C-5 in a '94??

[Hammer1]

My 94 lost its a4ld a few weeks back. From all the info I can find, it is tough to put one back in because to make it last, a major rebuilt would have to take place to make it stronger... Meanwhile, I found a 1984 Bronco II with the auto trans (a c-5 I believe) Will this puppy be a straight drop in??? I am hoping that I found a needle in a haystack if it will work...

 

[Brian_B]

Not quite, but almost a drop in. You have to move the crossmember and change driveshafts. Run a search its all been posted before. I did it in my old ranger.

 

[BigDakota]

I believe the 84 had the 2.8 engine. Your X has the 4.0. You can make the transmission fit...You can always make things fit!!!! but the 4.0 has more power and it will burn the tranny out sooner than you want it to!!
I would keep searching for an appropriate transmission for your year and model X. It will be worth it in the long run

 

[Hammer1]

Well, I have been searching hard and I still don't have definitive answers. (thanks for your answers!) I see these issues:
-Is the c-5 strong enough or do I need c-4 innards
-Do I need a new shifter or can the '94 ex column shift still work (No OD though)
-Anything else I need to know?

 

[Brian_B]

The C5 will bolt up to the 4.0 OHV no problem. It is way stronger than any A4LD. Inside it is basically a C4. Most of the parts will interchange. There are even a few tricks to use a C4 valve body w/shift kit, a stall converter, and a rachet shifter. They can be a full manual if you want them that strong. Run a search. Its all been posted over and over.

EDIT: The column shift wil not work...well....unless you are a pretty good engineer. I used the factory C5 floor shift on mine. However with the correct C4 valve body any aftermarket floor shift for the C4 will work. Its all been posted in the last few months.

 

[410Fortune]

Big Dakota, the C5 is a 3 speed no overdirve automatic that has been used behind the 5.0L by Ford for years (its a version of the C4 with a different 60 degree V6 style bellhousing)

If you can live without overdrive this is the best route to go when replacing an automatic behid the OHV 4.0L IMO.

 

[Hammer1]

I checked out the Bronco II donor vehicle today. It is a 1984 with the code 'W' for trans. Is that a C-5 for sure? The Changes that would be needed to drop this in should be as follows:

-Move crossmember foreward a few inches
-Drive shafts shortened and lengthened
-Switch from a colum shift to the floor shift (Is this 100% neccessary?)

Can I just use the Bronco II transfer case also? If I do this, shouldn't I be able to utilize the floor mounted trans shifter?

Anything else that I have missed?? Thanks.

 

[410Fortune]

the BII T case is the same as the BW1354 you have, the only difference is the age and also the front output yoke uses a different style of front driveshaft (explorer is better)

Unless it is a manual T case then grab it

You will need the starter and flywheel as well I believe.
Also get all the linkage.

Yes that should be a C5 automatic, I did not look up the W code, but you can at:
therangerstation.com


I have not done this conversion but have researched it quite a bit, others who have done it would be a much better source for answers about the specific parts required.

Your A4LD column shifter can be made to work, although it depends on your fab skills (muight have to modify or make a new detent plate)

A friend of mine who put a 4r70W trans in his 93 explorer (5.0L conv.) kept his column shift, got a late model ranger column shift lever with the OD button in the tip, welded it to his shifter and wired up the button, then he modified the stock Explorer detent plate for the new PRND21 pattern (basically blocking off 1 and renaming from OD down) he made a new plastic piece to display the correct position for the needle, so anything is possible, afterall its just a cable shifter, just mounted to your column.

 

[Creager]

try this

 

[wingot]

If you change out your tranny to a c-5 will it effect the gas mileage?

 

[Brian_B]

Yes, it has no OD, so mileage will decrease a little. I have done the swap myself. I can honestly say mine was not much. I managed 17 with mine in these hills driving hard. The benefits far outweigh the mileage difference. This is a tough trans and the A4LD....well...is not.

Don't trust the codes at TRS (usually), however the "W" is a C5. I used the C5 floor shift and I had the same t-case to begin with. I was working with an 89 ranger, so I used the front driveshaft from the BII (no mods).

My advice is to grab everything when you get parts. You never know what you might need. I ended up with 2-C5s with all the shifters and everything. I sold some and have some still.

EDIT: As far as I know, all the old B IIs and the rangers in that era had the BW-1350 manual t-case. The 84 B II and my 89 ranger did. In fact I have another t-case too. LOL I think the 1354 came out in 90 (or so). I doubt its any better than yours.

 

[Brian_B]

Don't forget there will be little things to move/modify to get it to fit just right. I had to move my E-brake bracket (was in the way of the crossmember) and modify the kickdown rod. Just little things that slow you down. Yours will be completely different than anyone elses.

Oh and the big one. Its 21 years old at least.

Plan on rebuilding it right! No short cuts or you won't be a happy camper for long.

 

[Hammer1]

It is 21 years old but with 90k miles, should I still rebuild it or ???? I was going to let it be. On a side note, my a4ld is the dead puppy. Is there anything I should look for that might be a freak anomoly??? It just died. No slipping or anything. I took off the line to the radiator and there is great fluid pressure. When I dump it in drive, the rpms do drop a little bit. Is there something simple I may be looking over????

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah...whats the fluid look and smell like. Old diry and smells burnt? Its definately toasted. Drop the pan and look for burnt parts or metal shavings.

My C5 had fairly clean fluid in it when I bought it. However, it had been changed right before they parked it apparently. The B II was not wrecked althought it was in a salvage yard. I go the doors and a lot of other parts off it. Everything in the trans was fried though. A rebuild is cheap insurance with it being that old. You have no idea what may have been done to it.

Its up to you of course. Take a chance and get it bolted in and see. You decide. I would not put one in (lot of work) unles I knew for sure it was strong.

On a side note the C5 is very easy to build.

 

[james t]

As a benefit, you can have a C5/C4 rebuilt for next to nothing. I spent $600 on my C4 buildup, and that was having a local race shop bulletproof it. $300 of that was torque converter. Had i not gone with custom stuff it would have been around $350-400 to get it built. You could rebuild a fleet of C4's for the cost of one rebuilt A4LD.

Weigh fuel mileage decrease with cost of installing a new A4LD every year. I think you will find you would have to burn a LOT of fuel to offset the cost in A4LD's.

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah... very true. My A4LD was rebuilt by ford when almost new (keep a count!). I rebuilt it once and it lasted for a good long while. Blew it again. I rebuilt it again and it lasted for a long time. Blew it again. Rebuilt a C5 (stock rebuild) and its still in there (driven daily by my brother).

Did you keep a count? A4LD rebuild 3 times. Have any idea how much that cost? The mileage was/is not much different at all. This is a work truck and was/is loaded a lot. OD was not used very often to begin with. Drive is a 1:1 ratio in both transmissions, so its almost the same (discounting the OD use occasionally).

This has me wondering. When mine 5R55E goes out (and it will) Would a C4/C5 bolt up? I have a spare in the back yard. Hmm.......

 

[Terran]

I'm really considering this, i could probably get a junkyard around here to pull me one for like $200 max. But i really need that overdrive occasionally. My 4.0 is my towing truck for my other cars, so i need a stronger tranny, but i also need to drive it daily or camping and in the winter so OD would be really nice. Isn't there like a Aftermarket OD or somthing i could use?

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah, you can buy a very expensive advanced adapter and use a chevy trans or go with a manual ford one.

 

[CarFreak146]

yes, you can use a C5 behind the 4.0OHV..... I just did a C4 swap into my Explorer, which is basically the same tranny as a C5.... the link above is actually my swap. its can be done.
--Ryan

 

[Terran]

Well i want the full auto, but i want to have OD still.