Mark VIII T45 swap?

The M5R2 doesn't bolt to a 4.6, and the bellhousing is integral to the case so it can't be switched out like you can on a T5. There was one tbird that was found in a junkyard where someone had used a 4.6 F150 M5R2 case with SC M5R2 internals, top plate, and tailshaft housing. If I remember correctly, there was some issue with getting the speedometer to work properly, so that bird had a cluster out of some other car in it. Plus the M5R2 is really a truck transmission, so even with the B&M short throw shifter, it doesn't shift anywhere near as smooth as a T45. I have an M5R2 in my 89XR7, and I put one into my 91 cougar with a 393 cause there was no way a T5 would take the torque that thing makes, but neither of those cars are very refined. They are more like brute power and impressive handling, and creature comforts or refined smoothness be damned. I wouldn't want an M5R2 in the lincoln. Plus with having to frankenstein 2 trannies together to make it work, its probably cheaper to use the T45.
 
sorry if i led anyone wrong. just remenbered that we had to change the angle and length of the shifter to clear the console in the pictures you will notice a cutout of the trim. this was not needed after we changed the length and angle of the shifter. the shift if quick and frim. hope the pictures help. jd
 
just found better pics on another thread on site go to search and check aggiestckl post (ever ponder a 5spd.)
 
94m5 said:
I would definatly like to see what youve got going on with that shifter, Also if you have any pics of your slave mounting system, lemme see it when you get the chance.

Take care,
Mike

P.S. If you get a chance, you should try to make it down for MESPOCKS Boscobel meet to show it off.
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I will see what I can do about getting you some pictures, I will need them anyways.

The only difference at the master is I have a brace going from a bolt (Haven't decided which one will be better yet) on the master mounting flange to the fender well. Also, I didn't have to trim any of my inner fender due to the size of the master cylinder... the 97/98 Mark VIII's seem to have a little more room there for the wiring harnesses to hang out as it is.

My slave mounting system, since I am using the Wilwood pull type slave, will probably involve pulling the rod through the hole from the clutch cable, and somehow mount the rod coming through the back of the slave to the crossmember (If the length is there, which it looks like there is)

As far as the wiring harness, for the time being we pulled it behind the dash to the passengers side... I will probably be mounting the ECU under the glove box somewhere... if not above it in an easily reachable place.
 
I definitely want to see pics of what you do with the ECM and harness. If its at all possible, I would like to avoid having to cut and splice my harness.
 
I'm not worried about it, I just would prefer not to have that many splices in my harness. Every splice is a potential failure point, and having 100 of them doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. If there is no other way, then that is what I'll do, but like I said, if it is feasible to just pull apart the harness and re-route it without having to cut every wire, I would prefer to do it that way.
 
Blenderhead said:
I'm not worried about it, I just would prefer not to have that many splices in my harness. Every splice is a potential failure point, and having 100 of them doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. If there is no other way, then that is what I'll do, but like I said, if it is feasible to just pull apart the harness and re-route it without having to cut every wire, I would prefer to do it that way.
Click to expand...

Well, for the record it's 79 wires. The only way to go about this without lengthening the harness is to move/remove the foot actuated parking brake peddle... which i was contemplating, but not going to go to do until this winter.
 
So wait...I could simply convert the car over to a handbrake and not have do any modifications to the harness? If so, then that is what I'll do for sure.
 
Blenderhead said:
So wait...I could simply convert the car over to a handbrake and not have do any modifications to the harness? If so, then that is what I'll do for sure.
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As long as you have the time to do it, I say go for it. I was going to do it in my car now, but I will just spend my winter working on my interior. I need new carpet anyway....
 
I think I should be OK using a Tbird SC handbrake setup and just some modification to the center console, or maybe try to graft in part of a tbird console. Who needs cup holders anyway when you have a 5-speed!
 
I thought about using a T-Bird handbrake lever... but it isn't "pretty" enough for the car. Probably going to use the Lokar unit when I get that far.
 
Well I just won a T45 on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...m=190227186051&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=009

Not too bad a deal huh?

Anyway, I had a thought about the computer issue. Since I have a gen2, I already have OBD2, and the intake setup similar to the 96-98 cobras. I was thinking maybe if I get a 96-98 cobra harness and ecm, I could use that, not have to make an extension plug to relocate the computer, and I wouldn't even need a tune to turn off the auto trans functions, since the cobras came with a 5-speed from the factory. The only thing I'm worried about, is the air ride controlled by the ECM, or is that a separate computer? I'm not interested in losing the air ride, so if its in the ECM, it looks like I'll have to just build an extension and get a tune.
 
Here are some pics of my new setup for the Wiring harness.



The Last 2 are my old lame brain setup......:) Don't do that.




Mike

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100_06501.jpg
 
Well after looking into it, here is what I'm thinking at this point. Swapping in a complete cobra harness would be expensive, and probably more work than extending it. I'll just make a plug-and-play extension harness so I won't have to cut open and splice every wire going to the computer. I looked over the pinouts on the 96-98 cobra ECM, and there are only about 5 changes that would need to be made to run the cobra ECM with the mark harness and the 5-speed, and that way I should be able to avoid having to get a tune, which will keep the cost of the swap down. Also the changes that need to be made in the wiring would be very easy to do within the extension harness, so the only modification to the mark harness would be to tap into the tach signal wire and run that to the cobra ECM, cause it has that signal going to it and the mark doesn't. Other than that, there are only 3 wires that need to be moved to a different pin and one additional ground wire needed, and then I would need to split out the coil pack drivers because the 96-98 cobra had coil packs instead of COP. All that leaves up in the air is where to mount the computer. Is there room under the passenger side of the dash? I would rather not have to pull out the whole interior to run the harness all the way back to the trunk.
 
By plug and play you mean something you can just attach between the computer and the stock harness........


Good luck finding the terminal Pins, let alone the connectors to do it.


That was my original plan but you can't find them ANYWHERE.


Mike




EDIT!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!! 3000 posts
 
That part is easy. Grab any EEC-V computer, and the pigtail for it. Open up the computer and break the connector off the circuit board, then solder all the wires onto each of the pins coming out where they were going down to the circuit board. Then heat shrink around the joints, and coat the whole thing with a hot-glue gun. This way the joints are all very well insulated from each other, and never move, so it will be less likely to have any problems. Also, it will probably cost a bit more, but I can't imagine doing the entire harness in black wire like you did. I'll have to get the right color wires, or at least close to the right colors.
 
Hey 94M5, what rear end gears are you running, and what would you reccomend with the T45? If I were going to keep the auto, I would go with some 3.73s, but with the 5-speed, maybe 3.55s would be enough? What do you think?
 
With 3.08's my 94 pulls harder off the line than an automatic equipped 3.73 setup.


This has been verified multiple times by a few members on this and other boards. (Brentalan for starters)

I am swapping to 4.10's this weekend so we'll see what happens. I'll let you know about drivability issues.


mike
 
Well, I just thought I would mention my Jeep was stolen the other day, and it had my clutch, the shifter I was working on, my new clutch line (They put the wrong fittings on it the first time), and my XCal2 in it... I went ahead and ordered everything I needed, but it's konna be a nother week yet now before I get it on the road.

Blenderhead; I looked into the idea of using the ECU side of the connection, but from what I recall, from the connector to the board is a flexible circuit board, so you may not be able to use that for a connection.
 
I've definitely had some EECV's apart before, and they had the solid wires coming off the connector. Maybe some of them got that printed circuit board and some didn't. Either way, what I get the connector off of doesn't matter since all EECV's have the same connector pattern, so I'll just go to the junkyard and make sure to get one with the solid wires.
 
PHRANQUY said:
Well, I just thought I would mention my Jeep was stolen the other day, and it had my clutch, the shifter I was working on, my new clutch line (They put the wrong fittings on it the first time), and my XCal2 in it... I went ahead and ordered everything I needed, but it's konna be a nother week yet now before I get it on the road.

Blenderhead; I looked into the idea of using the ECU side of the connection, but from what I recall, from the connector to the board is a flexible circuit board, so you may not be able to use that for a connection.
Click to expand...

man that sucks about your jeep.
 
Just thought I would let you guys know my Jeep was recovered from a swamp on Friday night, and from the sounds of it all my stuff is still in the back. Back to work so I can get it on the road and up to my buddies place for paint.
 
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