looking for a few answers

[ewsoares]

Argh!!!

Well everything is back in, I even figured out where to fill the t case, when it is back in it is tilted so the filler plug is much higher than the drain, silly me. Got all the fluids in, put in the 93 ranger clutch master and line, pedal rod and spent two hours trying to put the line into the slave! Well it turns out I can only use a 91-92 ranger or explorer line to go into my 91 slave! Good news is the lines can be swapped from the master, bad news is I cant find the line seperately! I can only find it sold as a unit with the master, ARGH! I cut the line at the junkyard pulling the tranny not knowing I needed it. And couldnt find the cut end at the junkyard so I could splice it to the 93 line.

Ah anyway, if I can find a manual t case, is it hard to swap out the electric one for it? or should the manual levers just bolt to the tranny making it a nice fit? I tried looking for a thread on it but still learning how to use a forum.

 

[glfredrick]

On the T-case, if yours is working, don't mess with it. There is no difference in strength with the manual case, and there are better ways to spend your money than to swap cases just to have shift levers.

If yours is not working, there is a GREAT thread here that describes the common repairs. Usually the cost to make one work (assuming one has not beat up the shift motor with a hammer) is under $1.00 (not a typo -- a piece of rubber hose fixes them!).

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123542&highlight=transfer+case+fix

A few of us have also converted the electric shift model to manual shift using parts from the old shift motor and a cable to drive them.

 

[ewsoares]

well...

I supposed I should change it because my parents said sometimes going down the road the 4 wheel drive would kick in, dont know if it true yet, still need a clutch line to drive it, but any idea why it would try to kick in?

 

[nitro71]

Manual t-case swap is easy on a 91-94 Ex. First get your donor parts. All linkages, shifter boot. Install. Cut tunnel piece. Put manual hubs up front. Enjoy.

 

[ewsoares]

Manual Hubs

would be nice, as the front passenger auto is broken off and a regular hub cap on it, lol.

 

[Freshmeat]

You're on the right track. Why not get a new master cylinder since you have replaced so much as it is? $65 at O'Reilly and you'll be golden. I'd recommend reading that thread on the shift motor and tackle it ASAP- it's almost guaranteed yours needs it.

Good luck with the truck- I'm on my first Ex ever, doing the M5OD conversion this weekend.

 

[Freshmeat]

Oh- and just grab a few auto hubs at the yard for now- wait on the manual hubs until you have a better idea of what you're working with.

 

[ewsoares]

Agreed:

Master with line for 49.99 at autozone here, cant beat that. I started up the explorer tonight after putting mercon in the t case and tranny and figured i would drive it around a few blocks speed shifting it jsut to get some satisfaction from my hard work and make sure the tranny is decent..... well....yeah...no not my night for luck. Started the truck and heard a whining and dragging chain sound from tranny and ran it for a minute then shut it down and found a huge puddle of tranny fluid underneath!

So I called my dad and he assured me the sound was the starter because he had to keep using the automatic starter on the bronco tranny and flywheel because the teeth sit further away from engine like the auto flexplate does. So my starter is not disengaging. And yeah it was freakin hot starter!

And the tranny fluid on the ground was under the old auto tranny lines he cut off which is passenger side of tranny. I even felt up inside the bell housing thru the big square close to bottom of tranny and it was dry, not to mention this fluid was very very brown and dirty. So somehow after three years of him driving it with a bronco tranny, flywheel and clutch, after he converted it from an auto it puked out some old fluid! wow we were both amazed, i have no idea why it came out of the lines after all this time.

 

[Freshmeat]

Go back to the junk yard and get a starter from a 4.0/M5OD and you're set. It's a minor deal in the grand scheme of things! You're close!

 

[glfredrick]

Oh- and just grab a few auto hubs at the yard for now- wait on the manual hubs until you have a better idea of what you're working with.

I would just make the swap to manuals... The autos are notorious for failure -- unless you really don't care if the truck has 4x4 at all.

I recommend Warns. They hold up better in use than Mile Markers.

There are threads here on the site detailing the swap -- its easy, but requires different spindle bearing nuts. The ones from an early Bronco Dana 44 fit perfectly on the Dana 35 spindles. Look up parts from an early 70s Ford Bronco 4x4 and they'll work. Much cheaper than Warn's conversion kit.

Remember, auto hubs in the salvage yard are now about 15 or more years old with tons of miles on them. They were not that great when they were new.

 

[Freshmeat]

The switch to manual hubs is advisable across the board, but compare $20 for a couple autos to $175 to convert and I'd take the $20 option any day until I know everything else is solid.

 

[doonze]

My auto hubs have 160K on them, and so far have worked like champs.... at least once I fixed the issue with the 4x4. I even put them through hell weekend before last... and I mean I spanked em good! They came through and still work.... I like the idea of manuals, but I'm not swappin till I break one!

 

[ewsoares]

These are all very good input...

I apreciate it very much. The only they had was no good so I have to keep looking beacuse new is way too much for a starter. Im used to small imports so this is hard to get used to paying almost triple sometimes for the same part I would for a small car.

 

[ewsoares]

Oh?

How do I figure out what model or rather trim? my explorer is?

 

[glfredrick]

Usually there is some indication, like an emblem, that says XL, etc.

You can also check the VIN -- which should tell you your trim level. Door panel stickers or glove box stickers may also give trim level -- usually an interior code.

 

[ewsoares]

i tried...

to figure it out, the emblems are all gone, cant figure out the trim code thing, tried to search for a vin decoder and carfax doesnt tell you anything anymore until you purchase. otherwise carfax used to even tell you the engine size and type in the past and trim.

well i have one more question and then im satisfied on this thread if everyone agrees to go ahead and close it is cool with me.
so last question is a bit off topic but is about a ford, i used to have a like i think 92 ford escort and the front tranny seal went out, i pulled tranny and one day later it went out again, and then pulled it and replaced seal and it went two days later so i scrapped the car, any idea, just curious from you smart tranny people on here as to what it may have been?

it was funny because my sister followed me to the wrecking yard and got trans fluid all over here windstar, i had to wash it, lol.

 

[glfredrick]

Ford had a noted and well known problem with their front seals on a lot of transmission models. There are two typical causes -- one of which was pressure build up under the seal, causing it to blow out (turn inside out -- allowing oil to bypass the seal).

The cure for that was to drill a hole to relieve pressure back into the case.

The other was a bad bushing for the input shaft -- that one requires a rebuild at a compotent shop where a new bushing can be pressed in and the entire transmission line-honed to center the input shaft. Failure to do this will just result in another blown seal.

The other thing it could be is a plugged radiator -- the transmission is just overheating and the seal is one place where the pressure can blow off.

 

[dangerrangerstx]

ranger manual trans will work but the clutch 4 a explorer is slightly biger but its easy to find a stick ranger