New member here because I want to buy a 2002-2005 explorer. Only the 2002 base xls was available with a 5 speed manual trans. I want one with more options than the base had. So, I'm looking at finding a donor vehicle to make a trans swap. I'm familiar with the mechanical changes that need to be made. My question is about the electronics. Would just changing out the CPU from the donor vehicle be enough, or would I run into problems with other systems. Has anyone else made the swap? I really dislike auto trans, and need to know if this is feasible before I purchase a explorer. Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

You or someone with access to the electrical diagrams would have to compare one to the other to see the differences and then decide if you want to make those changes.