97' Explorer 5.0 2wd 5 speed swap?

[RoCkrMAN]

I was wondering what I would have to do to swap a 5speed in my explorer? Like what tranny?

 

[FIND]

You want a 5 speed from an F150 with a 4.2, that will locate the shifter in the correct place. The transmission is an M5R2. There are a couple bolt holes on the bellhousing you will have to open up some more. You can search on here or the ranger station for swaps.

 

[RoCkrMAN]

You want a 5 speed from an F150 with a 4.2, that will locate the shifter in the correct place. The transmission is an M5R2. There are a couple bolt holes on the bellhousing you will have to open up some more. You can search on here or the ranger station for swaps.

Thanks for helping! But what else would I have to do? (computer, Clutch pedal, etc...)

 

[FIND]

You can get a tune to delete tranny codes from Henson Performance, a vendor that is mentioned often on this forum. You need the clutch pedal, clutch master and clutch lines from a V6 4.0 5 speed 2nd gen Explorer. There is a bit of custom wiring to sort out, and you need to modify the tranny cross member. You need a starter from a 5 speed F150, a flywheel, clutch, slave, and a block plate for a 5.0 with a manual transmission.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248285

Here is a great swap thread for you. This is for an AWD explorer, and they did the extra step of converting it to selectable 4wd, so you can ignore things like different driveshafts. But otherwise, it is really in depth. On your 97, I think the VSS is on your output shaft, so I'm not really sure what you need to do there... Later vehicles put the VSS on the axle, and I'm not sure what year the F-150 switched... I think you can probably grab an output shaft housing, VSS and ring from an earlier M5R2 equipped F150... but once again, I am not sure... Hopefully someone with the answer to this question can chime in. Otherwise, ask on an f-150 board what they think the best solution would be.

 

[snoranger]

You're not stuck using the 97+ M5OD-r2. You can use an earlier M5od-r2 from a 4.9/5.0 truck and just swap the shifter plate form a 97+ onto it.

 

[FIND]

Ah, I thought the earlier and later shifter plates weren't swappable... My bad, thanks for letting me know.

 

[RoCkrMAN]

You can get a tune to delete tranny codes from Henson Performance, a vendor that is mentioned often on this forum. You need the clutch pedal, clutch master and clutch lines from a V6 4.0 5 speed 2nd gen Explorer. There is a bit of custom wiring to sort out, and you need to modify the tranny cross member. You need a starter from a 5 speed F150, a flywheel, clutch, slave, and a block plate for a 5.0 with a manual transmission.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248285

Here is a great swap thread for you. This is for an AWD explorer, and they did the extra step of converting it to selectable 4wd, so you can ignore things like different driveshafts. But otherwise, it is really in depth. On your 97, I think the VSS is on your output shaft, so I'm not really sure what you need to do there... Later vehicles put the VSS on the axle, and I'm not sure what year the F-150 switched... I think you can probably grab an output shaft housing, VSS and ring from an earlier M5R2 equipped F150... but once again, I am not sure... Hopefully someone with the answer to this question can chime in. Otherwise, ask on an f-150 board what they think the best solution would be.

flywheel, clutch, slave, and a block plate.. What vehicle would have this stuff? Thanks again!

 

[powerstrokin250]

Why wouldnt a t5 work

 

[snoranger]

Why wouldnt a t5 work

Because they suck! Do you know how many of them I've blown up? (neither do I.)



The M5R2 has a hydro clutch... It's plug and play, It makes life easier.
With the 97+ shifter plate, the shifter comes up in the right spot.

 

[powerstrokin250]

t5's are beaten daily, if a mustang with mods can run a t5 with a upgraded clutch, theres no reason that an explorer cant

 

[FIND]

t5's are beaten daily, if a mustang with mods can run a t5 with a upgraded clutch, theres no reason that an explorer cant

Mustangs don't weigh 5000 lbs.

Also, as Snoranger put it, the M5R2 is practically a bolt on mod with no significant changes to the vehicle, the shifter comes out in the same place the 4.0 5 speed shifter does from the factory and it has a hydraulic clutch.

The T5 is a lighter duty transmission, and it requires more modification to put in than M5R2s which you can literally pick up for a dime a dozen out of 2wd F150s that no one wants to pay money for.

 

[snoranger]

t5's are beaten daily, if a mustang with mods can run a t5 with a upgraded clutch, theres no reason that an explorer cant

You got a Mustang? Stop by, I know 10 people who can blow that T5 up in 15 minutes or less.

When all my buddies had fox bodies, I used to keep 2 on the shelf. I was replacing them 2-3 a month. They just dont hold up.