B&M Floor Shifter Conversion

One day I eventually got sick of using the column shift, and thought to my self, "hey, why dont I just put in the B&M floor shifter". So I started searching around on here, and some other sites, and found no threads or pictures of any Explorers, Rangers, or Broncos with a B&M floor shifter installed. Im not saying it hasnt been done, I just couldnt find any info to help with the install.

First off, I had to make a custom cable end to hook on to the gear selector on the transmission. I took a piece of 5/8 key stock steel, and a 1/4 inch washer, welded them together, drilled a 5/32 hole through the middle of the key stock, tapped it 3/16 to screw on to my end of the cable. Cotter pins were used to secure the piece on the gear selector, and believe me, there is no way the piece is comming off with out the help of pliers.

I used the stock bracket on the Explorers tranny to seat and guide the cable to the gear selector. Tightened the cable adjuster nuts right down, it isnt going anywhere.



Really not much too it other then making sure the cable has no kinks, and operates smoothly without binding. Bolt down the shifter to the floor, and then screwing the shifters console down with the rubber boot. When installing the cable, make sure your column shift is set to park, and your floor shifter is as well.
Some pictures of the finished results. I know, I am due for a good cleaning. And a manual transfer case is in the process, thats why the slot is there in the floor pan.








And tomorrow after work, I think its time to get rid of the old column shifter all together.

never seen anyone do this conversion before. looks good!

now all you need is the steering column out of a manual tranny vehicle and you would be set.

heck yeah, nice work!

I have a 98 trans in my 88 BII, I used a 96 Mustang shifter including the OD button, and all OEM parts. Bsically I converted my 98 Explorer transmission to use the 96 Mustang bracket, shift lever, everything... my cable comes from the back of the trans, not front.

I like your approach to this, using the stock bracket is a MUST with the stock shifter lever in the transmission in order to get the throw exactly correct

I also modded my stang shifter so it locks in gears 1, 2 and d, off road I dont want it slipping from 1-2 and 2-d like a Mustang does

Thank you very much for the compliments. I really wasnt sure what people here would have to say, some of my buddies would say, "Now why would you want to go an do that? Why dont you just drive the damn thing." Of course I didnt listen.

dkchrist, thanks for the great idea, I was wondering today what I was going to do with the open gap there on the column.

justawajz, thanks dude, I havent seen another one either.

410Fortune, I was kind of concerned about the shifter shifting from 1 to 2 while wheeling. I took it up for a test up a mountain forest service road, and mine doesnt slip, its a pretty rough bumpy steep road, tried purposely a few times to see if it would bump into another gear over a big bump, and it didnt. I can see it wearing out in time, then I may have to mod that. Do you have any pictures of your set up ?

Looks good! I've seen this done on a few 700r4 swaps but never on a A4LD. Came out great..

Whats the story with the steering wheel? lol

Dont really want to talk about the steering wheel, haha. It was in my Ranger, it was chrome before, got a buddy to sand blast it, got a guy at work to paint it black for me, it turned out horrible, last paint job I ever ask from him, unless I want dust and sand in the paint. I am going to get another Grant steering wheel, one that is legal, and isnt freezing in the winter.

Haha, If you rear end someone you'll have your very own grill for your teeth.

This is way cool, man. Has anyone done this on a 2nd Gen Explorer?

Harder to do on a 2nd Gen, as it has a computer controlled Transmission.

Ryan

Spdrcer34 said:

Harder to do on a 2nd Gen, as it has a computer controlled Transmission.

Ryan

Click to expand...

Why? Only control on the factory shifter is the OD button. You wouldn't be changing anything else. All factory sensors and switches are retained.

I would be willing to bet that an enterprising person could even retain the shift indicator in the dash and the interlock feature.

I've been wondering lately if this would be possible. I think it'd be a nice touch to add to mine, nicely done sir! It seemed pretty easy actually, like it didn't include a lot of modification.

dkchrist said:

now all you need is the steering column out of a manual tranny vehicle and you would be set.

Click to expand...

When we installed the 700r4 in our 1st gen we put in a floor shifter. I didn't change out the column. I just put theshifter in neutral and cut most of the shifter off (enough is off that I can put the shroud back on.. even though I never did).. I could have just put it into neutral and pulled the pin to remove the shifter.. I can't think of why I didn't, other than I may have been having too much fun with air tools and cutters

I did change the gear selector indicator on the dash with one from a manual trans vehicle (my spare instrument cluster came from a manual X).

~Mark

You know, I don't have a car torn apart to look at, but I'm thinking that the factory cable could be retained and the new shifter cable added to the existing bracket. That way, when you shifted the floor shifter, it would also operate the factory cable. Remove the detents, and I'm thinking the gear indicator will still work correctly. I'm just thinking out loud here, so bear with me. You would need to incorporate an OD switch. But there are a ton of shifter handles with buttons for a line lock, NOS, etc, that I can't help but think you could incorporate one of those. Now, If I could just find someone who has the skills to build this into the console so it has a factory, professional look, I might give this a try. You could also look at something like Aviator/Navigator shifters. Lots of possibilities.

Cobraguy said:

You know, I don't have a car torn apart to look at, but I'm thinking that the factory cable could be retained and the new shifter cable added to the existing bracket. That way, when you shifted the floor shifter, it would also operate the factory cable.

Click to expand...

Kinda like you're just installing the floor shifter in the middle of the cable, so when it "pushes" the transmission into gear, it's also "pulling" the gear indicator in the dash.

Sounds simple enough. Only thing I really want is a shifter that will "lock" into place kinda like the dash shifter. I wonder if I could find one I like and modify it like 410 did, maybe some notches or something...

Blacksheep Josh said:

I've been wondering lately if this would be possible. I think it'd be a nice touch to add to mine, nicely done sir! It seemed pretty easy actually, like it didn't include a lot of modification.

Click to expand...

It was fairly easy, I over thought the whole thing, so that was good. Didnt want to screw up anything, wanted to get it done right the first time, as it is winter, and I have no garage/car port, so laying in the wet snow slush isnt a good time. I had numerous people telling me it couldnt be done, but I couldnt see why it wouldnt work, so I proved all those people wrong, and got my self a floor shifter.

Blacksheep Josh said:

Only thing I really want is a shifter that will "lock" into place kinda like the dash shifter. I wonder if I could find one I like and modify it like 410 did, maybe some notches or something...

Click to expand...

Think about this a bit! If you leave the factory cable hooked up like we said, then the new floor shifter WOULD be locked. Since you are retaining the "guts" of the factory column, then it would still lock the factory column. Since the new shifter is attached to the old shifter via the bracket, it wouldn't be able to move either. I really think you could make that all work and still hide most of the factory stuff so it wouldn't show.

kozak said:

First off, I had to make a custom cable end to hook on to the gear selector on the transmission. I took a piece of 5/8 key stock steel, and a 1/4 inch washer, welded them together, drilled a 5/32 hole through the middle of the key stock, tapped it 3/16 to screw on to my end of the cable. Cotter pins were used to secure the piece on the gear selector, and believe me, there is no way the piece is comming off with out the help of pliers.

Click to expand...

Washers, key-stock, and cotter pins twisted every which way??

Not to burst your bubble, but that's about the absolute worst possible way you could have made that connection... Both the key stock and the washer are SOFT. The washer is not meant to be loaded the way you have it connected, and I suspect that over time, the washer will rapidly elongate the opening, the threads will pull out of the key stock, or both. The thing to do there would be to machine a proper bracket with the proper dimensions and/or a proper retainer for it. Done properly, you could even incorporate the factory cable end for a proper, durable, and long-lasting connection. Over time, what you've done is bound to fail in short-order.

It may not seem like a big deal now... but the day you try and back out of a parking spot, only to find the shifter does nothing, you'll be wishing you had taken the time to do the job the right way.

I know it is POSSIBLE to do adapt a shifter to work with a Electronically Controlled Transmission. You could use a shifter from a Mustang, for example. It has been done before.

I was referring to getting THAT B&M shifter to work with a modern transmission.

As for getting the Gauge Clusters' gear indicator to work with a console shifter, I have done it before in other vehicles. Not a big deal.

Ryan

I did not intend on leaving the cable end like that, otherwise I would have at least painted it. I plan on making a solid piece out of steel. No time at this time of year though.