I got the tranny out of my '93 4x4 during a few warm days Indiana has provided. I haven't dug into it yet to replace the bearings because winter is doing it's thing right now and the shop is full. So, while I wait on that, is there any advice y'all can give me so I can minimize the chance of screwing up or it blowing up when I put it back in. FYI, I do believe the rollover noise mentioned in a TSB for the '93 rangers comes from lack of oil to the input bearing due to the "Oil Trough" filling up with metal shavings. I'll have to take a pic of that when I get around to cracking the cover again. Also, would anyone happen to know if that trough oil anything else besides the input bearing? Or am I wrong by saying it provides oil to the input bearing?
Transmission Rebuild Advice wanted
- Thread starter ZappyBear
- Start date
Update: I pulled the extension housing housing and it's not looking good. Looks like someone was in before me. If it's whining again this soon, what kind of damage is there? Was it a bad rebuild? Is the output shaft damaged and they didn't replace it? We'll find out in the future. I'm no tranny expert, but by the pics, whomever rebuilt it didn't do a very good job. New locknuts are like 3 bucks a piece! 
It's a Manual tranny actually. You can grab the input shaft and move it in, out, up, down, left, and right. I took the shift cover off and the input bearing is trashed, the trough that I assume guides oil to it is filled with metal shavings, but the gears and syncro-hubs look good. I'm just afraid of what the end of the output shaft looks like where it meets the pocket bearing.
I did look into that, refurbed one on ebay is 850 big ones and free shipping. That's alot for someone making just over minimum wage. That's why I opted to rebuild, didn't look too bad when I pulled the cover, just the fact that it's been rebuilt and is already whining scares me. I'll have post a pic of the input bearing and the oil trough when I get to taking them out.
I was looking for salvage yards 'bout 2 years ago for a bed for my '88 gmc s15, nearest is "LKQ pick-your-part" and that's 40 miles away. I would actually rather put something like a borg-warner in it as my s15 definitely made that tranny look good. But I couldn't find anything that says any of Borg-Warner's Manual transmissions fit a ford 4.0l. I've downloaded a repair manual for the m5r1 and looked at some diagrams, I think it shouldn't be too bad. If I screw it up it was bound to be junk anyway. If I do have to get a new tranny, would the m5r1hd be any better than a plain 'ol m5r1?
Ok, the thing is a bare case now, and I bet it's junk. But.... it'd still be worth getting a new tranny vs buying a new truck for 850 as I bought it for only 150. Anyway, here's some more pics. As many of you could see, whomever rebuilt this didn't use new gaskets, just way too much black rtv. It ended up clogging up the port that oils the input bearing. As seen in the upper left of the front bearing retainer pic.
Update. I'm proceeding with the rebuild, waiting for a new oil trough, rear nuts, tranny assembly lube, and slave cylinder to arrive. After some fine sandpaper, that spot in the front that holds the input bearing looks like it could hold a bearing fine. I'm just trying to figure out if that "step" on the left and right side of the input bearing's hole is a result of the input spinning in the case, or it was designed like that to keep the "bearing outer shell" from pressing too far into the tranny. I drove out the oil seal in the front bearing retainer and the oil seal, baffle, and shim came out one hard plastic piece. Yup, that's how hot the thing got. I was wrong thinking the black spot on the input shaft was metal from the bearing getting so hot it fused itself onto the shaft. Come to think of it now, if it had gotten that hot, it would have melted the bearing into the aluminum case. Now, I was looking around the forums. Looks like I'm not the only one skimming all the forums, seems like mhoward should be a website manager or something instead of a member. Almost every forum I've seen he's got an answer for. Thank's for the help and advice mhoward!
mhoward
Member
LOL I *DO* skim around many of the forums. Ford-Rangers.com is my "home", but I stop by here every day or two to see what's going on. My home forum offered me a moderator position back some time ago, but I declined as I don't desire that responsibility. I just prefer to cruise around, help when I can and learn things along the way. You are welcome for any help I have given and my advice is probably worth just what you paid for it! 