my family has two fords with the mazda trannies in them and we owned another one. We have never have any problems with them. All three have been used off road and pulled large loads.

 

Let me put some facts in here.

The rangers have a mazda 5sp tranny also. they get a bad rep because there are 3 machine holes in the back of the tranny that have rubber plugs in them. What happens with time, is the rubber drys out, shrinks and falls out. About that time, you start losing tranny fluid and then all it is all down hill.

With the rangers, you get some Dorman plugs like from Napa, replace the stock rubber units, and use some synthetic fluid and you will never have a problem with the unit.

Granted, it is not a T56 tranny that is smooth and quick with short throws. But if you treat it decent, you will not have any problems.

Moving on to the F150. It is a longer throw. Get use to it otherwise you will let the clutch out prematurely and grind gears and wear out parts quickly. The best advice is to either double clutch the tranny or just shift a bit slower. Also get use to the 2-3 and 3-5 shift so that you dont miss them. Also, the better fluid you use in them, the longer they last, better they shift and the less friction they create. I run amsoil in all the cars that I have (past rangers, 5L stang, and F150) and have never had issues with them. I also in the rangers replaced the plugs and in the stang put an aftermarket shifter with stops. That is preventative maintenance there to prolong the life.

Well the F150 has the same 3 rubber plugs in the back of the tranny. so if you ever see any fluid leaking, stop immediately and check the fluid level. then replace the plugs.

This is from the 4x4central site:

"Another preventive maintenance tip is to replace the rubber plugs in the shift rail bores with steel freeze plugs. The rubber plugs have a tendency to dry up and leak, and/or fall out. The plugs are located in the transmission top cover and face towards the rear of the truck.The part numbers for the metal plugs are: Dana #219-3052 or Dorman #555-108, you will need 3 plugs to do the job. "

 

Seems to me that having to double clutch a 1999 Ford to make it shift is proof that the 5-speed sucks. What other modern consumer based car, or truck has this requirement?

To be told by a dealer that I am driving "wrong" tells me that they don't want to own up to a problem with this particular 5-speed.

Everybody who says that the 5-Speed is OK is drinking the coolaid. Based upon the multiple comments on this board alone it is clear that the unit has a problem. Maybe not with all of them, but in significant numbers. Too bad Ford will not acknowledge the problem due to the costs involved.....All of the dealers I have spoken to toe the party line as well.

If you own one sell it before the word gets out. If you are thinking about purchasing one, look again - You may get more than you asked for.

Lucent

 

When I first wrote this I was confused about how good or bad of a transmission the 5 speed was. After reading all of the responses I have to say that I am still very confused.

It seems that there are people who have problems and people who don’t. At least I know allot more about the problems and about some new ones. I didn’t know about the three rubber plugs that leak.

I would like to thank all of you who responded.


It is people like you who make this board so useful.


Thank you for your time,

Peter

 

What / how do you double clutch? Also, how shoud I be taking-off? I've driven' a 5 speed for about 5 years now, and thought I knew how to drive, but with these hot temps, I wonder. When I go to take off, I let the clutch out about 1/4 way, and start to give light gas. My RPM's usually drop to about 500 RPM's, and I let teh clutch out slowly the rest of the way, and go about 1/2 - 3/4 throttle. The take off's are usually a little rough, and my engine makes that damned tapping noise like it's idleing at 100 RPM right before it starts to take-off. What am I doing wrong, and how should I be doing it? Also, when I rev. to say, 1500 RPMs or greater, and quickly let teh clutch out, it feels like it's not pulling any harder than with normal, low-RPM take-offs, and the RPMs drop quickly. I justy can't get this HOT ROD off the line. Hell, lastnight my ol' lady whooped me in my own 2.2L Sunfire!!!

-AR

 

Jackal,

Double clutching refers back to the olden days before synchs, where you, for example, clutched in to take it out of 1st, released the clutch, and then clutched in again to put it into second and then released the clutch. In fact, you really don't need a clutch to shift at all, however clutchless shifting is an artform all its own and I'll leave that for another discussion.

Re/shifting, most modern manual transmissions and transaxles have synchs, which fulfill the purpose of moving ahead of the unit that is to meshed, seizing the other unit, and bringing the rotational speed of both units together. Once rotating at the same speed, they can mesh. Current practice is for all gears to be constant mesh gears, with the hub splined to the output shaft. The synch is shifted forward or backward on the hub, and forces blocking rings to equalize gear speeds before the synch assembly engages the other gear to lock the gear to the hub.

Anyway, how you should be shifting I guess is in the eye of the beholder (so to speak). But I have always been taught (and I have driven manuals all my life, two to over 150k without a clutch assembly replacement) that it is wise to hesitate in neutral for a brief moment between shifts. The synchs depend upon a limited amount of friction to synchcronize speeds. By hestitating a moment, you will give the synch time to function. Speed shifting will cause the synch cones to wear very quickly from increased friction. Speeds shifting is also very hard on the drive train (especially with low-end torque vehicles).

 

I think he stated it very well.
I've also driven a 5sp all my life, and never owned a vehicle that need any type transmission or clutch work.. Everything from an 89' Ranger which has 220K miles (origional clutch), Ford Probe (sold), various Escorts(all traded with over 100k miles), and a 00' F250 Superduty with the 5sp..

The SuperDuty is the first 'full sized' truck I've owned and I do admit the shifting on it is definately more notchy than the Ranger. But it has never grind gears and I've never needed to double clutch it in normal driving..

The only time with modern trannys you'd need to double clutch is if your doing extreme down shifts.
The sequence of events for that type of double clutching is:
1. assuming your driving at a high rpm
2. clutch in, shift to neutral
3. clutch out
4. blurp the throttle (spins the tranny/engine up)
5. clutch in
6. shift to the lower gear
Note: all of the above are done in a fairly short time, and never needed in everyday driving..

As cpadpl implied, the truck tranny is not really designed for speed shifting. They work best if you hesitate between gears and let the synchro's do their job.. My guess it is probably due to the increased mass of the gears and synchros..

Jackal:
If you've driven the same truck with a 5sp for 5 years and never needed a clutch, then I think its safe to assume your doing it right.. What your doing sound about right.. I'll try to describe how I take-off normally.. Assume from a stop.
a. before any gas, let the clutch out till it reaches the grab point.. (you'll either feel it a tiny bit, or notice the rpm's drop just a bit).
b. apply light gas, let clutch out slowly at first. the truck should be moving forward now.
c. continue to let the clutch out more quickly now, feeding it gas as needed..

The most common mistake I think many new folks make is the step a.

(I really don't think your doing anything wrong).

 

...thanks guys!!!

-AR

 

Hey Lucent, get off of it. I mean everything has a critic. Look at the firestone tires, the door cracks, the torsion bars.

My comment about double clutching was said that if you need to learn to shift, double clutch for a while and you will learn quickly how to work the pedal and stick. You do not need to do this normally unless you have a truck with a granny gear like the 6sp diesels or older f150 units.

Truth is that a truck is not a mustang, no matter how you want to drive it or see it. Trucks are not speed shifting demons. If you buy a F150 with that intention, you will be sorely let down!

The transmission works just fine on the trucks. yes, there are the lemons out there but that happens with mass production. If anyone is buying a truck and wants the 5sp, here is some good advice:

1. if it is a new truck, get the extended powertrain warranty. That way you are covered for everything but the clutch in the transmission

2. If you buy a used unit, get under the truck and check for leaks in the transmission. especially towards the back and top of the tranny. If there is leaks, stay away from it. That is the plugs I referred to before in my post and there could be some damaged caused by low fluid already.

If you are buying the truck used, be sure to give the tranny a thorough workout. SHift it up and down, try all the gears at all speeds. If there is grinding, locking out or other problems, steer clear.

3. IF you have a manual, you should install synthetic ATF. It last longer than normal, runs cooler and makes the tranny shift so much better, especially on cold mornings.

 

R Bess,

You are a true master if you managed to get an 89' Ranger to 220K miles with the original clutch. Does that even have a self-adjusting clutch linkage? I doubt it's hydraulic.

As I understand it, the way to keep wear down on the clutch plate, in addition to driving correctly, is to have it constantly "adjusted", as clutch wear produces more clutch slip, which produces more clutch wear, etc, etc. That's why self-adjusting clutches (mechanical and hydraulic) have increased the life of clutches for the majority of those with manual transmissions. I remember the days when you would go in for a tune up (remember those?) and have the mech "tighten" the clutch.

Anyway, like I was saying, if you were able to get an 89' Ranger to 220K miles, you must be an amazing manual driver (as I doubt that Ranger has a mechanical self-adjuster).

 

cpadpl,
I appreciate that you think I am an amazing driver, but the 89' Ranger has a hydraulic clutch. My dad has the truck now and drives it every day still.. I am SURE the clutch will need to be replaced soon.. One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't grab until the pedal is almost all the way released.. I never realized this until I got my 00' SuperDuty with the 5sp.

I never towed anything with the Ranger, and rarely did any really 'heavy' hauling. Just alot of trips with motocross bikes in the back etc..

Another tip is that I don't downshift/engine brake to slow down in normal driving, I figures thats what brakes are for, plus brakes are easier and cheaper to replace.. Also in slow moving traffic congestion situations I would look ahead and 'creep' in 2nd or 3rd gear rather than constantly stop/start every 100 ft.

So, I'm a wimpy driver on the road.. If I want to race, thats what the dirt bikes are for off-road..

 

I`VE GOT A 97' F150 4.2 4X4 AND A FIVE SPEED WITH 45,000 MILES. I DRIVE IT HARD AND FORGET THE CLUTCH ON OCCATION,LOL. IT RUNS LIKE A SCARED RABBIT.

 

I'm at 72,000 miles on my trans and clutch and I'm reasonably happy with the 5-sp. This is my first vehicle with a manual trans so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I do have some comments...

The shifting new was not really smooth or easy. Most of the shifts would require a good push and occasionally it would nicely slip into gear. At around 12,000 miles, I switched to Red Line MTL. At first, there was absolutely no difference. Then after a lot of driving, I noticed the shifting was much better. It would now usually slide right into gear and only occasionally would a shift be hard. However on a cold (below freezing) morning, I would sometimes still have to double-clutch on the 1-2 shift on the first or second shift of the morning.

At about 45,000 miles, I switched to Red Line D4 ATF. Shifting got much smoother and easier. On the coldest mornings, I can shift right into second (or any gear) without double-clutching. But now I get a grinding when I shift into 4th at high RPM. I don't know if it's because of the change to D4 ATF, or it just happened to start doing it when I changed the fluid. It only happens at a high-RPM shift, and if I pause just before pulling it into 4th there is no grinding. I don't pause in neutral, I delay just before it goes into gear...delay just before the point it would grind and then pull it in. I could try switching back to MTL to see if the grinding goes away, but I like the way it is now. I'd rather have smooth shifting with controlable grinding than no grinding with harder shifting.

Is all this acceptable? Seems to me that a modern 5-sp transmission should be figured out by now. There shouldn't be any shifting problems. I'm way out of warranty and it really hasn't been a problem, so I'm leaving things as they are. As was mentioned, these are trucks, not sports cars. We shouldn't expect them to shift like a sports car, but they should shift without grinding. I had read about possible problems with the 5-sp before I bought my truck, but I really didn't want an automatic. If I were to do it again, I'd still get the 5-sp.

As for "speed-shifting", I do go screaming quickly through the gears sometimes, mostly when I'm playing with one of those annoying, silly-looking, little buzzing import things (and I always blow them away). But I always use the clutch.

By the way, a friend at work has a Ranger that had it's rubber plugs dry out, dump all it's fluid, and grind itself up. So, I'd say it would be wise to keep a check on fluid level. Exactly where are these plugs?

 

i have 104,000 on my truck. only problem i have had was the slave cylinder go bad.

 

The Rangers and Explorers had these rubber covers over the shift rails (I think) on the top of the transmission near the shifter. They would get dried out, cracked, and eventually fall off. leaving the top of the transmission basically wide open to dirt and grit. I read some people plugged them with metal plugs like the freeze plugs for an engine block and solved the problem for good.

Howie.