FM 146 swap

[rickybobby]

So i was browsing the local craigslist and stumbled upon a manual trans and transfercase from a 85 b2 listed for $20. I was sure it was a typo, but i called anyway. It turns out the seller had tried to sell it in the past with no luck, so he decided to practicly give it away. So sunday i will be picking up a tk5 and 1350m to put in my 97 exploder, pics to follow. This will be a limited funding project, so it will be a while before i get started on the swap but i will post pics when it arrives

 

[Backwoods "X"]

Make SURE that the shifter "base" is NOT cracked/broken/trashed as this is the main weak point in the T/K 4&5 speed tranny. My 83 1/2 BII has the TK5 and the 84 Ranger HAD the TK5, but it got stuck in reverse and so it got yanked and thrown out, but, I did keep the shifter.... The little TK is actually a Mazda tranny, just like the M5. Go figure. Remember that the FRONT driveshaft is going to need to be re-done using the D/S that matches the BW 1350 Xcase, as it is TOTALLY different than the one for the "X". The rear one can be "pieced" from the Ranger/"X" pieces.

 

[rickybobby]

so i did some more research and discovered i needed the fm145 from the b2, not the tk5, but as it turned out the seller was confused about the model of the trans and really had the fm145. the tk would have been too short. im wondering if the ranger driveshaft im running will work, it came from a 94 though, im not sure of the flange sizes. and i still need to figure out what clutch parts to use, the b2 or m5. if i use the b2 master i will need b2 pedals but will they work in the ex? will the ex master work with the b2 slave? lots of things i still need to figure out

 

[Backwoods "X"]

The one of the FM trans. IS the right length, but, I can't remember which one it is. As for the master/slave thing, the parts will work together ("X" master/ Ranger/BII slave) but make sure of the fitting that goes into the slave, as I went through this about 2 weeks ago on a Ranger that I converted from A4ld to M5. I like to NEVER have found the correct slave end for the hyd. system. The end that went into the tranny was an odd thickness of the "snap" flange area. I understand that the BII/1st Gen Ranger pedals will fit the "X" pedal hanger, just not the bracket from the Ranger/BII fitting the "X" correctly. You put the pedals on the hanger in the "X". If you are using the BW1350 X-case, the front drive shaft from the donor Ranger should work all right, as long as it is from the correct FM trans. The clutch will interchange between the 2.8/2.9/4.0 V6 engines, as long as you use the complete clutch/flywheel/starter assembly. I would go with the 4.0 clutch as it is a bigger clutch by 1.125 of an inch of clutch surface.

 

[rickybobby]

im going to use the 4.0 clutch, flywheel, and starter, becuase of availability, and probably the ex master for fitment

 

[snoranger]

The FM145 is the shorter one. The FM146 is the one thats about the same length as the A4LD.

 

[rickybobby]

ok guys, after reading snorangers post im more confused. the trans id guide at trs listed the fm145 and fm146 as one and said 28.8" length. the trans i have is 29", so will that work without a custom rear DS? the goal is to be able to swap in a m5r1 if this trans ever fails, (or when it does) and im not going to want to get another DS when that happens

 

[snoranger]

http://204.14.93.181/forums/showthread.php?t=99851

fm146 is the same length as the a4ld and m5odr1, and the fm145 is 2" shorter then both of those

 

[IZwack]

ok guys, after reading snorangers post im more confused. the trans id guide at trs listed the fm145 and fm146 as one and said 28.8" length. the trans i have is 29", so will that work without a custom rear DS? the goal is to be able to swap in a m5r1 if this trans ever fails, (or when it does) and im not going to want to get another DS when that happens

THe driveshaft has a "slip" section/yoke so that tiny difference shouldn't matter.

 

[rickybobby]

ok, so after yet more research i am convinced i have the fm146, im within 1/2" of the spec listed for the a4ld in the trs trans id guide, so as soon as i can gather the rest of the parts this project will be moving forward

 

[snoranger]

Here. Maybe this will help you figure out with one you have.

 

[rickybobby]

thanks for all of the help guys, it is the fm146, and the length is almost exactly the same as the 4r55e in the rig now, so i can continue the parts search and get it installed. The other thing that has crossed my mind is t-case fitment. Im not sure if the 1350 will be a direct fit length wise, and im not 100% sure the bolt pattern is the same as the 4405e that the 97 came with stock, but that wont be a showstoper, just a minor setback if i cant use 1 of the t-cases i already have
edit: both t-cases are the same length, so the only question remaining is will the ex rear DS will bolt up to the b2 tcase

 

[rickybobby]

Another useful bit of information from TRS, the fm146 and m5r1 slave cylinders are interchangeable, which makes parts sourcing easier. All of the parts im going to need can be purchased for a 2nd gen explorer, and that makes pricing and availability way better

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

Subscribing

 

[rickybobby]

A long overdue update, i am still gathering parts for this abomination, but i do have the pedal assembly installed, and a hard line ready to go in.

 

[rickybobby]

The trans swap began today, i got the junk 5r55e out and then ran out of steam. Hopefully the swap will be done tomorrow, with pics to follow

 

[rickybobby]

The trans swap is almost complete, except some of the interior got rained on and i have to wait for them to dry before installing them. I learned a lot about fitment with this project, and it took a lot pf patience to figure out what would and wouldnt work between the different RBV's and their generations. first, the line, master and slave have to be from the same generation, the quick disconnect sizes change. second, if the build date is before 1/97 you can use a flywheel from any cologne engine up to that build date, as long as you have the matching starter and dust sheild, but if the build date is 1/97 or newer the flywheel has to be after that build date. The pedal assy has to be for your specific model to be bolt in, i fabbed a pedal assy using my 97 bracket and b2 pedals, but i wouldnt reccomend it unless you have some fab skills and are highly creative. all in all it was a fairly straight forward swap though. I did have to make bolt holes for the master cylinder i used because i couldnt find the right pedal assy locally though. I will post up pics later, when im more awake