Transmission questions

[jtrmer]

I have a 1993 Ranger extended cab 4x4 4.0 with the Mazda manual transmission. I got the truck with clutch problems. I replaced the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate and slave cylinder with bearing. Things were going great until I put the transmission in and found that the transmission was stuck out of gear. I replaced the shifter ball support cups and still nothing. A friend of mine said that I should check to see if the shifting linkage was aligned and they weren't. I aligned them and boom I was on the road. However, I have no fifth gear. When I shift to fifth it is like I am shifting into neutral. I have also noticed that the gearing seems loftily high. I can reach 55 in third gear and no were near red line. Is it possible for over drive to remain locked in gear while going through the other gears and then be shifted out of gear when shifting into fifth? jtrmer@nctv.com

 

[ati190]

You have the M50D (5 speed manual). It does not use linkage, as it's a hydraulic system. Slave is internal, inside bell house, between motor and trans. The only possibility of linkage is if you have a manual transfer case. For your answer about stuck in overdrive, highly unlikely. You would notice, and probably would toast a clutch trying to use overdrive all the time. Do you have any trouble with reverse. When you changed the shifter bushings, did you make sure it was in neutral before doing so? I'm not a trans specialist, post this in the trans forum, and or speak to AllanD. Either way you aren't gonna like the answer, but you can't get the top cover off the trans too see internals with out removing.

 

[adsm08]

There is 100% NO chance that your hypothesis about the trans being "stuck in OD and then popping out when you shift into 5th" is correct. There are two reasons for this.

1) being in two gears at the same time (usually possible only when the trans is partially disassembled) will lock it up completely. If you were in two gears at once you wouldn't be going anywhere.

2) That just isn't how a manual transmission works.

This is a shot in the relative dark here, since I can't look at it myself right now, but it sounds like you got it set wrong when you "fixed" the shifter linkages.

Take your shifter back apart. Get a flat blade screwdriver, and flip everything so that the rods are all sitting flush side to side when you look down the the hole.

DON'T do this until I post up a picture tomorrow. It sounds to me like you have everything set off by 1 gate so that you aren't in the gear you think you are. If it feels like it is geared too high and you are hitting 55MPH is "3rd gear" that is the only logical option. Assuming that you have 3.73 gears in the rear which is a common gear set for that truck, you should be rolling over 3000 RPM in 3rd gear at 55. It what I suggest is what happened, it makes sense and 5th gear would be in the same spot as 3rd, and 5th will now be neutral.

I'd also guess you are having tons of fun starting off, since you are probably doing a 3rd gear pull out. Does R still work?

 

[jtrmer]

Reverse does work. I will check the picture tomorrow and then look at it. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[adsm08]

Checked today on my way to work... my rear end gears are a bit different than yours, but not enough to make a huge difference in this number, and I do have a 4.0 geared tranny in my truck. 55MPH in 3rd gear for me is almost exactly 3000 RPM. I think 55 in 5th is only about 15-1800. If your numbers are off of that by more than 100 +/-, you aren't in 3rd.

 

[adsm08]

Ok, Here is the picture:

What you are looking for are the two rounded dowels on the left and right, and the two square-ish ones that sit front and back. They should all be out as far as possible to make the hole between them centered.

This picture is taken with them in the proper neutral positioning, so you want to try and get it to look as much like that as you can. To get one to move out, push on the one opposite it with a flat blade screw driver.

 

[jtrmer]

Well, everything looks like in your picture. I hit 55 at 3000 rpm. All of the gears seem to work properly. When I had the transmission out I flushed it and no metal came out. The truck has been in an accident prior to my buying it, it is possible that fifth gear went at that time and someone did something to just make it work. The older guy I bought it from got it after his daughter wrecked it and his son worked on it. Some of the shifter parts were missing when I got it so who knows what happened! I will just drive it the way it is until something happens or I get enough money to buy a new one. Maybe a newer HD model.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[HappyJack]

3000 at 55mph is what my 94 X turns in 3rd gear. So that sounds right. No idea on the other but just wanted to let you know that that seems to be correct on yours.

 

[adsm08]

yeah, 55 in 3rd = 3000ish RPM.

Sounds like you just don't have OD for whatever reason.