I have a 92 Ranger 4.0 with 5 speed manual transmission. Does the exhaust have to be removed to remove and install the transmission? If not, any tricks to getting it in properly?

 

yes it needs to be removed. the Y pipe is in the way. Pretty much follow the directions in any manual. You will need to also remove the trans crossmember and then support the engine. A long 24 inch extension and univeral wobbly sockets will be needed. I also had 2 long bolts made up that fit in the holes so I can slide the trans in/out by myself. that way you dont need 4 hands.

 

Good luck getting those 4 rusty bolts out of the exhaust manifolds to drop that Y-pipe. They will need some heat to get that done or unbolt the manifolds from the heads and let em hang. You should have enough clearance then.

 

I just pulled an automatic trans out of an explorer without removing the pipe but it is a royal pain to do so. When I installed it into my Aerostar, I pulled the Y pipe and it was much easier.

Get some penetrating oil and soak the bolts overnight, then give them a shot with the torch followed with some more penetrating oil. If they are going to come out without breaking, then that is the best technique.

You might want to unplug the O2 sensor from the harness and just leave it in the Y pipe.

If you don't have a tranny jack, Harbor Freight has a cheap one that works pretty good, but you will need some wood to shim it as the tilt feature is almost worthless.

Good luck.

You should report back with your progress on this job, what went good what went bad and how you overcame the issues you found.