Hello Everyone,

First, I’m new to the forum so please take it easy on me. I’m not new to Fords however. My last two vehicles were Ford trucks. Overall, I must say I’m a pretty happy Ford owner. My trucks have both been 5speeds. I’m looking to upgrade to a 98 or a 99 F150. My question is: everything else being equal, (driving habits, conditions etc.) which should last longer, a 5speed or an Auto. Thanks for your replies.

 

5 speed all the way. I think that most guys would agree that the new generation of ford auto trannys are not nearly as stout as they used to be. The new 5 speeds aren't nearly as tough as the old T18 4 speeds either but I have had both at this point and I would go 5 speed if it were me.

My 2 cents

 

Only you can make that call. The M5OD will get knocked for being "weak", but our 97 aint no stranger to work and is truckin on strong. Dad and I have had six M5ODs since 88 and each one has served us well.

Added benifit is the 4.6L comes ALIVE with a handshaker behind it. Both trannys just like anyting can have problems, but just compare the rebuild costs. .

If you like shiftin ( ) and a fun truck to drive, I recommend a manny tranny.

PS: lets help this guy and not start a stick vs. auto flame war.

Adrianspeeder

 

Thanks for the replies. I hear ya on the 5peed. I love it as well. It just seems like most of the trucks out there are auto. I'm having a hard time finding anything in a 5speed.

 

Oh you are right. Even back in 97 dad had to special order it to get a loaded XLT V8. Took six months too. Don't give up!!! Every one i see for sale is a XL 4x2 reg cab. But IF this 97 dies, I would take that over a king ranch.

Adrianspeeder

 

There's only two reasons to get an automatic in an F150.

Reason 1: You want the Triton 5.4L V8 engine. These were (and still are) exclusively mated to automatic transmissions. This is due, in large part, to the second reason.

Reason 2: You need torque capacity. If you regularly tow or ever need to tow something that requires a 3-ton+ trailer capacity, you can only get this from the automatics.

For some reason, Ford didn't want make one of the heavier-duty manual transmissions from the F250/350 available on the F150 as an option. This is probably because they wanted to keep the heavy-duty towing capacity exclusive to the "Heavy Duty" trucks.

But anyway, if you don't have a need for the 5.4L engine, or to tow abnormally large loads, go for the manual. It's more peppy, more fun to drive and far cheaper to maintain.

I was unfortunately stuck with the auto because I wanted the 5.4L. But if I could have gotten a 5-speed with it, I would have. Ultimately, it's up to your desire.

 

Maybe something you might want to consider here. I have a '98 f-150 supercab xlt with the 5-spd and i havnet had any problems with it(knock on wood) and it has 80k miles on it , but my fiance aint so good on the stick when she gets behind the wheel so therefore for her benefit i wish i wouldve went with the auto.

 

My personal preference is a manual tranny. The biggest problem with them is the slave cylinder. They tend to leak and the tranny must be removed to replace them. If you drive reasonably, I don't , then the manual will serve you well and for a long time. If you tow heavy loads becasue of the slipping required to get a heavy load going you will burn up the OEM clutch real quick. All things being equal the manual will last as long as the auto. Just maintain it and it will do ok.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Oooo man, your in like flinn.

Can't tell ya how many dates I had teachin females to drive stick. Well ok, three, but they were fun times.

Adrianspeeder

 

JMC, would you please explain exactly what happens when the slave cylinder goes bad and how the truck acts. My truck is acting awful funny under 2500 RPM and I'm thinking it might be in the tranny, but not sure. Thanks in advance.

 

When the slave cylinder leaks it does't fully disengage the clutch and makes shifting difficult. You pedal can go to the floor before it releases the clutch. In extreem circumstances it will not disengage the clutch at all. Look for a low oil level in the slave master cylinder. The opposite of this would be a slipping clutch. The engine revs and the speed doesn't increase. Get up to about 40mph and shift into 5th. The rpms will not increase very fast if the the clutch is not slipping. If they increase a lot it is a sigh of a slipping clutch.

JMC

 

Thanks for the explanation and the help, however, neither one of those is my problem. I'll have a post under "engines" later in the day for anyone to take a stab at.

Thanks, though for your help and explanation.

 

i have a 5-speed auto:-p

 

Where did you get a 5-speed auto? What type of tranny is it?

Jeff

 

What is it?

Adrianspeeder