new mechanic neesing help with 88

[88ranger81mustang]

Hello and thanks for helping
I purchased a used 88 ranger the other day for 300$ because it needed a flywheel.
I get her to my shop and start working. New flywheel, New starter, New alternator and new clutch later I put her up on the lift to drop the tranny, I get her out (pain in the ass btw) I start replacing the flywheel. And I noticed the flex plate is bad and there's water in the tranny. My question to you guys is....I'm on a 600$ budget and need to get it running. Would it be best to try and get tranny fixed. Swap it with a automatic tranny or what? It has a 2.3L motor out of a 81 mustang that had fuel injector removed and turned carburetor. What type of tranny do I get. Or should I just do a V8 swap with junkyard motor and trans.... I'm lost and ready to park it behind shop

 

[adsm08]

I am really really confused by this post.

You said you put a new flywheel and clutch in it, but then you say the flex plate is broken.

Flywheels and clutches belong with a manual transmission. The flex plate is the part that is roughly analogous to a flywheel in an auto setup. They are not the same nor are the interchangeable, despite the frequent incorrect use of the terms.


Is this a manual trans, and if so, what is actually broken? Can you post a picture of the damaged part?

You will not get a V8 in there for six hundred dollars. Additionally, it is generally considered more correct to put the dollar sign in front of the number, rather than behind it, even though it reads as "five dollars, not "dollars five".

 

[scotts90ranger]

If it's the stock tranny it should be an A4LD if auto or M5OD if manual, if by flex plate you are talking about the aluminum block plate, it's just there for spacing and doesn't matter if it's broken as long as it's all there...