transmission swappage?

[91explorermatt]

I recently got my explorer 4.0 sport 5speed with an m5od and the transmission crapped out on me. and the ranger's engine is shot but the transmission is perfect and only about 3 years old, but its mated to a 2.9 and is 4x4.

I know that I can put a 4.0 clutch flywheel and started onto the 2.9 trans, but can I just take the entire transmission from the ranger and slap it under the explorer? I think that i can change the out put shaft out from the m5od to the ranger transmission(which I know is not an m5od) but if not than cant the transfer case stay on the back? as long as it doesn't loose fluid I don't see an issue? or is it even possible to take the 2.9 trans and put it behind the 4.0

I figured I'd make a franken car since one has a bad trans and the other has a bad motor then strip the ranger and get money at the scrap yard for it

Sorry if this is in the wrong section I think it might actually qualify as a modify

 

[91explorermatt]

I know that the ranger trans is a FM146

 

[91explorermatt]

everything will bolt up, but the drive shaft needs to be 2 inches longer, so how do I make up the difference?

 

[shaggymane]

If one of them is too long have a machine shop shorten it. Make sure the ends are the right ones
Or you find one from something that is the right length with the right ends.

 

[91explorermatt]

the ranger has a 7.5 rear and the exploder has a 8.8, so cant i just take the yoke off the rear of the ex drive shaft and put it on the ranger's and then have the shaft shortened?

and what about the transfer case, can it stay or do I need to kick it off

 

[shaggymane]

the ranger has a 7.5 rear and the exploder has a 8.8, so cant i just take the yoke off the rear of the ex drive shaft and put it on the ranger's and then have the shaft shortened?

that sounds like what i was saying. (as long as the u-joints are the same) drive shaft to rear end
Research the u-joint part numbers, talk to the shops who do drive train work, post in the modified forum. I'm not an expert, that's what i've learned from the few engine tranny swaps i've done i've done

and what about the transfer case, can it stay or do I need to kick it off

thought you said it would all bolt up............. cause that I don't know.

 

[91explorermatt]

the bellhousing clutch starter and everything there will bolt up no problem but I wasn't sure if the transfer case could just stay there and be a dummy.

also my auto shop teacher said it would be much easier just to take my explorer tranny to him and pay him 100 bucks not including parts for him to fix it.

he also said he thinks the counter shaft went out

and apparently its expensive to shorten a drive shaft, and if its wrong I could mess up the trans on the first bump

 

[91explorermatt]

okay so today I found out that the FM146 from the ranger is the same length as the A4LD they used on explorer's.

so new plan is get a A4LD explorer sport drive shaft.

so now the question is does the FM146 length include the bell housing, and can I used the yokes from 2 different drive shafts or will the auto trans yoke be a different size than the manual yoke?