My tranny doesn't have holes in side for manual shift linkage?

[cp2295]

Is there anyway to get the linkage to work if my tranny doesn't have the bolt holes on the side? Has anyone ever heard of this? Its a 98 4.0 m5od I believe, (it has vss sensors on the tranny)

 

[cp2295]

Is it possible to just weld a bolt onto the side of my tranny or something?

 

[4x4junkie]

If you can weld aluminum, I don't see why you couldn't weld something to it...

Are the bolt bosses there and they just aren't drilled? (maybe you can drill them out & tap them if so)

If not, another option would be to swap an extension housing from a different year onto it ('97-down, or maybe the FX4 years have them too I think... engine the trans is for won't matter here).

 

[swynx]

i was gonna say that ive read about the casting still being there just no hole, which you should be able to tap it.

 

[cp2295]

No it doesn't even have a protrusion or anything, a tranny shop could swap the tail housing right? Would there be anything wrong with welding a bolt onto it, I figure I'd just take it to a welder and have them do it, idk how to weld and I know doing aluminum is hard

 

[cp2295]

What I'm saying is would it shift properly and all that?

 

[SenorNoob]

I remember seeing somewhere (explorerforum maybe) that someone had used a bent steel plate with a nut welded onto the back of it for that. Of course I can't find it now...

It was just a plate that bolted onto the extension housing somewhere else and covered the area where the transfer case shifter needed to be bolted up.

 

[SenorNoob]

Just looking at it, I can't see why you couldn't just use a piece of angle iron bolted on between the transmission mount and the extension housing. Just drill 4 holes and weld nut on the back of two of them.

 

[adsm08]

I don't see why it wouldn't shift properly if you were able to weld a bolt in the correct spot. The bolt doesn't move, it just acts as a pivot.

 

[cp2295]

Alright sweet I'll go back to the junkyard and grab the transfer caseand let you all know what I did, hopefully it'll still be there!

 

[cp2295]

How do I swap the extension housing and can I swap one off a 3.0 m5od? Since they're way easier to come by

 

[cp2295]

Oh nvm 4x4 junkie already answered that haha but still don't know how to swap the extension, can I do it with the tranny in the rig still?

 

[96firephoenix]

Oh nvm 4x4 junkie already answered that haha but still don't know how to swap the extension, can I do it with the tranny in the rig still?

If you can get to the bolts, I don't see why not... the crossmember will be difficult to remove due to rust.

 

[cp2295]

If you can get to the bolts, I don't see why not... the crossmember will be difficult to remove due to rust.

But is it a matter of unbolting the old one and bolting the new one in? Like is it going to have stuff come out or will that all stay in place? I'm not a tranny guy so I don't want to have to deal with putting the guts back together

 

[cp2295]

Had to make a bracket anyways, tail housing seal was in a different location. Took a few hours but works good I'll post pics tomorrow. Copied racinNdrummin's idea works good