Solved Ford Explorer 5 speed conversion - Going Full Manual

Thanks Jon.

The starter and flywheel are included with the new trans. Good to go there.

I am really hoping I can remove this without taking my exhaust apart. The cats & crossover are still stock with 200k miles on it. Yikes!

FYI : I have a vague recollection that the bolts that hold the flexplate/flywheel onto the engine require an external torx socket.

IZwack said:

FYI : I have a vague recollection that the bolts that hold the flexplate/flywheel onto the engine require an external torx socket.

Click to expand...

The OHV's I have seen had a 18mm 6 point bolt. 96 included.

Ah well that answers it.

IZwack said:

Ah well that answers it.

Click to expand...

Maybe not. I could be wrong. Sometimes my internal RAM is more of a EWE

Turdle said:

The OHV's I have seen had a 18mm 6 point bolt. 96 included.

Click to expand...

x2, my '96 sport had normal hex head bolts.

gmanpaint said:

Talked to the owner of the Manual trans this morning. Was told that since I have the OHV engine I do not need the flexplate at all. The '95 OHV is basically the same as the 1st gen OHV and the Flywheel takes place of the plate.

I guess the plate is only needed for the starter on the SOHC.

Click to expand...

I call BS on this.

when i swapped the motor in my '91 BOTH engines had the steel plate in there
in fact there marked AUTO and MAN. respectively So get it no matter what.

Like Jon said get the Starter too since i think the Clocking on the bolts is different.
on the Manuals from the Autos

x2 - and its not called a "flexplate" as the "flexplate" is the same thing as the "flywheel" except in an automatic transmission world. The "flexplate" is what the starter's teeth engages and is what the torque converter is bolted to.

THe difference between the two, and I think they are called "engine cover". (Manual one in front, Auto in the back)

You can also see the difference in the starter's mount.

And you can kind of see the label ("AUTO") in this shot:

Well am I glad I took a break and decided to check in on this thread. I am almost to the point where the trans can be pulled out. I need to confirm with the seller that we are on the same page with the plate before I go any further with this.

Thanks guys.

Edit: Just got off the phone with the seller. Says the MANUAL plate is there as well. All good. I think we just miscomunicated over the plate is all. False alarm, nothing to see here folks, please continue on with your day

After last nights misunderstanding with the plate, I am way behind schedule with this. Trans is still in the rig and I am about to embark on an a 7 hour journey to go get the M5R1.

The weather is supposed to turn for the worse this afternoon, and is really going to make me further behind schedule. Same for the rest of the week. This is one of those times where I hope the weather forecasters get it wrong. This has to be finished up by Thursday afternoon to be able to make our Midwest meet in MO on Friday. The rains are going to be here in the afternoons into the evenings. That is the only times I have available to work on it. Since I am such a noob at this, I am not sure I can pull it off in time.

I went to H-F-T and purchased a trans adapter for my 3 ton floor jack for this. It does not fit on the floor jack. It wont bolt to the receiver on the jack because there is no room for the large 1" nut under the saddle. Hopefully they will let me return it and I can get a trans Jack they sell to aid me in this. I am doing this alone, and I really need one to help remove/install the trans.

This is what I purchased.



This is what I will get instead.

This thread is being put back on hold for another couple of weeks

With the short time constraints ahead, bad weather coming in and hanging around for most of the upcoming week, I have decided to hold off on installing the Manual trans until after our meet in a week.

I will just put it back together and wheel it till the trans dies.

The new to me trans needs a heavy scrubbing. The Dorman cap plugs (PN 555-108) installed before it can go in and they have to be special ordered as I bought the only one (takes 3) in this area. That's 3 days alone.

The exhaust Y pipe has to be removed and I believe it wont play nice, adding more time.

I am not sure how long it will take me to do this. I just know when I rush things, I either break things or forget things. I need to take my time and do it right the 1st time.

Sounds like a smart move to me.

...x2...:biggthump

...All it takes is one little thing when you are in a hurry, that can ruin a planned weekend..

Found this little gem of a video to help with the clutch bleeding.

Started the conversion this morning

I'm taking a lunch break and enjoying some cold A/C as it starting to get smoking hot outside.

It's down to the bell housing bolts and trans mount. The exhaust looks like it can stay where it is thanks to the 3" body lift. The exhaust hanger connected to the trans mount is the only thing that needs removed.

Plan is to get the trans loose and on the jack, lift it as close to the body as possible, and ease it back over the exhaust before letting it down.

Found out that the connector on the side/front of trans has a little steel horseshoe style clip,(push it up) that holds it on. It couldn't be seen thanks to all the muck on it. I decided to clean it off, and get a flashlight on it before I just started pulling on it. Thank Gawd I did....LOL

Once it is out, and a little cleaning is done to the back side of the engine, the Manual will go in. That is where the fun starts....


To be continued....................

gmanpaint said:

The new to me trans needs a heavy scrubbing. The Dorman cap plugs (PN 555-108) installed before it can go in and they have to be special ordered as I bought the only one (takes 3) in this area. That's 3 days alone.

Click to expand...

This trans didn't happen to come from the Humboldt area did it?

90ranajo said:

This trans didn't happen to come from the Humboldt area did it?

Click to expand...

Nope

Found it in MO.

Welp, the heat is too much for me and I'm calling it quits on this project for the day.

Should have it dropped in the morning when its a bunch cooler out. I found a couple of things needing attention from wheeling. It's always something I tell ya. That's just the way it goes

GRRRRRR!

I'm stuck

Of all the @#$% things to get stuck on, I cant believe what is holding me back.

The trans crossmember horizontal bolts will only back out half way. There are 6 bolts holding it on, 4 verticals and 2 horizontals. There is a spacer bushing for the horizontal bolt, it seems to be stopping the bolts from coming out. I have a trans jack under the trans and have removed the weight off it by lifting the trans up.

I have tried smacking them out with a punch and hammer, using the impact on them to spin them out, and replaced the vertical bolts, but nothing is working.

Is there some kinda trick to getting these out? Is the spacer bushing threaded? I'm feeling a little crazed that this is the only thing stopping me from dropping the trans!

Anybody feels like talking me threw this, I am in the chat room right now.
http://www.explorerforum.com/chant/

You did put a wrench on the nut on top?