New Guy Here!

[Grandpa's S/S]

Well I be new here on this site. Found it looking for info on tranny swaps. I have a mazda b3000 with 400k and looking for the 4th tranny. Found one in an '88 aerostar. I was wondering if they would swap. Told I might have to swap tail shaft. I think if yoke is different I could swap the yokes on the drive shafts easier. What you think?
I am in the process of modifing it as well. done the exhaust and sounds great. Not loud, but has a lower and distinctive sound. Like a truck. I am also into the HHO system design and building with unit designs at 1lpm and better.
But right now I got to get this tranny fixed. That grinding in 3rd is driving me crazy.
Later
Ken

 

[Rick]

I hope Brooklynbay sees this, he should have the answer you need as he is an Aerostar owner as well.

Welcome to the forum

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! The 88 Aerostar has a floor shift, and is 2WD. The bracket for the shifter is different on a column shift, but is easy to swap. A 4WD has a different extension housing as well as a tail shaft. You have to dismantle the entire transmission in order to swap a 4WD tail shaft into a 2WD transmission. The bell housing & torque converter are different, but are easy to swap between the 3.0L & 4.0L. The valve body, and some internal components are slightly different between the 3.0L, and the 4.0L as well.

 

[Grandpa's S/S]

Welcome to this forum! The 88 Aerostar has a floor shift, and is 2WD. The bracket for the shifter is different on a column shift, but is easy to swap. A 4WD has a different extension housing as well as a tail shaft. You have to dismantle the entire transmission in order to swap a 4WD tail shaft into a 2WD transmission. The bell housing & torque converter are different, but are easy to swap between the 3.0L & 4.0L. The valve body, and some internal components are slightly different between the 3.0L, and the 4.0L as well.

Okay The 88 aero has a floor shift as does my truck. Both are manual 5spd. I have already put in two rebuilt trannys and had to go to a spare as the last rebuilt had pieces of 2nd gear come out in the drain pan and the fill plug has welded itself in and won't come out. Both of these vehicles are 2wd. The 4.0l and the 3.0l will not interchange due to the bellhousing is different as I have been told. I have not seen the bolt pattern for the 4.0l. They have the same tranny but the bell housing is different as I have been told and the bell housing on the 3.0l is one piece to the tranny. The gearing in the 4.0l is different than the 3.0l. I wish the 4.0l would work. I can find hundreds of them in the junk yards compared to the 3.0l.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I thought that you had an automatic. Thanks for clearing this up. You could rebuild the manual transmission yourself.

 

[Rick]

The 4.0l and the 3.0l will not interchange due to the bellhousing is different as I have been told. I have not seen the bolt pattern for the 4.0l. They have the same tranny but the bell housing is different as I have been told and the bell housing on the 3.0l is one piece to the tranny. The gearing in the 4.0l is different than the 3.0l. I wish the 4.0l would work. I can find hundreds of them in the junk yards compared to the 3.0l.

The 4.0's 5 speed is a one piece case as well. The bell housing is definitely not removable. Not sure that the bellhousing bolt pattern is different. I know the C5 tranny from the Bronco II will swap behind a 4.0, and there was never a 4.0 available in the Bronco II.

 

[Grandpa's S/S]

I used to have an '89 aerostar conversion and replaced it with the wife's jeep. That is how I found out the aero and ranger and bseries, explo's and bronco's mostly will interchange. There are differences and not all will interchange, but it is fun to try. Need to rebuild old tranny and need to know the diferences in them. Which has the tougher gears and syncs. 402k on it and the trannies can't hold up. Of course I drive it like I stole it. 100 miles round trip per day and 45miles one way at 75mph @ 2700rpm.
Here are my updates or mods. Just finished the exhaust, pulled the dual cat off and put aftermarket cat for f150 in place with custom made collector at the header pipe. Have pics to share. Next is ignition box for improved spark, then the cold air intake. Will pull intake and valve covers to replace gaskets and upgrade injectors from 14lb one port to lincoln 19lb 4 port. Going to polish inside throttle body and intake ports. After all is said and done. Then the hydrogen on demand system. Goal is not only hp but economy as well. With a flip of a switch I will go from eco to hot rod burning and churning.
Cool Huh?

 

[1Aauto]

Welcome to the site