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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Unfortunately, I've hit a road block. The supposed 1997-1998 M5R2 1-2 shift fork that RockAuto sold me appears to be a 1995 and earlier fork. Wrong material, wrong shape, wrong thickness. It'd be cool if we could retrofit the early iron forks into the later transmissions, but I don't think it's possible. The shift tower and synchro sliders are totally different.
I should be able to get my $70 back (after I pay $10 for shipping the second time), but I still need a 1-2 fork. They're out of stock on the transmission parts site I use and I'm wondering if they're just obsolete. I'm thinking I'll need to track down another 97/98 transmission (probably a 2wd) to steal guts out of and use in my 4x4 transmission.
That'll be a lot of work to pull and take apart a transmission in the salvage yard. But the alternative is putting my transmission back with parts that I know are worn out of spec. As I understand it, worn shift forks put additional stress on synchros, and I don't want to waste the expense and effort I'm putting into the rest of the rebuild.
Or at least somebody built it for Mazda
Interesting it was used in far more
Vehicles then in was aware of world wide,
Maybe not this exact r2 version..
the predecessor was a tremec
Mazda M5OD R2 transmission specs, ratios, and information. The M5OD-R2, or simply M5R2, is a 5 speed manual transmission found in various Ford F-150 trucks from 1998 to 2008 model years.
Yes, late 98 (probably a 99 model) F150. Had 4.6 V8 with headers and custom exhaust. M5R2 and 4406. Blue interior too. Would've been a sweet and somewhat uniquely-optioned truck before it crashed!
I got a 1-2 shift fork that's less worn than mine. I need to measure it and check if it's in spec. I also grabbed the reverse switch pigtail I needed. I ended up taking the whole cluster shaft for two reasons: by the time I got the trans out and apart, I was too hot and tired to take more apart. Also, now I have an extra 4x4 output shaft and I took the tail housing too -- that means I have what I need to convert a 2wd M5R2 (more common and cheaper) to a 4x4 in the future!
The 4.6 is so much harder to work around than the 4.2. less clearance, an extra starter bolt (that's in a practically inaccessible spot), and the dowels are bigger and did not want to let go. This case is junk now, and I'm not that sorry.
If anyone wants a 4406M, grab it from Lincoln U-Pull-It, I made it easy on you.
I measured the shift fork and it'll work! The synchro sliders and fifth and second gear I got today look like they're in pretty good shape too -- way better than what I had. When I get everything apart to put in new synchro rings and bearings, I'll take some good comparison pictures of the less worn and the really worn teeth.
We're planning on moving at the end of the year, so I need to be thinning out what I have, not adding more!
I was tempted to get it as a spare, it was less leaky than the one I have. I accidentally crushed the plug for the range switch while I was wrangling the case around the torsion bar crossmember, but those are easy enough to replace. There was an auto truck with a 4406M that I could grab another switch out of actually...
Now you have me thinking I should go back for it though haha. At least I could get rid of one of my 4404 cores for a little money off.