My original posts were on the "What did you do to your ranger today" and there's a few pics after it came out.

{Edit, link wouldn't work}

Thankfully I've got the tech manual, all 3 actually, for this truck and it's been helpful over the years tinkering with this thing. Between those and this forum it's been great until now when I'm trying to put it back in (most just ranting here and adding pictures/info in case someone needs references in the future) and it just won't cooperate. I cannot get the bell housing to square up with the block before I slide onto the dowels.

I'm not in hurry to get this done just I have the luxury of not throwing things across the yard, I just take a break and can wait a while. The TC was at ~1/2" recessed at the pilot, the book says that's in tolerance. The 1 stud I can see is lined up with the fly wheel through-hole, so that's cool. I just can't square it up and I'm not trying to force anything else after having pinched on the cooler lines and now needing to fix that.

The only thing that might be keeping it out of square, I think, is an exhaust mounting bracket that is serving no purpose and getting in the way or maybe the annoying heat shield on the passenger side of the transmission. I've beat that sheat shield to hell so far, it's a pain and that's cause of that annoying mounting bracket for the exhaust.


The trans jack was almost more of a headache than it was worth, for install, cause it just got in the way. A floor jack and "padding" isn't quite doing the trick either but it's much more maneuverable on the install. During removal the trans jack was phenomenal.

Took lots of pics like this during the work knowing it would be a while before it all went back together

The stupid stupid annoying heat shield

Lost my "list" of required tools at some point and it annoys me slightly

 

Got the transmission reinstalled a little while back and slow rolled buttoning it all back up. IT DRIVES BEAUTIFULLY!! Working A/C, nope. Temp gauge, not working (but know how to fix), needs breaks all the way around, a fuel pump would probably be good cause the system doesn't hold pressure overnight.

Getting the front and rear seals replaced on the transmission solved the leaks, it shifts beautifully now. The initial test drive wasn't great, I had a terrible vibration and didn't know why. Jacked up the rear and pulled the wheels, fired it up and had the same vibration in all moving gears. It turns out one of the u-joints on the drive shaft was toast, I should've checked during the transmission reinstall but oh well, and the carrier bearing was shot too. I replaced both of those and ran in on the stands again....wunderbrau.

I've put about 10 miles on the clock since fixing the driveline issues and it feels solid. There's other issues to tackle but TheNewToy is now reliably streetable.


The carrier bearing was shot to hell and I never paid attention to it while doing the transmission.

[img alt="This one was the culprit, of the three it was the one that prevented flex in the shaft. With a hammer I couldn't beat it around. One new u-joints was killed in the replacement process.
"]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ranger-forums.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_20250902_165735719_hdr_7deb9a94f459e38bc421153 177d1e9dadfaa216b.jpg[/img]
This one was the culprit, of the three it was the one that prevented flex in the shaft. With a hammer I couldn't beat it around. One of the 3 new u-joints was killed in the replacement process, picked up a 4th and learned from my mistakes.