DANA 20 TRANSFERCASE

TWIN STICK SHIFTER CONVERSION

DISCLAIMER

The reader assumes all responsibility in performing the operations outlined herein. This document is meant to serve only as a guideline, and cannot be guaranteed to provide complete information in every circumstance. As every 4x4 project is different, it is up to the reader to determine if the project, and any unforeseen complications that may arise, are within his or her ability to deal with, and improvise solutions to. It is also strongly recommended that you read this article in its entirety before beginning, to familiarize yourself with the procedures and tools involved. I did this conversion myself with no outside help, only my wits, so if you’re mechanically inclined this shouldn’t be too hard. However, you just never know, so if you screw something up, I don’t want to hear about it. To summarize: Proceed at your own risk.

PART 3

TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFERCASE REINSTALLATION

Since it will probably be difficult if not impossible to bolt on the shifters after the trans/case is installed, you will have to install the entire unit with the shifters in place. As such, you will need to enlarge the hole in your floorboard to accommodate the extra shifter. I used an air-powered cutoff wheel, but a plasma cutter, torch, Sawzall, dremel, or even a hacksaw blade would suffice. Using the old shifter location as a guide (noted previously... you DID note the locations in relation to the ‘case, didn’t you?), cut the floorboard hole large enough to clear the shifters throughout their entire ranges of motion. If you are trying to cut a minimum amount of sheet metal, you can always hog out the hole more later if need be. If not, it will probably be easier to make the hole really big, and use a metal cover that is cut to fit and bolted down afterwards. I chose the hard way: saving sheet metal.

Now the only real difficult part is raising the trans/case and getting the shifters through the hole while at the same time trying to get the trans input to align properly with the clutch splines. Once this is done, replace the cross member, attach the drive shafts and shifter linkage, and you can test drive it if you like.

FINAL ITEMS

The last step is tidying up. If you went with the “big hole” method, you can now fabricate and install the shifter hole cover. Either way, you will need a shifter boot for the twin sticks. A Wal-mart bag and duct tape makes a decent “trailer park” shift boot until you can get a real one. Otherwise, you will be forking over about $30-$40 for an aftermarket shift boot, or you can scrounge the junkyards for one. I found that the stock shifter boot from an ‘80s Ford Ranger 4x4 with a standard transmission fits perfectly, and looks good. Finally, install the shifter knob of your choice (I went with a pair of original EB knobs, to keep the “extra-stock” vibe going).

Voila! You’re done! You may now go and enjoy your fresh twin stick shifter. You can impress your friends, and confuse your mechanic! Your new tcase shifter pattern is as follows: