88 ranger 4x4 manual tranny in a 92 explorer 4x4?

[92explorerdstap]

Hey, I've been thinking about doing a tranny swap in my 92 explorer. I currently have an a4ld with a pretty steady front main seal leak, and I hear that often times thats just the beginning of tons of problems when you change the seal, so i would prefer to just junk the a4ld and do the manual conversion now. Here's the question, I have access to a 88 ford ranger with a manual tranny and all the pedals, etc, BUT, I'm not sure if itll work in my explorer. any suggestions? Thanks

 

[MrShorty]

What engine and transmission are in the Ranger? 2.9 and 4.0 V6's use the same bellhousing bolt pattern. 4 cylinder engines are different. 2.9 L transmission from an '88 is often a mitsubishi transmission -- maybe better than an A4LD, but its reputation doesn't seem a lot better than an A4LD's reputation.