- Joined
- May 15, 2020
- Messages
- 5,283
- Points
- 601
- Age
- 71
- City
- Atlanta
- State - Country
- GA - USA
- Other
- Manufacturers factory tour, maybe big dealership tour
- Vehicle Year
- 1997 1987
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Engine
- 4.0L
- Transmission
- Manual
- Total Lift
- 97 stock, 3” on 87
- Total Drop
- N/A
- Tire Size
- 235/75-15
- My credo
- Never put off ‘til tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely
I replaced the shifter bushings and cap on the shifter in the Road Ranger. I’ve been dreading it, not because the job looked particularly hard, but because of all that CB, brake controller, etc., junk I’ve installed in my “command center“ overhead and below. Fortunately, once I took the four screws out of the bottom of the shift boot housing, I was able to just kind of lay everything over and out of the way without actually having to disconnect anything.
I’ve had that truck something like 30 or 40,000 miles now, and, until a few weeks ago, it shifted the way it shifted when I got it. Wasn’t too bad, so I never thought about it.
I noticed I was having a little more difficulty shifting about the same time as a few of you guys were talking here about upgrading trans fluid in the manual shift transmissions. I got to wondering if the trans fluid had EVER been changed in the 300,000 miles this thing’s been on earth, so I drained the Mercon 5 out and just filled it with fresh Mercon 5. I didn’t see much difference.
A little bit before I went north for the funeral, it seemed to be harder to shift, more sloppy, and I actually ground second gear a couple times. Over the 2200 mile trip it just got worse, so I parked it when I got home and ordered the bushing kit.
I watched all the videos, and I was curious to see how much wear I would find on my washers and bushings and pins compared to the new set. I’ll never know. The pins seemed to be fine, and the bottom thrust washer seemed to be fine. No flat metal washer bushings, no beveled poly bushings, and the top thrust washer split on one side, and actually overlayed itself by about a quarter inch like a spring. I was really hoping to see how much where there was, so I’d know if I was correct in thinking that was the problem and time to replace them. I decided to go with the new kit anyway.
Haven’t driven it yet, but the range of the shift pattern seems to be about 1/3 of what it was last week. I also found my earbuds, a lost glove, a couple pens and pencils, several screws, a pair of dollar store, reading glasses, and a “new” pair of needle nose and pliers I bought about three years ago and used once or twice. They had bright orange handles, which I liked, so I wouldn’t lose them……
Test drive up to the cute little brunette’s house later today.
And go and vote, it matters.
I’ve had that truck something like 30 or 40,000 miles now, and, until a few weeks ago, it shifted the way it shifted when I got it. Wasn’t too bad, so I never thought about it.
I noticed I was having a little more difficulty shifting about the same time as a few of you guys were talking here about upgrading trans fluid in the manual shift transmissions. I got to wondering if the trans fluid had EVER been changed in the 300,000 miles this thing’s been on earth, so I drained the Mercon 5 out and just filled it with fresh Mercon 5. I didn’t see much difference.
A little bit before I went north for the funeral, it seemed to be harder to shift, more sloppy, and I actually ground second gear a couple times. Over the 2200 mile trip it just got worse, so I parked it when I got home and ordered the bushing kit.
I watched all the videos, and I was curious to see how much wear I would find on my washers and bushings and pins compared to the new set. I’ll never know. The pins seemed to be fine, and the bottom thrust washer seemed to be fine. No flat metal washer bushings, no beveled poly bushings, and the top thrust washer split on one side, and actually overlayed itself by about a quarter inch like a spring. I was really hoping to see how much where there was, so I’d know if I was correct in thinking that was the problem and time to replace them. I decided to go with the new kit anyway.
Haven’t driven it yet, but the range of the shift pattern seems to be about 1/3 of what it was last week. I also found my earbuds, a lost glove, a couple pens and pencils, several screws, a pair of dollar store, reading glasses, and a “new” pair of needle nose and pliers I bought about three years ago and used once or twice. They had bright orange handles, which I liked, so I wouldn’t lose them……
Test drive up to the cute little brunette’s house later today.
And go and vote, it matters.
