Mylesofsmyles' Shop Truck...'85 2.3L Short Bed

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Your Ranger is looking much better, I like the color and your new wheels. I see your in CA. Is the header smog legal in CA ?

Oh yeah, well **** CARB! They don't let you buy aerosol hair spray or two-stroke weed whackers.

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Thanks, the color is my favorite, and the wheels really make it...exactly what I dreamed of.

Just got off the phone with the front strut supplier...struts should be in the mail before next week.

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

It's bitter-sweet, however, my automatic transmission shot me down, on Tuesday...

I knew there was a slow ATF leak, from when I got it running, leaking more and more fluid from either the torque converter or input shaft seal. It finally puked it's guts all over the street and I had to limp it a few blocks home.

What a drag, after I just took care of front wheel bearings & brakes...not to mention put my new Bilstein HD's on order.

Took my girlfriend's car, the very next day, out to the junk yards, to source parts...

Came home with...

1986 Manual Pedal Box
1994 2.3 Flywheel
1994 Starter Motor w/ integral relay/solenoid
&
1989 M5od Manual Transmission


Spent yesterday deleting every trace of automatic transmission, in my '85...Today, I lowered the old transmission out and did one hell of a cleaning. It's looking good, under the hood!

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Parts on order...

SACHS Clutch Kit
SKF Pilot Bearing
FelPro Oil Seals Kit
SACHS Clutch Master Cylinder
SACHS Hydraulic Clutch Bearing
Dorman Hydraulic Clutch Line
Timken Input Shaft Seal


I still need to source a driveshaft and a shift stick...maybe have to hit the junk yards again, on Tuesday or Wednesday.

It's a bummer that it happened so unexpectedly, as I would have spent my Bilstein HD money on this instead...That being said, I'm glad I'll finally get my manual transmission.

I had no idea these motors were painted silver...I got all the dirt and grime off...it's down to the rusty metal and what paint that's left...I love distressed engines...

 

[90longbed]

truck motors came in grey or black.... car versions were typicaly blue

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

I think I found my breakdown of wiring for neutral safety and reverse lights...

I'll be overriding the neutral safety, all together, so I'm most concerned in the reverse wiring...

Still, I'd like to know what this other 2-wire connector is.

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Bilstein HD front struts arrived yesterday!

Not like I can go drive my truck, but I felt installation was a better alternative to putting them on the shelf, till it's running again.

Spent the last hour of daylight, installing these babies....pretty straight forward installation!

Mmmm, new struts & a beer!

Those old Monroe's were way blown dude!

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

So, it'll be two weeks tomorrow, that my Automatic A4LD died. Today, Memorial Day, I got it running & driving, with it's new, used M5od!!! It went together like clock work, and I'm glad I had as much time as I did, to clean and thoroughly reassemble the truck.

I made a lot of little changes, and I wanted the time to do them right, so I wouldn't feel the need to revisit my work soon or later. It feels kinda cool, having a transmission from the later gen trucks, in my 1st gen. I've only driven one other 1st gen ranger, and the '88 Manual felt awful.

It took just a little careful cutting, with the Tin Snips, to expand the trans tunnel hole, for the M5od shifter, and two holes for the speednuts, to hold the new plate down...

Everything went together with brand new, top quality parts. I popped in a new Rear Main Seal, and pilot bearing...resurfaced the flywheel, for the new clutch kit, and all new hydraulic pieces too. I didn't know till the other day, that there are two bushings for the shifter....which are blown out. They're on order, and I'll pop 'em in as soon as they arrive. Shifts alright, despite them being worn out...

There was going to be a big hole, one way or the other, in the carpet....the automatic's shifter was in a totally different place. I figured there'd be no harm in cutting this one up...for now. It's pretty ratty looking as is, and I'll order a new one eventually.

There is an interesting driveline vibration, above 45...it must be the fork lift damage to the driveshaft.... I'm going to see about having it resleeved this week.

 

[jhammel85]

I'm Jealous. That's a swap that I really, REALLY want to do.

Problem is money. I don't have any at all...What was the damage (if you dont mind me asking)? I always figured a good thousand bucks, give or take, would work. Cheaper than a remanned A4LD!

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

I'm Jealous. That's a swap that I really, REALLY want to do.

Problem is money. I don't have any at all...What was the damage (if you dont mind me asking)? I always figured a good thousand bucks, give or take, would work. Cheaper than a remanned A4LD!

The transmission was the only thing I didn't like, when I bought the truck...I figured it'd be easy enough to swap, when the time is right.

This was rather untimely for me, as I'm deep in a rebuild of my '75 Volvo, and I spent a lot of money on new front brake rotors, pads, hubs, and shocks all around...

I did this on a "shoe string," and got all my hard parts at PnP....transmission, pedal assembly, flywheel, driveshaft and shifter were about $300...I bought everything else, brand new, for about $350.

There are still a few more dollars to spend, sorting out my driveshaft vibration, but that shouldn't be a big deal or terribly expensive...

I'm thrilled that it's a manual transmission, FINALLY!

 

[XLTsplash]

Nice up grade. I remember the 1st gen Rangers having sloppy feeling shifters even when they were new. I changed two Mustangs from auto trans to manual trans, it makes them a lot more fun to drive. Looks like you will be needing a new shift knob. UPRproducts has nice shift knobs for Ranger, here's a link
http://www.uprproducts.com/ford-ranger-interior.html

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Nice up grade. I remember the 1st gen Rangers having sloppy feeling shifters even when they were new. I changed two Mustangs from auto trans to manual trans, it makes them a lot more fun to drive. Looks like you will be needing a new shift knob. UPRproducts has nice shift knobs for Ranger, here's a link
http://www.uprproducts.com/ford-ranger-interior.html

It really changes the whole dynamic of the vehicle....I've never liked how worn out automatics feel...or automatics, in general. I swear, the truck rev's up one hell of a lot quicker....must be the difference in weight of flywheel/clutch/pressure plate vs. flex-plate/torque converter. I'm actually impressed with the relatively short throw of the long, school bus shifter. I'm thinking about the Hurst Shift Kit less and less...AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE SHIFT BUSHINGS YET! I ordered it on Friday or Saturday....just waiting on the post office...That should take care of the slop, and I'll really be jammin!

Funny about the 'stangs....I really dislike the manuals in the Volvo 240's, and they don't like turbo & aggressive driving....so I've got some billet bell housing adapters to adapt to a T5 from a 5.0L 'stang....did it in both my wagon and 242 turbo cars. This is the second vehicle I've swapped from automatic to manual...not hard at all, and it's a great opportunity to clean up and tidy things...

I had a chance to sorten out some wiring details, like deleting the Park/Neutral Safety, and integrating a good battery cable for my 1-wire alternator. I got a late-model starter motor, from a '94, at PnP, when I got my parts. I never liked the look of the fender-mounted relay, so I hung a compact power distribution block, from a Volvo 240...all three fusible links are on blade terminals there, and the source is from batt. Starter gets a wire off the battery, like normal, and the alternator gets batt from starter.

As for the shift knob....I just need the little center piece with gate pattern...I'll dig one up at the JY...some day. This build doesn't warrant $20+ accessories...just spending the money where it counts.

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

GMB water pumps are on closeout on RockAuto...just ordered mine for $20 shipped!

Don't get better than that.