Ford Ranger Transmission Rebuild - the Complete Guide No One Asked for - Part 2
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- We finish the rebuild of the Mitsubishi FM145 transmission in my 1986 Ford Ranger and see if we actually fixed the problem.
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"I do things like this to see if I can" That statement alone defines you, your work ethic and your personality. This is the main reason why I love this channel so much. I never miss a chance to Watch Wes Work............................
👍
Well Said
I absolutely wholeheartedly agree with you there bro! Haven't missed 1 single minute from start to finish! Cheers from Canada eh
@@jinksonyou I Have Been A Fan Of WeWW For Quite A While, Somehow Figured His Channel Would Gain Momentum & It Certainly Has.
If I Only Had A “Wes” Here In South Central Pennsylvania, U.S.
keep it Safe My Brother To The North!
@@davidcolesr.8628 you as well bro, reading my comment I realize I meant to say "watched ALL of his videos from the very beginning!
Inreasingly, this is becoming my favourite channel. Exceptional mechanic with a teacher's perspective on explaining his proicess, who has a sense of humour, and excellent variety in his content. Love it.
Don't ever apologize for what you can and can't do Wes . Remember, you have a business first and a channel second . If push comes to shove your business pays your bills. The channel helps
Wes you do a great job and have patience. I like when you admit a mistake like we all make. I also appreciate you not playing music like other channels which are very distracting and annoying.
Action list for a Wes video;
1. get libation of choice
2. open video
3. click Like button immediately
4. sit back and enjoy
One part, two part, trilogy, tetralogy, pentalogy, hexalogy, and so on, it don't matter, Wes has The Best content on YT!!! Keep 'em coming Wes!
I just discovered your channel and I freaking love the fact that you’re not afraid to fumble and bumble your way through a mechanical job in full view of the public. I fully relate to the head scratching, two steps forward one step back process of repairing an unfamiliar machine. Thank you for allowing us to peer over your shoulder while you work!
When he said, this is a crap design, I had flashbacks 😂 I agree I loved that part too
“Been on the shelf since the Reagan administration”. Lol!
I sub’ed to this channel to learn, but found Wes’s sarcastic humor is a major added bonus! You rock Wes.
Wes,
That's your truck and your shop. You shouldn't have to answer to anyone. Well maybe your wife.
I really enjoy your video's.
Thank -you for posting them.
Youre a brave man tackling that nightmare of a transmission with little experience with them, makes me feel bad about not attempting a rebuild on my T56 lol. Great vid as usual.
It's already broken. It will either get better or worse.
@@12345NoNamesLeft thru
T56 is so easy
Around here it would have been only worth the hassle if in dire need of a spare transmission.
about anything underneath except for the transmission would fail our biannual inspection here. Mainly eliminating the catalytic converter, but that is not even the worst thing. That amount of rust would have made it fail at least 10 years ago, if not even earlier. I wouldn´t dare driving it as I would be afraid it could break in half with every bump you go over.
But well, Wes obviously didn´t plan for the donor car for no reason...
Arr Wes I so enjoyed the gearbox rebuild . As a 16 year 60 years ago ,Id pulled apart the engine and gearbox of a non running old then 500 cc BSA motorbike Id bought for £3 So many parts so little experience I was in my dads workshop it was the early hours of the morning after days of work on the final assembly and was stuck ,I was actually exhausted and in tears with frustration . Dad ( an engineer) appeared in his dressing gown ,Oh dad please help me ..and as he did he explained how the parts worked and the logic ,I was able to understand .
That bike gave me years of service but I’ll always remember my dad saying “well done son, an engine or any mechanical device is a servant not a master , you can do it “ and I never looked back and enjoyed fixing anything thats not working all my life ..wish I still had a workshop ... thank you from Queensland Australia
A challenge invariably comes at a cost but the reward of success is priceless! Hats off to you, great job.
Appreciate all you do and all the work that goes into bringing us along.
No need to apologize for fighting with render times, upload times; all that junk.
Thanks for all the time you invest to bring us content; don't think any of us could afford it if it wasn't free.
Wes not to many people are as brave as you, here im going to rebuild a transmission for the first time and put it on the internet....Awesome work dude!
BTW, I like the 30-40 min videos. I usually can't sit for 1 1/2 hours straight for a video. I watched the 1st part of this and the second half 3 hours later and I'm retired too! This was a great video series, nice detail.
One of the last points Wes makes at the end is dead on... getting that deep into this trans makes little economic sense... but thank God Wes isn't a dollars and cents only sort of guy.
There is a certain beauty and elegance in this kind of work we can only see when we find someone who does the work for more than just a dollar.
As far as I am concerned "Watching Wes Work" is better than just about any prime time network production I have ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised to see a him in his own new DIY network show one day.
I hope you know how much most of us loyal viewers really just love to kick back and watch you’re videos, as a fellow mechanic (diesel mechanic) I work on mainly doing in frames and a lot of electrical diag on class 8 trucks plus everything in between all day everyday for 10-12 hours and I still can come home and enjoy watching an hour or two of you’re videos because they are just simply perfect. I admire you and how if you don’t know something you will say “i don’t know” and then figure it out/ learn it. Please keep these videos coming! -tyler sentementes
I applaud you Wes. I might EVENTUALLY figure out how to tear that weird sucker down but putting it all back together RIGHT - furgitaboutit. 😉
30-some years ago, someone woke up every work day, went to a factory and put those things together.
Every d@mn day...
F ... respect.
Cheers,
I prefer to think they invented some crazy robot to assemble them...
I lost a bet with myself. I figured there was no way you'd get that back together. You are patient beyond your years! Great job! I'm impressed.
Best mechanic I’ve ever seen.
Wish he lived closer to me.
I just finished part 1 and this was released 10 minutes later. Great timing!
One day, somebody struggling with no money but plenty of time will find this video and need this information to get their only daily driver back on the road. I’m glad you saved the square body and put it back on the road. Great series
It's just magic how in the blink of an eye, the trans went from being on the jack in one second, to all aligned, bolted, and the Y-pipe being installed in the next, lol. I love YT magic!!! I wish I had some here!
Really enjoyed this video. Man, you did a great job!
I appreciate it!
👍
@@WatchWesWork I sure learned one thing for sure, NEVER work on one of these transmissions! LOL
Impressive job on the rebuild Wes, especially after doing a couple of older manual gearboxes myself. I know the personal satisfaction of a job well done is very rewarding.
Appreciate the financial analysis on rebuild vs salvage trans too.
Keep the videos coming
I had a mechanic check my Toyota Landcruiser clutch before going on a big desert trip.
The car had 100,000 km on it.
He really wanted me to replace it bit the clutch was fine. I said put it back in.
I got another 200,000 km out of it 🤠
I’d say don’t replace stuff just because you have easy access.
Fun to watch video. You have my thumbs up but it would have to be seriously crap for me not to give you one ;)
Insane level of patience as always. Makes a guy wonder if it would have been less work to engine/transmission swap the dang thing.
Wow - I could really feel my hands getting sweaty just by watching you taking the transmission apart! If that rebuild did not show what you are capable of - what else can? Simply great! 👍
This old man thinks you did an amazing job Wes. Wish I was close to you; I would have you do some work for me. Thoroughly enjoyed watching as always. Will watch for next one.
I appreciate a fella that will buy a $300 truck, sink a couple of grand into it (in time and parts) and come out the other end with a $500 truck. Been there and enjoyed the ride. Great video and series!
Love your videos. The production quality is extremely good and the content is no different.
Your level of skill when it comes to Mechanics amazes me... Whether it's a old track loader or a new vehicle, splicing a boom lift harness together or building a transmission from a pile of parts You're amazing.. never miss an episode
Wes, I think you did the right thing. You used a transmission that you knew was in decent shape. You learned how to remove and replace everything including the rebuild. So the next time you will have a better idea of how to do it. All in all, the video's were great and I think you made the right choice.
Hey Wes, please don’t apologize for the way you choose to do things. For every complaint you get there are hundreds of us that love your work!
Had no idea a manual transmission could be so complicated. Worst I encountered was 1964 Opel 4 speed with loose needles. Well played Mr Wes!
Most of them are easier than this thing!
@@LN997-i8x This one seemed like they designed it, to litterally, almost any problem, tear every...single....thing out of it. Glad hes got it back together working but WOW
I'm subscribed to about 70 different UA-cam channels. This is by far my most favorite one!!
I think the decent upper limit of a long video is somewhere in the range of 30 to 40 minutes, past that both parties suffer. After all, you have a job, it's already not an easy one, and this on top. Personally i don't expect you to put out movies, i'm perfectly content with you sharing the stories of the shop. People who ask otherwise don't really realize what that entails, and what it demands of you.
edit: ate a word
Spot on, my thoughts exactly!
I regularly sit down to hour+ Mustie1 or VGG videos. There was a guy I used to watch who has managed to work on ONE outboard motor and the last time I looked, he was at part 97!!!! 97 parts to fix one outboard motor. I no longer subscribe to that channel. Count me in to the extremely long video category.
Some of us have difficulty finding an hour or more to sit around watching a video. We have things to do of our own.
@@notajp That where a guys "pause" button really shines in functionality.
Wes is one great mechanic. Besides having an amazing ability, I believe his curiosity of how things work and tenacity are a big reason for his superior abilities to fix/troubleshoot! 👍👍
Your videos are AWESOME no matter the length. Appreciate your videos.
Well done Wes and have a nice day
So good! Also, just opened my stickers that I ordered from your shop. Actually laughed out loud. Great stuff. We should all do a small bit to support this channel. Outrageous entertainment and mechanical knowledge value. Thank you to Wes and the Crew. Also, video and audio quality is top notch after your upgrades.
Love to "Watch Wes Work". Your channel is one of my favorites, up there with Ivan and Eric. Thanks for helping America stay outta the ditch.
We all have those days Wes. Your a smart kid and a good mechanic. IMO
Superb job, brother. Sure, throwing in a used transmission would have been faster, but driving six total hours to pick one up sucks, and it would NEVER match the feeling that you had when you made those first few shifts. We couldn't see your face but I'd bet $1000 that you were smiling ear-to-ear. That's why the rebuild was worth it- you know the feeling, we all love that feeling.
Top drawer stuff, Wes! Putting that back together! The old blind welding on that exhaust part made me chuckle - stitched together with mig wire lol
In the UK we call that a pigeon shit weld !
I couldn't sew with a mig welder , if somebody showed me how! I don't know how they got the wire to stick on either side of the gap, and still look like wire in between. 😁😂🤣
Wes taking from an old mechanic that has been working on car's since around 1983. I have found that it is often better to leave that remain seal alone on the engine, if it is not leaking then to replace it and then have it start leaking after you replaced it with a new one. Sure yeah, we are supposed to replace them when we remove the transmission to either do a rebuild, or a clutch job. But sometimes it is better to leave things like that be, and wait until they actually need to be replace. Sure it means someone else will have to go back in and replace it later on, when it does start leaking. But I have seen rear main seals on engines out last the engine it's self, just like I have seen them start leaking after being replaced. So I find it is more a matter of personal preference.
Why do they sometimes leak after replacing?
One thing I like about you is that regardless of impending doom, you seem fearless. Was it uneconomical? Probably. Time consuming when you could have spent that time making money otherwise? Yup. But....you did it anyway. And were successful. I'd say it was a good education. That being said, was it that much of a loss? Love your channel, Wes. Keep up the good work!
I rebuilt one of these in my living room with hand tools a few years back . . . over a period of several months. Needed new shafts so I spent half of what I paid for the truck just on parts, but it was a bucket list item for me. Watching you do it was a nice trip down memory lane. Like you said, there's not much on the internet about these . . . I only found a couple still pictures accompanying a written account. Thanks for sharing!
Agreed with rebuild the trans you have, that you know whats wrong with it.
Great video. Thanks for another lesson.
The demise of the manual transmission is now very easy to understand Master Mechanic WWW
does it again. I will watch 8 hours of your work every day 👍😅 great job!
From the LOU STL 314
Those grooves on the bearings are for the removal tool to lock into. There is a bearing collet removal tool that locks into those grooves along with a long tube and forcing screw to remove the bearings.
You proved to yourself you could do it and done very well! I started working at a Ford dealership straight out of high school and with a short vacation to Vietnam I lasted from '63 until '69 and decided I needed a career change. Still do all of my own maintenance and repairs today, but I'm still glad I don't do it for a living!
Great job Wes! Obiously we know Frank Fritz must be a "grind em till you find em guy!" 🤣
“Donkey-powered internet.” Lol. Wes, you kill me. Keep up the great work. I rebuilt the 6-speed trans in my Fiesta ST a couple years ago. It turned out to be the input shaft bearing as well. I had never done a trans before but as painful as the process was (I had to pull it twice because I missed the problem bearing the first time) it was such a great challenge and learning experience. I get a lot out of your videos - thanks for all you put into it! 👍👍
This was impressive Wes, had my doubts after seeing the whole thing apart. Good job !
Great video. At the retirement age of 65 I am still out in the shop working on and repairing vehicles for the same reason, to see if I still can, and I still can. The real challenges for me are the electronic and drivability diagnosis’s. I’ve invested in the necessary scan tools and rely on channels like yours, Eric O, Ivan at Pine Hollow and Paul Danner at Scanner Danner. So far I can still get them figured out and repaired. I’ve learned more in the last three years with the help from your channel and others than I have in the last twenty years. Thank you. Have a great Christmas.
That was a pretty hard core, dedicated piece of work. Now advertise it as rebuilt gearbox, with part worn clutch, on wheels, plus extras.
I have to admire the way you took on the challenge, and won.
Wes, i don't care what anybody else says about you, you are a GENIUS, well done.
Wes, you are amazing,. I have built a lot of manual and auto trans back in the day, but nothing like that. YOU ARE THE MAN!
I always appreciate your honesty with the book times, cost and different factors. It's clear that you have thought out these decisions, and it's really special that you choose to take us through your thought process. Thanks so much for what you do!! I always enjoy watching :)
I’m the same way. I would have rebuilt it too. At least you know what you have when you are finished. Thankfully you able to obtain the parts needed to repair it.
If I was going to keep the truck I would have tried to rebuild it but not selling it, AS IS COMES TO MY MIND, LOL.
Yeah Wes. It's not about time and money. It's about fun and 'can I do it?' and a little bit about entertainment.
And the answer is - "Yes you can!" :)
I don't know about other watching, but looking how this thing comes together and working again - it's like maginc.
So keep the magic going, Wes! :)
See you on a gold button video :)
I'm pretty sure there is nothing you can't fix!! Great job!!
Thanks for this one Wes, sure brought back some memories. I was a dealer tech in the 1980's, had my hands in many of these for warranty time. Nice job.
Yay! A Tuesday extra! Figured it would be Saturday before part 2 would be out
NEVER apologize for all the Sh*t you go through to fix the equipment that comes in your door your an inspiration Wes god bless you for doing things old school that others can't or won't do LOVE your channel 😊
I think Wes should do at least one transmission rebuild per month. Who’s with me on this?! 👍
You are a cruel person! 😱😬
I love your humor man.
As far as money goes Sometimes we lose Sometimes we win. But we learned every time
The sound on this video is fantastic. Well done.
Wes, man I appreciate the effort you put into this 2 part series. I have the same trans in my truck... i learned a ton from this video, but most importantly I learned that if anything ever goes wrong with my transformation I'm going to replace it with the Mazda variant. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video wes I think you were brave to tackle this job ,being in the uk manual transmission are common here but I got to admit you were magic as normal ;take care stay safe out there .... John uk
An important document for the one desperate that HAS to rebuild his.
For him, I thank you.
WES, I appreciate your tenacity!
Great content. Bringing it back to life to live on! (at least till the frame can't hold it off the ground!!)
You sir is the number one you-tuber maintenance technician out there by far. Aloha from Kansas
Wes , your video quality is 5 stars . You proved that anything is possible if you put your mind in gear , and get a good nights sleep . Nice shifting trans .
Your skills never cease to amaze me and I love your sarcasm, next level!
Wes, I tilt my hat to you Sir, well done and you showed it "could be done" in the usual "Watch Wes Work" style. Nice job.. Thanks for dragging us along, well worth the watch.. Cheers!
Wow Wes... impressive! What a puzzle. Great troubleshooting and problem resolution, as usual! Thanks for sharing.
The only manual transmission I ever worked on was in my 79 f-150 ,3 on the tree lol and I had no idea what I was doing. Your video was very informative. Great job Wes.
Thank you for doing all the work and filming it besides all the problems with the repair!
Having video in parts as you've made them is perfect, wanting more means your videos are great and making the second video later (or posting it) is a nice training for our "instant gratification" problem. Having to wait a bit used to be a norm and these days we get all hissy. Waiting for a good thing helps and thank you for making it this way!
(yes, long winded post, but ... it's a long video :P )
Wes, you are my kind of mechanic sensible, knowledgeable and relentless.
Tons of credit for you tackling this. Amazing how larger and more complex pieces are easier to work on. One would think it'd be a simple job, but there in lies the problem. Thank you for recording it!
Remind me to never buy a ranger with a Mitsubishi 5 speed, i thought automatics were complicated. Wow!!! Great work!!!
I really enjoyed this 2 part video. It took a lot of patience to do that transmission repair. I would be interested in knowing what the time and parts cost was. Great job.
He stated parts cost and book time near end
@@robertbrewer2190 thanks. I had to leave the video before finish but I did return to see the end. Unfortunately I did the comment a liesy
Fun challenge equals good viewing for us distant punters 🇦🇺
Great job! Thanks for taking the time to do the job so professionally, shoot the video and then to edit and post it! Very, very impressive and deeply appreciated! Like the beard! Hope you and your family have a merry Christmas!!
Wes your automotive channel is one of the
best automotive channels.
I love the look of those mid 80's Rangers/Bronco II's Great looking vehicles. I wish I owned that one! Great job Wes!
I Absolutely Have A New Found Respect For The Transmission Repairman Out There. Wes, You Are A Bad Man!!!
No Wonder Transmission Repair Is So Damned Expensive. Certainly Appreciate You Having Us Along, Catch You On The Next One, Keep It Safe Out There!
WES, keep doing what you do. I appreciate every journey you take us on! Blessings to you and your family!
Great work. I enjoy your down to earth style and especially appreciate you including the financial info at the end.
Another great video, the fact that you use mostly tools that don't require a home refinance give me hope as a DIY'r!
You spotted the problem and corrected it before completing the assembly, fitting the trans and then noticing a problem - you did good!
Your skills are impressive as always! Well done.
Hey Wes.....You should watch Jeff from the Elderly Iron channel disassemble and rebuild a 50's GM manual transmission. That was seriously brutal. You did an awesome job with the Ranger and I love watching your videos. Keep it up!!!
Sure a gm 50s and a ford/china, transmission have so much in comon.
Well done Wes ,such a great build. Really enjoyed this and i bet you got a real satisfaction from putting it back as it should be.
you got the best community on the mechanic side of youtube. none of us care if you can't upload bang on time every time. these vids blow every other mechanic on here way out of the water.
This is the best in depth how to rebuild I’ve ever seen period!!!
Nice job Wes as always merry Christmas sir.
I fix old junk that barely makes sense myself, but I tend to look at this a slightly different way. You helped keep another old vehicle on the road, even if it isn't a classic. The idiots using paper straws never seem to remember the "Reuse" part along with "recycle" and "reduce". And you helped someone else get some affordable wheels, and in particular a truck. It is insane what they cost these days, so you just did someone a huge favor.
Wes i have loved your videos for the past 2 years. Best content out there. I personally love long detailed videos to relax to on a sunday afternoon. But all your videos are great