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Push button to manual swap

Slowlyvverot

Well-Known Member
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August 27, 2009
Messages
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City, State
Greensboro, NC
Year, Model & Trim Level
93 ExElTee
I've searched and read about swapping in manual t cases, but I haven't found the exact info I'm looking for. Maybe you guys could help me out.

My 93 4 door came with the push button 1354 and the a4ld. I recently bought a used manual 1350, just the transfer case. it has 90k on it and I don't think it was used much. Drained the fluid before I bought it and it looked perfect. No debris in it or anything. Are there any parts for the motor I should replace with new ones?

Next question, I'm headed to the junkyard tomorrow and I need to know what to look for. I know I need the linkage, transmission hump plate and shifter boot. Easy enough. How hard are they to pull?

And lastly, I know 2nd gens need to mod their front drive shaft...but do I need to do the same thing?

Sorry if this sounds urgent, but I get about one day a week for free time and I want to get the ball rolling and get my 4wd working again :p:

Thank you for any help in advance.
 



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Did you get a manual b-w 1354 or a different model? If it is 1354 manual everything is identical to your electric 1354 except for gear selection method. As for pulling manual parts, you should have no problems.
 












I just got back from the junkyard. I found a 80's something ranger with a manual tranny and a manual 1350. After jacking up the vehicle, going back and forth a half dozen times to the office to get different size sockets, staring at the linkage for what seemed like an hour, and basically not knowing what the hell I was doing, I managed to figure out these things:

-the shifter linkage is held to the tcase by 3 bolts (I think)
-I have no idea how to remove the front drive shaft, either from the diff or the tcase
-the drive shaft needs to be out to access the bolts holding the linkage to the tcase

I'm going to go back soon (with my own tools) and im going to see if they can throw the ranger on those stacked cement median blocks so I can actually get under it and have room to work.

On a positive note, I did manage to pull out the transmission hump plate. haha.

Still not sure about what I need to do to make the front drive shaft fit my truck though (or if I even need to)
 






Man this can take a while. While the 1350 and 1354 are very close to bing the same and will bolt up they are different. And the 1350 had some differences also. Now that being said a 1350 can work like you want it to but some things may need to be changed. First what does the shift lever on the 1350 look like? I let my web site go a year ago but somehow it's back up now. Don't know for how long though. Look at the pics here : http://www.mappyjack.com/Shifter.htm and let me know.
 






First what does the shift lever on the 1350 look like?

I looked at the pictures on your site and then looked at my case and there is no shift lever on the case. Something else I have to grab from the jy?
 






I am not an expert on this and I sure haven't seen everthing but what I think I have learned is that there are differences from different years and different transmissions. Transmission lenths very from 24" to over 28". And different transmissions had the shifters located on different places on the adapter between the trans and the t-case

There were at least two shift levers for the the 1350. A long and a short straight lever with the post outboard. And at least one for the 1354. A dog leg inboard with an inboard post to to clear the 1354's front output yoke.

There were a number of different shiffters. If you scroll down you can see that they have different lenths and that there were at least two different mounting distances between mounting holes. And had different lenth lowers and different lenth upper patterns.

What you need is a shifter that will bolt to your transmision and the correct lever on the side of the t-case that goes with that shifter. You can change the t-case shift levers in the 1350 and 1354. I think it was the early 1350 that had the rivited short lever in the first pic on my site. To change that lever you need to go inside the t-case. The long lever and the 1354 dog leg lever was held on with a nut and can be swaped with out taking the t-case apart. I have seen a short lever that could be put on the same shaft as the long or dog leg lever.

Tunnel cover plates were the different also. The early plates were shorter and wider. You can bolt the early cover on over your existing one and use it as a patern to cut a hole for the shifter.

Now this is all going on the information that you posted wanting to use factory stuff and are not going to make your own shifter.

If that 80's Ranger was and early 80's it could have a TK4 and the front driveshaft will be too short. The bolts use a star or torx bit to remove. You'll most likely need a few to get it out as I break at least one taking them apart the first time. Then I use a new strap and bolt kit that has 5/16"?? bolts. This is a the same one Jeep guys use on the dana 30. Then you to find you a good 3/8's drive socket to keep in your tool box to remove and install them with.

Seems to me the 90 Bronco II had a 35 front axle and 1350 t-case. That would be the stuff you need.

Any chance you can post some pics of the t-case you have?
 






I'm pretty sure it was a bronco II with the a4ld that the tcase came out of. I'll get a few pictures up of the case and tunnel cover plate in just a bit. Thanks so far for the knowledge you've brought to this thread happy jack.
 












The plate is the large one. The clips on the X seem to be weaker and break trying to get the plate off. They can be drilled off fairly easy but I would use the new plate as a patern. The tranny shifter hole is not in the same location nor the same size. It would be best to just cut your exisisting plate. The t-case shifter seems to be very close to where is is on a plate I took from a 1st gen X that had a M5OD and manual shift 1354.

Your 1350 manual t-case will accept the bolt (actually a nut and washer) on shift lever. So you need a shifter that was made for your transmission and the lever to match. What transmission do you have in your X? Do you know what transmission is in the Ranger you are trying to get the shifter off of?

One thing bothers me is the rust on the input shaft of the t-case. That will be in the open back of your transmission and I sure wouldn't want that stuff in my transmission. Might want to pull the front of that t-case apart and remove the input shaft and clean it up and be sure you get all the rust and stuff off. And check the front bearing.
 






The ranger I was messing around with had the rivet style shift lever. My Explorer has the a4ld; I'm not sure what tranny was in the ranger. There were several other manual shift trucks lying around (rangers, BIIs, Mazda pickups), but I didn't tear into any of them. What vehicles would have the bolt-on shift lever?

I am aware of the rusty spots on the case and I intend to clean it all up once I get all my parts and start this project.

So do you think a BII would be the best bet for having the parts I'm looking for?
 






Yes a Bronco II or Ranger with an A4LD. 89 is when they went to column shift I beleive so that would give you the correct cover plate with just the t-case shifter hole if you don't want to cut your current one. The new cover plate you have, has a large transmission stick shift hole next to the t-case shifter hole (two holes together make a large hole). Also the 90 BII was said to have the dana 35 front axle same as your X so the drive shaft should be a bolt in swap if it had the 1350 t-case. Not sure if the Ranger was the same or not(dana 35 front axle/1350 t-case). 88 and earlier will have either an auto or stick shift transmission shifter hole on the floor plate.

There were differences in the A4LD's also. The early ones had different wiring(one vs. two seleniods) and I don't know if the early A4LD t-case shifter was the same as the late one or not. Not sure when they got away from the rivited t-case lever. I have seen long and short bolt on levers though. So it's best to stay with the later 89 and up stuff.

Might even try a 1354 shifter (91-94) set up from a first gen X, Navajo or Ranger. There may be a reason the dog leg 1354 lever won't work on a 1350. Seems to me the 1354 and 1350 are enough alike and have the shifter lever in the same location. So it might warrant a try. The driveshaft is different for the 1354 and will not work with your 1350. So you would still need a driveshaft for a 1350 and maybe some work done to shorten or lenthen it.

Good luck. If you have any other question just ask.
 






thank you for the help very much, once I get another day off I'm heading out to see what I can find in the world of junk cars.
 






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