Help! 93 Ranger 4x4 3.0 manual trans

[Geeshik]

I sold my beloved Ranger to a friend who wanted a truck after i had to 'grow up' and get an F150 supercrew large enough for the family. The Ranger is a '93 extended cab with a 3.0 and a 4wd manual transmission.

My friend was out on a lake this morning ice fishing in the bitter cold north, got stuck in a drift, melted the clutch, and blew the entire side of the transmission apart. Witnesses reported a tremendous flash of fire and schrapnel. (I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes, and I have never seen anything like it in my life!) I need to find him a replacement trans for cheap. I told him I would do the work because i know the truck inside and out. I saw a 94 3.0 5sp manual trans for a 4wd on Craigslist here in Wisconsin about 6 months ago for $300, so i know they are out there, but I can't find the listing and I can't find anything similar. Please help.

 

[Geeshik]

M50d-r1

I believe this is the trans number for it. I noticed that some of the 4.0 engines used this trans as well. Will one from a 4.0 bolt to a 3.0? I am aware that the gear ratios are a little different. Will that be a problem? I am not sure if the bellhousing is removable or not. Any info anyone has on these would be appreciated. Do the 2wd trans castings have removable tail pieces for the 4wd x-fer case? That might help a little in finding a suitable replacement.

 

[4x4junkie]

3.0L & 4.0L bell is different.

You'd be best to find a new 4WD transmission.
It is possible to convert a 2WD M5OD to 4WD, but you have to fully disassemble the trans to swap the output shaft over as well, along with the extension housing. With the amount of damage you described (WTF did he do?? ) I would be very surprised if the output shaft (which all of the gears float on) isn't bent or broken as well.

I've had pretty good luck finding parts using www.car-part.com.

 

[Geeshik]

Not sure what he was up to other than maybe rocking the truck out of the drift; maybe grinding gears?? He said he had got it out before the trans blew out. It did have more of a highway tread tire in front than the BFGs in the rear.

I am happy to report that the truck still runs well, but the trans is definitely gone;the whole side is blown out of it. As my friend is on a budget, so to speak, we are looking for used ones. I don't expect to find a perfect replacement (new clutch, slave cylinder, and flywheel with trans, but I am hoping to find something used that is a little less expensive.) The truck is too young to die now, lol. It was an excellent machine for me for many years.

 

[Geeshik]

Final year for the 3.0 4wd M5OD-R1?

In our searching, we aren't coming up with much. I was just wondering what the last year that trans was put into Rangers. I think they discontinued the 3.0 in 2006 or 2007. Was the 4x4 manual 3.0 trans the same from 92 until then?

 

[Earl43P]

Any 3.0 MO5D will bolt up, but only those before 96(?) will have the gear for the speedometer. http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/speedometer.htm

At that link, you see the second photo, VSS? It it has that installed, it should have a gear to drive your speedo cable.

If willing to lose dash speedometer, any year 3.0 MO5D will fit.

If your speedo cable is driven by the transfer case, not the MO5D, use the newest low mileage one you can find!

 

[Geeshik]

I hadn't considered the speedometer drive. I was mostly concerned with the transfer case mounting pattern at the rear of the trans. That is good to know though. I wonder if someone out there makes an adapter for the VSS to the speedo cable? There has to be someone who has done it.

 

[Geeshik]

I was just looking online at GPS speedometers. If we could wire one of those up, we would be off and running with any year trans. They had one that you plug into a cigarette lighter for about $100 otherwise.

 

[4x4junkie]

The speedo drive is in the T-case, so whatever 3.0L 4WD M5OD you can find should work.

Does the truck have a manual or electric-shift t-case?
There are some year M5ODs that don't have the mounting bosses for the manual t-case shift lever, I wanna say around '07-'09 maybe? It was some of the later year M5ODs... Something you'll want to check for if its a manual case.

 

[baddis]

The speedo drive is in the T-case, so whatever 3.0L 4WD M5OD you can find should work.

Does the truck have a manual or electric-shift t-case?
There are some year M5ODs that don't have the mounting bosses for the manual t-case shift lever, I wanna say around '07-'09 maybe? It was some of the later year M5ODs... Something you'll want to check for if its a manual case.

isn't the mounting boss on the extension housing? it has been a few years since i messed with an m5od in a ranger

 

[4x4junkie]

It is on the ext housing, yes. I s'pose you could swap the housing if it's good, though I might be a little leery of one from a trans that the side had exploded on

 

[baddis]

true but if you clean it up and inspect it really well for cracks it should be ok.

 

[CAD]

Shame your not close to Colorado, I have a good rebuilt one for 100.00 bucks. Can't use it with my 2.9L.

 

[Geeshik]

Dang, yeah, that would be sweet! For that price though, i am wondering how much truck freight would be to 53085.

Thanks again for all the help, guys. I am happy to hear about the speedo gear being in the x-fer case. As far as i know that thing is good to go. It is an electric shift case that i put a shiftster on. I got tired of going through that diagnosis list and replacing a new part/wiring section every year.

I haven't been able to crawl under the truck and look at it since i put it on my father-in-law's equipment trailer. I pulled it home in a snow storm, and everything is snotted up with snow, salt, and ice. We're waiting to get the parts together before i tow it over to my friend's house again to do the work.