96 5spd wont go into gear?

[fordxploder]

hi newbie to this site, just bought 1996 ford explorer 4x4 manual trans came from US to canada, owned a 92 4x4 in past and loved it,

problem is i was out in the 96 ex tonight coming home from dinner, it drove fine then all of a sudden i up shifted into 3rd and nothing its was like being in neutral, i coasted it into a parking lot, tried putting in first let clutch out and nothing no noise nothing just revs up like in neutral tried going in reverse all other gears even tried 4x4 thinkin maybe rear end had gone, its almost like clutch is stuck on? any ideas where to start? thanks in advance for any help

(my old ex when its clutch went it would slip a bit but still grab enough to get home)

 

[fordxploder]

anybody ever done trany work on a manual 95 4x4? is it hard to remove etc? also need to replace rack for steering

 

[imp]

anybody ever done trany work on a manual 95 4x4? is it hard to remove etc? also need to replace rack for steering

Yes. The "M-5" manual transmissions are typically as "standard" as manuals can be. Only drawback from days of old is the integral clutch housing, which prevents use of them on an engine having flywheel housing pattern different from that of transmission. Aluminum case helps with weight issue, but they are not light; my experience with my '99 so equipped is that they are pretty sturdy gearboxes. imp

EDIT: Wish my '04 had an M5 instead of a slush-box.....

 

[fordxploder]

thanks iam new to fords and just deciding whether or not its worth doing all the work, between trans and staeering rack could be expensive thats if i can find a used trans