M50D-R1 transmission question.

[Foozin34]

I have a 4X4 1988 ranger that has the transmission that is the "M50D-R1 2WD Transmission" on this link:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/ManualTransmission.html.

Is that possible to have a 2wd tranny in a 4wd truck?

The tranny had to be pulled and i am planning to rebuild it, I was wondering where to find a master rebuild kit and a manual to rebuild it.

Thanks,
Foozin

 

[MAKG]

Umm, no transmission rebuild kit comes with what you need. They come with a bunch of things you don't, and will be missing things you do.

You ALWAYS rebuild based upon an inspection, and replace what is bad.

You can put a 2WD transmission in there, but you'll have no 4WD, and you'll need a different rear driveshaft.

 

[Ranger44]

If indeed you are taking it apart, you can make it a 4x4 tranny by swapping over a new shaft and tailhousing.

 

[AllanD]

If your truck is a 4x4 and the 4x4 works then you have a 4x4 trans.

they did (and for that matter still do) make a 4x4 Version of the Mazda tansmission.

Just because it may not be pictured...

AD

 

[Ranger44]

I must not have read the post correctly. Is there a transfer case?

The Mazda was offered in both 4wd and 2wd.

 

[rboyer]

Well if it is a 2wd transmission in your truck then it sounds like you got jerked by whoever sold it to you because now in order to get the 4wd working at the least you're going to need a 4wd transmission, transfer case, and driveshafts. Assuming that you do have a 2wd transmission under there, maybe the original one died and the previous owner got a 2wd mazda trans for next to nothing and decided to just get the thing running as cheap as possible?

 

[Foozin34]

It does have a transfer case and the 4 wheel drive worked in 4 low but not 4 high, so it must be a 4 wheel drive trans.

The tranny was removed and third gear is completely gone.

What would a kit have that i would not need?

 

[MAKG]

Probably most of the bearings. The front ones see much more wear than the center and rear ones.

That accounts for most of the cost of the kit. Brass is a bit cheaper, and seals/paper are a LOT cheaper.

 

[AllanD]

The tranmission kit includes ALL the bearings and there's only one that usually "Fails"
And it's NOT the input bearing.

IT's the little "pocket bearing that lives INSIDE the ipnut gear
and often if that bearing fails the trans isn't rebuildable without "hard parts"

As for the synchro rings, generally only the one for 3rd gear and reverse wear to any appreciable degree. (the one for 1st is usually brown with varnish)

I have only ONCE seen a bad countershaft bearing.
and that was an aftermarlet bearing that was by design weaker
than the OEM piece.

If your trans is bad it's going to have to come out, and be disassembled
to determine if it's worth fixing.

Generally speaking if the input gear still has all it's teeth and the gear
hasn't turned black the trans is probably fixable.

On a "bad" one the input gear and the input spur on the cluster gear look like thy are made of dark chocolate and were left in the sun too long. (they literally MELT)

AD

 

[Foozin34]

I thought there wasn't synchros for reverse.

Where is the best place to buy parts for this trans and is there anywhere to find a manual as well?

thanks.

 

[fixizin]

Where is the best place to buy parts for this trans and is there anywhere to find a manual as well?

Try this place... some parts come as kits, some buy ONLY the parts you want:

http://www.southwestgear.com/transmission.htm


PS: Can't vouch for 'em, never dealt with 'em...

 

[AllanD]

I thought there wasn't synchros for reverse.

Where is the best place to buy parts for this trans and is there anywhere to find a manual as well?

thanks.

The M5OD-R1 uses a synchronized reverse.

However the innner serrations are truncated
basically a new synchro ring for reverse looks like badly worn one for any other gear. so the synchro isn't real grippy, this is by intent.

I can't think of anything more spectacularly destructive to a transmission than someone's attempt to "Grab Sixth" at highway speed with a Mazda M5OD-R1

IF the transmission actually goes into gear
AND
IF the clutch disc doesn't explode
AND
the driver actually lets the clutch out bad shit is gonna happen.

The very least is that the input shaft will simply snap off.

Buy parts?
My old supplier is out of buisness.

Arizona Hard Parts? (I've never actually done buisness with them)

Manual? any Factory Ford powertrain manual for a ranger based vehicle from 1988-current covers the M5OD-R1 trans,

AD

 

[Foozin34]

Grab Sixth

What does Grab Sixth mean?

 

[rboyer]

Sixth gear is that "hidden" gear that your truck has right below 5th gear. Get it going into 5th gear and slam it straight down really fast and hard and you will "Grab Sixth"

 

[redneck91]

i have a question, i have a 91 ranger 4.0 and i had started my truck up early this morning and had no problems but i started it up later on during the day and the tranny sounds like its about to drop and it bucks in all gears so what could that be?