions are pretty easy to get....so trade/sell what you have and apply that towards the transmission you desire.

 

[88GmaRanger]

you need a 2.9 or 4.0 donor transmission. the 4 cyl and 3.0 are different bolt patterns.


you can take the guts from a 3.0 4x4 trans and convert your 2.9 trans to 4x4.


but 4x4 4.0 transmissions are pretty easy to get....so trade/sell what you have and apply that towards the transmission you desire.

Thank you for responding!

I'm confused though. Both engines are the same 2.9l 6 cylinder. The only difference is that ones manual and the other is automatic.

How do you convert the 2wd M50D-R1 to 4wd?

 

[88GmaRanger]

you need a 2.9 or 4.0 donor transmission. the 4 cyl and 3.0 are different bolt patterns.


you can take the guts from a 3.0 4x4 trans and convert your 2.9 trans to 4x4.


but 4x4 4.0 transmissions are pretty easy to get....so trade/sell what you have and apply that towards the transmission you desire.

I think I'm understanding you now.

Are you saying to keep my 2.9l motor that has the 2wd m50d-r1 but sell/ trade the transmission and find a 4x4 version from a 4.0 to bolt up to the motor?

This way I wouldn't have to move transmission guts around?

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yes, that...

But I gotta confirm, are you just assuming the manual transmission you have is a M5OD or have you identified it as such from comparison pictures? '88 was the first year of the M5OD but was not common on 2.9L Rangers even through the last year of the 2.9 in '92...

Converting a 4x2 transmission into 4x4 is possible but isn't quite a novice project, not sure on the FM transmissions that were behind most 2.9L's...

That said, not much will stop you from putting the parts you have on hand in place and just leaving the front driveline out for the moment until you find a 4x4 transmission...

 

[88GmaRanger]

Yes, that...

But I gotta confirm, are you just assuming the manual transmission you have is a M5OD or have you identified it as such from comparison pictures? '88 was the first year of the M5OD but was not common on 2.9L Rangers even through the last year of the 2.9 in '92...

Converting a 4x2 transmission into 4x4 is possible but isn't quite a novice project, not sure on the FM transmissions that were behind most 2.9L's...

That said, not much will stop you from putting the parts you have on hand in place and just leaving the front driveline out for the moment until you find a 4x4 transmission...

I'm using the door sticker to determine the transmission. It is an M code transmission. I attached the door sticker.

 

[RobbieD]

Welcome.

This page from the tech section here on TRS may help you:
https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/ford-ranger-manual-transmissions/

"M" is the code for the M5OD. 2WD M5ODs built for the 2.9 are not common; so just be aware of that if you sell or trade it for a 4WD version, and don't just give it away.

The tech page I linked will give you better idea of the 2WD / 4WD difference, and also give you tips on visually confirming which model transmission you have.

 

[scotts90ranger]

With the M on the tag that's a good sign, like said, that's rare so why I was questioning

Keep your eyes open for a 4L M5OD on craigslist and facebook, they're not uncommon, stick to the '91-98ish year range though as they took out the manual transfer case shifter bolt bosses around then.

 

[88GmaRanger]

Nice thank you! I'll be at truck Nationals in carlisle this weekend. Maybe I can find one there.