M5R2 Top cover modification

[Maui-sprint]

Not sure what you mean by "early 5 speed". It helps if you have the year. When interchanging Ford parts, you need to be specific. Anyway, to update you on my progress, I was successful in my goal. To refresh, my transmission is an M5R2 out of a 1991 full size bronco. The '91 tranny had the "center-located" shifter with iron shift forks. I wanted to swap out the top cover from a 97-03 f150 ("rear" located shifter) but the cover I had was not compatible because it had wider aluminum forks that would not mate with the '91 sliders. I went back to my source and he hooked me up with a "rear" cover with IRON forks. Fits perfectly and shifts smooth. Problem solved. I'm guessing the cover he hooked me up with was from a '97-'98 model F150 M5R2. There must have been a transition between the iron forks-to-aluminum forks at this time. All I know is there are two types of the "rear" shifter M5R2 top covers. One has aluminum forks, the other has iron forks. THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. If using a 1996 or earlier M5R2 make sure you specify iron forks.
On a separate note, if your project is a 4x4, I would be patient and search out the correct 4x4 tranny instead of buying two 2wd trannies and combining. Plus your gonna spend $400+ just for parts to convert to a 4x4. Might as well get a rebuilt unit for $900.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Any part number on your cover? Pics if you can may help others too!

 

[Maui-sprint]

Unfortunately, I had to mail the aluminum-fork cover back in order to receive the iron-fork version (never took any pics of the one I sent back). What I can do is post up pics of the two different iron-fork covers side by side for comparison, and post up a pic of an aluminum fork so you can see the difference. Will do it tonight after I get home from work.

 

[Highway101]

Any part number on your cover? Pics if you can may help others too!

Not sure what you mean by "early 5 speed". It helps if you have the year. When interchanging Ford parts, you need to be specific. Anyway, to update you on my progress, I was successful in my goal. To refresh, my transmission is an M5R2 out of a 1991 full size bronco. The '91 tranny had the "center-located" shifter with iron shift forks. I wanted to swap out the top cover from a 97-03 f150 ("rear" located shifter) but the cover I had was not compatible because it had wider aluminum forks that would not mate with the '91 sliders. I went back to my source and he hooked me up with a "rear" cover with IRON forks. Fits perfectly and shifts smooth. Problem solved. I'm guessing the cover he hooked me up with was from a '97-'98 model F150 M5R2. There must have been a transition between the iron forks-to-aluminum forks at this time. All I know is there are two types of the "rear" shifter M5R2 top covers. One has aluminum forks, the other has iron forks. THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. If using a 1996 or earlier M5R2 make sure you specify iron forks.
On a separate note, if your project is a 4x4, I would be patient and search out the correct 4x4 tranny instead of buying two 2wd trannies and combining. Plus your gonna spend $400+ just for parts to convert to a 4x4. Might as well get a rebuilt unit for $900.

My thought on this is that I could use the 96-97 top on an earlier 88-95 M5OD-R2 transmission that will bolt to the 5.0 Explorer engine and this would give me more options for transmissions to chose from. I should be able to find a 4x4 transmission easier that way. Possibly the top from any 96-97 could work but not sure. I will do more research.

 

[Maui-sprint]

Thats exactly what I did. Just make sure you get the later cover with iron forks. There is an aluminum fork version which will not mate with the early trans sliders. Aluminum forks are wider. I found this out the hard way after buying the aluminum version. Fortunately for me, the guy I picked them up from also had the iron fork version so I did an exchange for the right one. Shifts great.

I will try to post some pics up this weekend to show the differences. The covers are bolted up to trannys at the moment and will need to take them off to take pics.

 

[Maui-sprint]

Sorry it took so long to reply. Here are pics of an early (up to 1996) topcover and a 97-98 cover (the 97-98 version is in front). As you can see it sits a little further back. No part numbers on the covers but there are obvious differences in the castings to help you ID them from each other. Note: both of these are IRON forks and as such are interchangeable. I also included a pic of an aluminum fork cover to show the difference. The aluminum version will NOT fit on an early M5R2 without some sort of modification. If anyone has been successful in modifying an aluminum-fork version cover please share with us.