'98 Eddie Bauer ZF5 swap

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Yudaman

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Well, I have finally started my swap. So far I am not setting any speed records, but things are getting accomplished!

Yesterday's tasks were all interior. Console removal and pedal installation

Yeah, the console is a PITA. Took about an hour to get out. Thank goodness I realized there was a trick. Otherwise it would have been a 5 hour ordeal.

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The top panel pops right off. Two screws and about thirty seconds. Underneath revealed this steaming pile of engineering. Roughly 15 more screws, a bottle of beer, and some serious tongue biting and the plastic sides were removed. Then came the WTF moment. The white plastic base is anchored to the body brackets by 8 machine screws from the underneath. :wtf2: Then after a little bit of looking and a couple of beer sips later, I could make out some slip tabs on the body brackets. I removed two oddly placed silver screws and VOILA! Slid right out. :rocking:
In an attempt to cut just one corner, by not removing the entire interior and carpet, I made a simple slice to the carpet to expose the floorpan.

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FML, yeah that's a plastic heating duct for the heater outlets under the front seats. Passengers don't need no stinking heat!!! :superhack: That's gotta go!

Anyone notice the random wiring from the carphone? Holy flashback Batman! My Expy had a carphone in it...
 
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Yudaman

Yudaman

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On to the second step. Installing pedals!
At first I had this brilliant idea of leaving stuff together in case I needed to drive it. Dumb, dumb idea... The shift linkage for the auto tranny was in the way! No matter what I did. Next great idea what to pop the linkage cable off the arm. Well, that helped, but not enough. At least with the cable out of the way I could damn near get the pedals in. But nooooooo the little tin bracket the shift cable attached to was in the way.
Keep in mind that by now I had the pedals in and out literally 15 times. This was the closest I had come to actually getting them in. Good thing I have some Torx bits, two screws and the bracket was out of the way. However, the rod to the master cylinder was not clearing for nothing.

Redneck time!!!!

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Two quick cuts with the zip wheel and the rod slid right into place.

Then end result

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I have a clutch pedal!!!

The only thing I should add, it has been mentioned before and I will say it again, you will need to add another "speed nut" to the very top bolt hole. The firewall is all drilled for it.

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Picked them up at Autozone for like $5.00. Used the 5/16" one and worked perfect. If you don't have bolts, grab a pack of 5/16x1".

Now I have my Expy up on stands and starting the underneath.
 
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Yudaman

Yudaman

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Holy hell Ford packed stuff tight underneath!
I feel like I am playing reverse Tetris to get the tranny out. One of the first thing that needed to come out was the transmission cross brace. After that you can think about removing the exhaust pipes. I was going to try and leave the exhaust in and work around it, but nope that isn't happening.
Also, what is the trick to removing the torsion bars and bracket? It would be nice to have that out of the way, but I don't really want to fight it going back in.

Didn't get much more done after my postings yesterday afternoon. Removed the rear driveline, muffler/tailpipe, and all but one manifiold nut for the front exhaust. Dinner and a cold beer was calling my name!

Next on my agenda is to finish yanking the exhaust, remove front driveline, then pop the transfer case off the slush box. Yup, I am rolling one step at a time in case I run into a road block.
 
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Yudaman

Yudaman

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Making progress!
I decided to bite the bullet and pull the torsion bar mount. Was kind of unsure of the process so I Youtubed a couple of videos. Pretty straight forward! Use a jaw puller, remove the adjusting screw, push on it with a prybar and the key falls out in your hand. BS!!!!!! :flipthebird: For anyone who hasn't tried to pull the torsion bars, them bastards grow into the lower A-arms and don't wanna budge.
But, I did manage to manhandle the bracket out. If it wasn't for the gas tank in the way, it would have been quick and painless.
After the torsion bar mount was out of the way, the exhaust system practically fell out on the floor. :happy107:
Not going to get to work on it tomorrow, coaching my daughter's softball team. But hopefully Thursday night the tranny will be on the floor.
 
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Yudaman

Yudaman

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Another milestone reached today. Transfer case removed!
All in all, the transfer case was damned easy to get out. However, Ford used some badass loctite on the front driveline bolts. The diff flange was fairly easy to remove, but the transfer case flange was impossible! LOL So I just left it on and dropped the t-case with the driveline attached.

Now that the t-case is out, I could get a test fit. Everything I read said that they should mate up just fine, but you know how Murphy makes laws...

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Tah dah! It fits!!!

So far progress has been slow and methodical. But, come tomorrow night, I am on vacation for a week and then s**t is gonna get done!!! :sparta:
Tranny should hit the floor tomorrow night, Saturday will be cutting and fitting of the new tranny, Sunday should be install day. Monday will be a trip to the driveline shop.

Keep tabs because this will move fast. :happy160:
 
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Yudaman

Yudaman

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Well that's just special. The lengthy update post I made yesterday didn't post.

How about I just give the short story so I can move on to the good stuff?
Slush box removal time, roughly 5 hours! For future reference don't ever let your body builder neanderthal grunt mechanic install a torque converter with a 3/4" breaker bar! Managed to get three nuts off, the fourth I literally spiraled to the point a socket wouldn't hold anymore. Had to pull the tranny back so I could get a grinder with a cut off wheel and a hacksaw in to cut the damn bolt!
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The carnage.

But I won!

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The 4r100 is 4 inches longer than the ZF5. New drivelines and some exhaust work in my future.
 
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Yudaman

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Yesterday went well!
As of the end of the day, i had the ZF5 fully installed with transfer case. The tranny bracket moved and modified, and one half of the exhaust in.

Now for some pics.:smiley-face-popcorn

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First attempt at cutting the floorpan for the shift tower. But it started out like my prom date, hole was WAY too small! :signs8:

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First fitting on the ZF5. Before I could even get close to the engine, the hole in the floorpan needed to be opened up. I think I re-cut the hole 4 times!

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The tranny didn't quite line up on the cross member. So I drilled two new holes for the tranny mount. Then I had to redrill the frame rails for the new location of the cross member. It was about 4" further forward than the original spot.

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Priddy clutch!

Drivelines are supposed to be built today. So with any luck my Expy will be on the ground and ready for a test drive!
 

Mediamonkey11

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Would it be possible to have final location and size of the hole in the floor pan for reference to someone doing this same swap?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Yudaman

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Basically, cut out the entire hole in the floor stamping. Inside of the bolt recesses...
I even found myself with a pair of tin snips doing some extra trimming after all was mounted and solid.
 
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