Tranny guru's: dtec 2.3 m5od to 4wd?

[oddball101]

Hey guys, been a minute.

With the older m5od's for the lima 2.3, I know you were able to swap out the main shaft and tail housing from a 4wd setup. I read a thread where someone was inquiring about the same type of scenario, but with a 2.3 duratec m5od. Another poster responded by saying:

" It should work. You will have to swap the 4x4 tail housing and output shaft. the only difference between a Duratec 2.3 M50D and a Lima 2.3 M50D and the bell housing bolt pattern."

Anybody know for a fact if this is true or not, can the dtec 2.3 m5od accept the main shaft and tail housing from a 4wd?

Thanks for reading

Cheers

 

[oddball101]

Wow, not one person at all.. Tough crowd.. C'mon transmisison guru's, I know there has to be someone here that knows..

 

[fastpakr]

You can definitely swap the parts around if you're comfortable gutting the transmission that far. It's been done a few times over the years at the forums.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Yup it will work, you can use any 4x4 M5OD trans for a tail housing and output shaft donor...4.0,3.0,2.9,2.3,2.5 they all use the same.

The later years have a speed sensor in the tail shaft housing, and the seal is moved back on the shaft, and the shaft has a longer machined surface to acomidate that.

I think your truck should use just the rear speed sensor on the axle for speed, so you shouldnt need a housing with the sensor.

The later years also dont have provisions for a manual t case shifter unless the truck actually had a manual case which were scarce.

-PlumCrazy

 

[oddball101]

Right, I'd be sticking with the VSS on the 8.8. My goal here is to go all manual (dtec m5od & 1354 transfer case) and as for the manual provisions, I'll just cut a hole in the tranny tunnel/floorboard area and make it look pretty.

Thanks for your response. I was thinking this would work being that they are the both m5od models but you know how they love to change up little details every now and again.

Much appreciated!!

 

[PlumCrazy]

I'm saying there are no provisions for mounting the shifter in tail housing of the transmission, not the cab.

The hole in the floor is an obviously not there on a 2wd.lol

-PlumCrazy

 

[oddball101]

Hahahaha, okay, I can see where I mixed that up. And after being confused for hte passed thirty minutes, typing erasing and retyping, I think I get it now, that "the dtec m5od itself" won't have any provisions for the 1354 shift linkage to attach to it and then push up into the cab where it should be. Had it in my head you were talking about 4wd tail housing for some reason. $#! and that's a good point too, thanks for stating that.

Okay, so now I am concerned with how exactly I could get it operational. I am going to have to hunt down some side-by-side pictures of the both the Lima and Dtec m5od's to see if I can come up with something.

Thanks again for not just laughing and letting that slip by me. That it is actually pretty serious because I don't even know if it has the spots on the newer case where the bracketry would bolt in and is just filled in, or if it is just completely smooth.

If you have "any" suggestions to remedy this, I am all ears..

 

[PlumCrazy]

No, I am saying that some newer4x4 tail housings dont have the provisions for a manual shifter. The main trans case is the same between 4x4 and 2wd.

-PlumCrazy

 

[oddball101]

Ah thank you sir. I was in a panic trying to save my "master plan". Okay, so in this case then, I suppose I should be trying to find the older (3.0? / 4.0?) 4wd tail shaft housing that does in fact have the provisions then correct?

 

[PlumCrazy]

Anything older than 98 will have provisions for sure. 2.3,2..5,3.0,4.0,2.9 they will all work as donors.

-PlumCrazy

 

[oddball101]

Good stuff, thanks for setting me straight!!

I have an '01 Edge 2wd 3.0 extended cab with the 4r44e tranny now. When my returns get back to me I'll be purchasing a dtec 2.3 donor, swapping both motors and selling the donor with my 3.0 -hopefully getting my money back out of it. Once I've got the 2.3 up and running in the edge, I will be fabbing up my m90 s/c to it and establishing a proper tune. I will then swap in all of the needed 4wd components and finally be "done" with it. But you know how it goes, you're never really "done" with it. I get outstanding prices at the U-pull-it down here in SC so grabbing the 4wd stuff will be a breeze..

You know, I do have another question just to be clear on the rest of the drivetrain though. Staying completely manual (hubs, tranny, tcase), I am wondering which platform year ranges I can source from.. Like, I know I can use the 1354 from say a 92 Explorer, but being that I am a torsion bar front end like the explorers, am I able to use the other components or would I be sticking with ranger sources for the rest you think?

This is something I can search. I just haven't yet as I've been piecing together all of this info going step by step from the trouble spots out first. Now that everything is cleared up about what can be done, how to is the next step of the fun.

 

[PlumCrazy]

No problem. I have a few threads floating around about building hybrid M5ODs. If you search you will find more information if needed. Also if you wade through the junk in my '95s build thread you will some M5OD info.

-PlumCrazy