Hey everybody i have a 88 MM 4x4 2.6L and ive been looking for a new manual trans cause mine is stuck in 2nd gear and i have a few questions. I found somebody selling a manual 4x4 trans from a first gen 1985 MM 4x4 and i wanted to know if that would fit into my 88 MM if not, would a transmission from a montero bolt into my mighty max? Im stuck as i cant find any 4x4’s in the junkyards around me any help is appreciated
Im no expert on small blocks, but there were 2 different bell housings you need to be aware of. I belive they are based around being wide or narrow blocks. Yes, certain Monteros will be identical as well.
Greetings and welcome to the club.
The '88 4x4 has a cable driven clutch system. I believe the Montero's all have hydraulic systems. But from which ever vehicle you get a trans, make sure it's set up of a cable clutch. You can switch to hydraulic, but it's no small feat. The seller of the '85 trans should be able to tell you which clutch system applies. Also, as Chargerx3 mentioned above, have the seller measure the distance between the guide pin hole centers on the bell housing. It must be 13.25" (wide block).
I don't know how well the '85 will swap into your '88 and I couldn't find anything on-line that was of help. There are a lot of part number differences, including the trans and transfer case housing P/Ns. Hopefully someone on this site has made this swap or a local transmission shop has information that can advise you.
Also have you searched car-part.com to see if any yards near you list an 87-89 4wd manual transmission. Those are the ideal replacement years. If they have an '88 trans getting it with the transfer case will save time and effort. But if only 87 or 89s are available, get the transmission only. The transfer case for the 87 lacks a sensor, and the '89 T/C requires a different slip yoke from the '88. Your '88 T/C will bolt up fine.
Thanks alot for the help man i appreciate it ill be sure to check out carparts.com to see if they have any thanks as for the transfercase its fine its just the trans that siezed up in 2nd gear and wont even go into neutral some guys have been telling me it’s probably a synchro but any other input on that would be appreciated as well
Transmission internals are not an area of expertise for me plus it requires special tools I don't have. I've only separated the T/C and adapter from the transmission of my '88 Ram 50 and then taken the trans to a shop to repair. Separating the T/C and adapter from the transmission is not hard, but the sequence of R&I steps is important and there are a number of small parts (pins, springs, detent balls, etc.) to deal with. The Haynes manual is worthless for trans work so get a shop manual if you don't have one already, or look in this site's manuals section for KM145 trans guides. You may need to be a donator to access that section.
Also, when you find a trans, examine the input shaft. It should not have any groove in it.
If there is a groove as in the photo above, I'd avoid getting that trans. The ~ 5/8" wide groove in the photo was caused by a seized pilot bearing. Because of the groove, the front of the input shaft isn't adequately supported by the flywheel pilot bearing which puts stress on the input bearing and other parts within the transmission. Not good.
Lastly, if you're able to tear it down to just the trans, you may find the problem. Even if you don't, you can still take the trans to a shop for them to inspect and estimate repair costs which might be comparable to buying a used trans.
Thanks for the great advice your the man i think ill do what you suggested ill just drop the trans and take it to a shop cause im by no means an expert on trans internals either i greatly appreciate your help
Hi Gabriel; I have a 1986 pickup just like yours, also 4x4 but the Dodge. I had my tranny worked on in a shop near me in Loveland. My input bearing was noisy in everything but 4th gear. Let me know if you want the info for that tranny shop or would like to see my truck to compare to yours.
Bill from NW of Ft Collins CO
Sorry for the late reply my friend currently im out of state but i have since taken my truck to a local mechanic cause the engine wouldnt stay running and he said that hell take a look at the trans to see if he can fix it so thats where im at right now still no luck with a 88 km145 transmission
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