Hi everyone! I'm relatively new to this forum and I have to say, I think IT ROCKS!

Here's my deal: I have a '95 F150 with the 302ci engine, 5-spd manual & 4x4. She was the first vehicle I ever bought brand new, and as such has been anally maintained! She's got over 175K on her and still shines and looks great (will get some pics on soon).

The problem is she's starting to get a little sluggish, the tranny is getting a few glitches and the exhaust has just about fallen apart. Right side manifold flange broke and a week later, the cat came apart. I've pretty much made a decision to keep her and repair the items rather than buy a new truck. I like the new Fords, but I figure even with a crate longblock, new tranny, new driveline, and new headers & exhaust, I'll only be out $6k-7k - and that's if I go nuts with it. That's a lot cheaper than a new truck decked out like my F'y.

I've been researching exhaust systems and headers and my head is spinning! So many choices! Dynomax, Hooker, Hedman, BBK, JBA, Gibson, Bassani, Borla, (WOW!) shorties, longpipes, equal length, ceramic coated, stainless, 14 gage, 18 gage, (head whirls...), 2 1/4", 2 1/2", 3", DIDO, SIDO, DOS, DOR, Magnaflow, Flowmaster, Dynomax, IMCO, Banks, Bassani, Gibson, Borla, etc.... Where does it end? And the problem is, the more I read on this forum, the more I find new information I want to consider!

I need a vacation...

I've been all over the web, and started several threads on some of the forum sites, but most everyone that responds (if they respond at all) have the newer F150's and not all that's available for them is applicable to my truck.

So, I'm looking to some of you with older F'ys to come to the aid of an ailing F150. I appreciate anything you can add to ANY of my considerations mentioned above. What systems have you installed? Anybody had several different systems on your truck? How do they compare? Any good sites to get stuff less expensively? My main focus right now is the headers and exhaust system so she can get inspected in October and I'm not without wheels. But any insight into the engine/clutch/tranny issues is more than welcome - those items may be just around the corner.

Oh, and thanks for sticking it out and reading this...

 

Never messed with headers and such on my older iron, as all my performance mods go the diesel, but I did have a custom exhaust done by a private shop for my 84 351HO. True dual straight pipes and it sounds pretty good, but I had to get around PAs emissions laws by getting classic tags for it and not sure how your state laws work.

(edit: I see you are in whitehall PA. My dad grew up in easton, so I know the area. )

The M5OD is a good tranny with fresh fluid, so I would take the half hour and to a fluid change. Real easy too. Pull the drain plug and let drain, open the fill plug and fill as much as you can with Mercon ATF. Same deal with the transfer case.

In my 92 bronco which has the same driveline as you, I chose a centerforce clutch.

Adrianspeeder

 

Actually, the M5OD's are junk, but a fluid change couldn't hurt.

IMO, Borla is the best, but they're not cheap. Of course, Borla is a neighbor of mine, so my opinion might be a little biased. lol. Overall, I'd say Gibson offers the best exhaust for the money. I'd recommend getting long tube headers rather than shorties. They provide more torque.

Too bad this wasn't 2 years ago. I could have gotten you a brand new Ford 5.0L engine, complete from fan to clutch, for $1800. It even came with oil. Oh well.

Are you planning on doing the work yourself, or will you be hiring out?

 

Why do you say this, bad experience with one or what????

Welcome to the forum,
I got the M5OD in my 91 F, it's withstood heavy towing, abuse, heat, and a teenage driver. I think you'll be alright, great tranny. I have open exhaust, I'm in college, im cheap and it sounds great so I'll be of no help there cause emissions laws are'nt stricktly enforced in some parts of Texas. As for the headers, that will hopefully be my next performance mod, I've heard headers from 87-93 mustangs will fit perfect just watch out for transmission/starter clearance. There a dime a dozen on ebay. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the info guys! I was doing research all day yesterday. Found out loads of info!

adrianspeeder: True duals would be trouble on my 4x4 cuz I'd have to have major custom piping done to get around the transfer case and front driveshaft. Thought about it, though. Also, I've done a couple fluid changes on my tranny but she's developed a leak and if the fluid drops 1/2" I get a grinding going into 3rd on the upshift. Might be the synchros from not always being topped off with fluid(?)

PKRWUD: Nice nickname! I did read that the long tubes give more torque but I'd have trouble fitting them on my 4x4. I was looking at a set of Bassani optimum length headers, though. They're similar to the shorties by Hooker or Edelbrock, but the tubes are computer designed to be the proper length to allow the turbulent flow to equalize prior to hitting the exit flange. They also dyno tested for a 18-20 HP increase! I can't see how I could go wrong there! Bummer about the new engine! Story of my life... Oh and yeah, I'll be doing this myself with help from a couple of my motorhead friends. I like doing carpentry and construction, so I fix their houses and they help me on my vehicles. Works out great!

TheFordIdentity: I originally got the 5-speed cuz I like to shift and I like to be able to control the torque and power to the rear wheels in nasty weather. One thing I hadn't realized at the time was that the M50D limits your towing to 3600 lb. where the automatic tranny gives 7200 lb. towing capacity. Since it's a Mazda minitruck tranny, it's the weak link in the system. If I knew that before ordering her, I might be in a Ford with a slushbox!

Oh, and have any of you heard of Dynomax? According to their website they have a pretty extensive background in CORR & SODA truck racing. I found out I could put a Dynomax system on my truck from headers to tailpipe and the headers come ceramic coated INSIDE & OUTSIDE! None of the others do that for the $300 price of the Dynomax units. Everyone else want twice that just to coat the outside. Any experiences with these?

 

While the M5ODs are "light duty" compared to a ZF5 or T19. I beat the snot out of mine in the bronco, and dad tows some big loads with his 97. In the past we have had 3 others where the half ton truck/frame went before the tranny had problems. The other example that proved the M5OD to me was after swapping a 300/M5OD/BW1356 (to get the low range) into a 88 F350 dually flat deck. Great truck that served us for a few years before getting wrecked.

I'll bet money on the M5OD over any (cept the C6) ford automatic. Including my 4R100.

Adrianspeeder

 

Oh, I have to agree that the tranny is virtually bulletproof, regardless of what the numbers say. I have 175k on her and while I was building my house and subsequently, my detached garage, I put a pallet of CMU block on her and brought it about 11 miles to the house - several times. That's 2 1/8 tons per load on a 1/2 ton truck! She didn't even cough! I am a Structural Engineer and understand the "safety factors" that are built in to all the manufacturer's claims. They're basically trying to protect themselves. Just like structural steel, these things can withstand 4-5 times what the manufacturer says, just not regularly. Darn lawyers!!!

 

No, the one in my truck is still holding up, but I'm careful with it. The M5OD's are just junk, always have been. I see them in need of repair all the time (I'm a mechanic). This is old news, I haven't ever heard someone say something nice about them. The ZF tranny is the one you want. It's what Ford put in the 250's and 350's. A very, very common problem that all M5OD's have or will have is the rubber shift cover plugs shrink, and the tranny starts to leak fluid. It doesn't leak it fast enough to create puddles under your truck, though, so you won't know until you fry it because of low fluid. The internals are substandard, and break easily. I'm thrilled that some people here have had the unusual experience of beating them up without any problems, but that is the exception rather than the rule.


Heh, yeah, but that doesn't say much. Ford has never been very good with transmissions, especially their automatics. The C6 was always a beast, but it didn't even compare to a TH400.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to rag on Ford, I'm a mechanic, and I deal with vehicle failures for a living (no one ever comes by to say that everything's fine. lol).

Ford transmissions have always been weak, as have the "Windsor" small blocks when it comes to adding boost (The 351W is the only Windsor engine, but since everyone calls the 289 & 302 a Windsor, I'm intentionally making the same mistake here. lol). There's a reason small block Chevy's rarely blow head gaskets, while blown Windsors blow them all the time; The SBC has 17 head bolts, the Windsors only have 10.

That being said, the Ford 9" rear end is still the racing standard. Every single car that competes in Nascar Cup and Busch races uses a Ford 9" rear end. And the Ford 429 is probably the best engine ever built, as far as power potential is concerned. You can get 815 cubic inches out of a Ford 429, which is more than any other. All the IHRA guys use 429's to start with, and end up with an 815.

Anyway, didn't mean to go off on a tangent. lol.

OldFordV8-
Dynomax is okay. Not great, not the worst. To be really honest, you pretty much get what you pay for.

 

Ditto,

Before we got the diesel, we towed our 10k equipment trailer with the 97 all the time, and the same for a 91 F150. The 88 F350 we had pulled a big gooseneck that weighed I don't know how much.

Structural engineer huh? I'm wantin to be an electrical engineer.

 

I'm guessing you were talking to the post before mine. lol.

 

PKRWUD: Is the ZF tranny the one with the "granny" gear? Do you know what the gears are in that unit? How's it for highway cruising, cuz most of the hauling I do these days is my sorry a$$ to and from work? I get about 13.5-14 MPG now with the 302 & M50D. Will that decrease? Now, I realize you may not have all the answers, but any help you can provide would be appreciated.

adrianspeeder: EE, huh? Oh well, there goes another budding friendship... Just ribbing. The EE at my office and I spar back and forth all the time. Good thing though, we both rag on IE's, but then, who doesn't? And my Dad was in the Air Force back in the Korean Conflict (I see you're AFROTC). Nice to see an East Coaster on here!

And has anyone had any experience with Bassani? I saw a set of their optimum length headers for less than $400: 14 gage ceramic coated but with only a 10-12 Hp increase (15 ft-lb. Torque). JBA boasts 15-20 HP (26 ft-lb.) and so does BBK (25 ft-lb.). And neither of those are equal length or long tubes. I would think something labelled "OPTIMUM LENGTH TUBE" would provide a little more "optimum" gains! What am I missing here?

 

The M5OD gear ratios are:
First: 3.90
Second: 2.25
Third: 1.50
Fourth: 1.00
Fifth: 0.80
Reverse: 3.39

There are two ZF tranny's, a wide ratio and a close ratio.
Close Ratio ZF:
First: 4.14
Second: 2.37
Third: 1.42
Fourth: 1.0
Fifth: 0.77
Reverse: 3.79

Wide Ratio ZF:
First: 5.72
Second: 2.94
Third: 1.61
Fourth: 1.0
Fifth: 0.76
Reverse: 5.24

In both cases, I suspect your mileage would improve slightly with a ZF.