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O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission

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Steve Crum

01-28-2007 10:05:56

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Yet another Ford question from a GM guy. Favorite daughter's 92 F-150 has the ZF 5 speed transmission and this has 110,000 miles on it.
Especially when the truck is sitting with the engine idleing in neutral there is a "sliding" noise or buzz from the shifter almost like the top end of the transmission isn't getting enough lube to the shift gates. I looked in the books on this and these recommend using Mercon automatic transmission fluid in them. I'm thinking this stuff is awful thin for a gearbox with this many miles on it (my 89' F-150 with 200,000 miles and the same gearbox also wants to know). What would be the pitfalls of going to a heavier lube such as 80 weight gear lube like is recommended for the earlier Ford gearboxs and GM gearboxs I'm more accustomed to?

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midlam

01-30-2007 22:37:09

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

Either Royal Purple or Amsoil make a synthetic oil to replace the mercon/dexron oil in manual transmissions. I have heard the trans will run quiter and the syncros last longer.

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430WLPG

01-28-2007 19:40:24

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

My son has a 95 F250 with a mazda 5 sp that is making noise at 175000, And I heard someone say fill it up with 80-90 and keep going, So I said try some straight 30wt and he did and found that you couldn't shift it with out grinding gears, so he drained it out refilled with ATF and kept going and is still making noise. Need to replace the bearings. I only see the ZF trans. in heavier 3/4 and 1 tons

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Aaron Ford

01-28-2007 19:46:26

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to 430WLPG, 01-28-2007 19:40:24

A dead ringer for a front bearing is if you can hold the shifter in a certain location while it is in gear moving and make the noise stop. You should be able to pull the tranny cover from inside the cab, if I remember correctly.

Aaron

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JOHN HARMON

01-28-2007 15:54:29

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

I keep my ford F-250 Mazda 5 speed quiet by putting in a Bottle of STP about 4 times a year prior to a 1000 mile trip w/ my 35 ft. Jayco 5th Wheel.Trailer is a Designer Series about 11m Lb.Tranmission has 216,000 Miles on it and is noisy at low speed when accelerating.It started this Rattling Sound at about 100m Miles and seems to get no worse as time and miles accumulate. If it goes I probably would not be surprised and I am fully prepared to do a pull down when that happens. These Transmissions are a no brainer to fix. I can pull down the Clutch and Pressure Plate and have it replaced in a day so the Transmission is no big deal.One reason I keep this old Truck is it is used less than 5m miles a year and it is easy to work on, something that can not be said for the late models on the Dealers Lots.Mine is a 1989 w/460 and 5 speed manual,full floating 1 ton Rear Axle.

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Aaron Ford

01-28-2007 15:38:15

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

I am not familiar with the heavier duty ford trannys other than to identify. The Mazda tranny used in the F-150 (small aluminum case) uses ATF. The front bearing is lubed by catching the spray from the gears and draining down a small "gutter" and through a small drain hole. The two trannys I opened both had a small piece of debris blocking this hole. The front bearing failed due to no lube and trashed the tranny. Heavier lube would likely not pass through this gutter, much less the small discharge hole in the end. HTH

Let's go Mountaineers,

Aaron

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doogdoog

01-28-2007 13:03:48

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

Aloha, It sounds like a bad transmission bearing (it will cause the stick to vibrate). Did you check the oil level??

Mahalo,
doogdoog

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Midwest redneck

01-28-2007 11:46:22

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

Are you sure that is a ZF transmission? I had a 92 F-150 5 speed manual and I think I had a Mazda M5OD trans. You may want to check. I remember changing the trans fluid in it but I dont remember the oil weight, I sold the truck 5 years ago for $700, it was rusted through over the wheel wells.

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Steve Crum

01-28-2007 11:05:41

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

I'm sure it's not the throwout bearing. No noise when the clutch is pushed in. Incidently I'm not real concerned about masking a problem, once I buy something like this I run them to death then junk them. Sometime they out last the new truck the previous owner of my truck replaced my truck with.

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midlam

01-28-2007 11:01:33

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

Either Royal Purple or Amsoil make a synthetic oil to replace the mercon/dexron oil in manual transmissions. I have heard the trans will run quiter and the syncros last longer.

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01-28-2007 10:54:24

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

I went through a learning curve with this subject recently as well.

I put a NV3550 in my dodge as an upgrade from the AX-15 that came from the factory. I asked the parts guy at the local dodge dealership what oil I should run it is. He said Mobil 1 75w-90. So that is what I put in. The transmission was hard shifting and made a lot of noise at idle. I did some research and found the oil that should be in it is more of a 30 weight made by penzoil. The stuff is like water, but it quieted down the transmission, it shifts silky smooth AND I have noticeably more power and better economy to boot.

Moral of the story.....things have changed from the old days and tolerances are considerably tighter. If you are using the recommended oil and are having issues, then you are just masking the issue by changing to a thicker oil.

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Bob

01-28-2007 10:53:29

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Steve Crum, 01-28-2007 10:05:56

Don't worry, if the tranny is full of oil, it is getting enough oil to the "shift gates" (whatever you mean by that). I wouldn't even CONSIDER putting heavier oil in it.

Some shift forks have replaceable plastic pads on them, and some shift forks have a plastic coating. The noise you are hearing could POSSIBLY be occuring if a fork is missing it's plastic surface or pad.

Also, a bad throwout bearing or transmission bearing that is starting to fail will make noise heard through the shifter.

Tranny bearing noise goes away when the clutch is depressed, throwout bearing noise does not.

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Jon Hagen

01-28-2007 13:45:59

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Re: O/T Ford truck ZF 5 speed transmission in reply to Bob, 01-28-2007 10:53:29

Take Bob's advice, Dont even think about replacing that thin atf with 80-90 wt gear oil.

Years ago when I was running a dirt track stock car, I got a Chrysler 4 spd trans to use. I removed the cover to inspect the trans and dumped out the original atf that Chrysler used in those transmissions. I thought that for severe use like racing, I should put 80-90 gear oil in there to improve things. well, that transmission lasted less than 5 laps when a gear seized on the main shaft from lack of lubrication. That thick oil could not flow into the gear lube channels made for thin atf. The next weekend, I was a few hundred $ poorer and much wiser about chrysler manual transmissions. A new main shaft, second gear and atf back in the trans that gave no more trouble for the rest of the season.

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