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spacer behind flywheel?


fordman8991

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so i'm doing the auto to manual swap on my 89 ranger with a 91 4.0 in it. i took the stock flex plate off and there is a spacer behind it... with the spacer on the bolts are not long enough to put in(manual flywheel bolts) so the question is do i need a spacer behind the manual flywheel? i don't even know where i could find one...

and how about the starter. am i going to need a new starter for a manual setup compared to a auto ? are they different? what will work?

thanks
jeremy
 


AllanD

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The manual flywheel does not use the spacer and uses different bolts.

For the 4.0 manual flywheel? yes, you need a different starter.

AD
 

fordman8991

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well i took the spacer out and the dust cover and put the manual dust cover in there (out of a 2.9 manual) had to cut the 2 lower tabs. went to bolt the flywheel up along with the new bolts and tightened it up and it was rubbing against the dust shield????

so i dunno what i need. i got the flywheel from the dealer so i don't think its the wrong one but the flywheel i have that is on the 2.9 looks like it would work but its in rough shape plus the teeth are in a different spot so that could throw a starter issue in there???
 
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cocoasranger

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You don't need a spacer at all, that's probably what is causing the rubbing. You will need the pilot bearing reducer sleeve which adapts the pilot bearing to the large hole on the flywheel; You probably don't have this since it does not come with new flywheels (they assume you have one from the old flywheel and are reusing it). It looks like a short piece of thick wall steel tubing and is a junkyard item. You will need the starter from a 4.0L manual engine as well as th dust cover from the same engine. You need to buy new 4.0L manual bolts from Ford also.

How do I know this: AllanD walked me through it when I did my swap and it all worked out great. Thanks again Allan.

:icon_cheers:
 
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fordman8991

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You don't need a spacer at all, that's probably what is causing the rubbing. You will need the pilot bearing reducer sleeve which adapts the pilot bearing to the large hole on the flywheel; You probably don't have this since it does not come with new flywheels (they assume you have one from the old flywheel and are reusing it). It looks like a short piece of thick wall steel tubing and is a junkyard item. You will need the starter from a 4.0L manual engine as well as th dust cover from the same engine. You need to buy new 4.0L manual bolts from Ford also.

How do I know this: AllanD walked me through it when I did my swap and it all worked out great. Thanks again Allan.

:icon_cheers:
i'm sorry i ment to say the manual dust cover not the manual spacer. reread then let me know what you think then.

i do have the manual flywheel bolts too.
 

Redlineracer12

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You don't need a spacer at all, that's probably what is causing the rubbing. You will need the pilot bearing reducer sleeve which adapts the pilot bearing to the large hole on the flywheel; You probably don't have this since it does not come with new flywheels (they assume you have one from the old flywheel and are reusing it). It looks like a short piece of thick wall steel tubing and is a junkyard item. You will need the starter from a 4.0L manual engine as well as th dust cover from the same engine. You need to buy new 4.0L manual bolts from Ford also.

How do I know this: AllanD walked me through it when I did my swap and it all worked out great. Thanks again Allan.

:icon_cheers:
What is this pilot bearing reducer you're referring to? His flywheel came with what looks like a pilot bearing already in it and would fit on the crankshaft as is, except that it is very close to the block. Close enough to rub the inspection cover when turning it over.
 

fordman8991

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i think he is referring to the way my flywheel is. if you look closely you can tell that the flywheel has a ring pressed into it with the pilot bearing in it. i already have the reducer i'm pretty sure.

there is no way that the input shaft would ever reach the block (put the clutch and flywheel on the trans with it out of the truck) and the input shaft barely came all the way through the pilot bearing.
 

AllanD

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Ok, you are then refering to the "seperator plate" aka "Dust shield"
that goes between the flywheel and the block.

Yes, it is different on the manual tranmsisison trucks.

Typically the manual trans 4.0 seperator plate is STEEL
while the auto trans plate is aluminum.

If the rubbing is real bad you can simply run without the plate...

I did for years.

AD
 

fordman8991

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Ok, you are then refering to the "seperator plate" aka "Dust shield"
that goes between the flywheel and the block.

Yes, it is different on the manual tranmsisison trucks.

Typically the manual trans 4.0 seperator plate is STEEL
while the auto trans plate is aluminum.

If the rubbing is real bad you can simply run without the plate...

I did for years.

AD
yeah i have a manual one out of a 2.9 i modified to work but it still rubbed. it is so close to the motor i dunno if its correct. i'd like to have a cover on there to keep shit out of there. are the 4.0 and 2.9 flywheels different. they are with the ones i have so i dunno if i have the right one so thats why i wanna make sure before i go through the hassle of bolting everything up
 

AllanD

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The 4.0 flywheel sits much closer to the block because it's thicker
and yes the dust shield is different as well to clear it.

AD
 

fordman8991

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The 4.0 flywheel sits much closer to the block because it's thicker
and yes the dust shield is different as well to clear it.

AD
alright. well monday i shall get a dust cover and try it again.

what about wiring. what has to be changed. i picked up a manual ecu for it and i have the clutch pedal sensor hooked up and it works.(tested it) i was messin around since i couldn't install just seeing if i could get power to the ignition starter wire. and when i pushed in the clutch and turned the key to the start position i get no power to the ignition wire? what do i need to do to make this work?
 

91exploreron37

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Arent the spacer plates different between the 4.0 and 2.9 so since you have a 4.0 dont you need the spacer plate from a 4.0?
To get it to start you have to splice two wires together from the nuetral saftey switch from the auto trans. I think it's like red w/blue stripe and red w/white stripe but im not positve.
 

Urg8orb8

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Ok, you are then refering to the "seperator plate" aka "Dust shield"
that goes between the flywheel and the block.

Yes, it is different on the manual tranmsisison trucks.

Typically the manual trans 4.0 seperator plate is STEEL
while the auto trans plate is aluminum.

If the rubbing is real bad you can simply run without the plate...

I did for years.

AD
Hello, do you happen to know where I can find a separator plate, AKA Dust plate on line. Need one for my son's Ranger 3.0. Have searched to the end of the internet and cannot find one.... any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
 

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