Lets say someone was having a 4.6 motor capable of putting out over 400 RWHP installed into a 97 F-150 4x4, with 5 speed transmisssion. Do you think the transmission would hold up under this much power? It would also never be drag raced, or launched too hard from stop lights. Would it be ok with punching it at maby 10 mph or so? If you see problems coming with this setup, what options do I have to either upgrade this transmission, or replacing it with one that would fit in the truck without requiring major parts or modifications to make it work? Whatcha think? THANKS!!!

 

Paging JMC, paging JMC.....

I think I can speak for him: No. If you want it to last, the M5OD isn't the way to go. It's not strong enough to handle that kind of power. JMC is running a 5.4 naturally aspirated with some mild mods, and last I heard, he's on his third (maybe 4th??) trans. Granted he doesn't baby it, but he doesn't beat on it too bad either.

-Joe

 

With that much power why wouldn't you launch it?

 

I want to be able to play with it for a while before it breaks, if it does. Hard launches would probably break tranny and rear end real fast. I have been waiting far too long for the new motor just to tear something else up right away. I am just trying to find out how easy I am going to have to be on the factory 5 speed untill something can be done to avoid tearing it up all the time. There may not be anything that can be done to help strengthen it up. Right now I haven't a clue, and that's what worries me.

 

I haven't found anything to do to strengthen it, just repair it when it's broke. JMC would be the guy to contact. He's the only guy I know that can drop, repair, and reinstall his trans before the football game starts on a Sunday. :P

-Joe

 

What about a better replacement? One that just drops right in, would probably be too much to ask wouldn't it?

 

It has been discussed in detail. Search ZF swap

 

Enjoy it while it lasts. I am on my 3rd tranny. Expect to toast the 8.8 diff too. The M5OD-R2 in our trucks cannot handle the power. I thought that the input shaft bearing was the weak part. It does loosen up and allow the shaft to move around like a joy stick. I pulled the tranny and shimmed it and got an extra 8 months out of the tranny but it eventually granaded. The teeth on the countershaft chipped.
The ZF from the 99+ Superduties will bolt up to the engine. The body will have to be lifted for it to fit correctly. The Shift lever might not line up with the hole in the floor. You will need to use the T-case from the SD too. Once that is bolted up you will need to wire it up to your switch, if electric, or massage the shift lever to fit in the hole in floor. Once that is all taken care of you will need to get some drive shafts made up.
I have a 3 inch PA body lift so i know that the tranny will clear the floor. First $5000.00 I lay my hands on I will do the swap.

JMC

PS you will need the flywheel and clutch from the SD too. If you have a Romeo engine you are SOL. The All the SD's come with Windsor cranks, 8 bolt. I never heard of a 6 bolt SD flywheel. You might be able to use an F-150 clutch and a SD disk but I cannot garantee that it will work.

 

In the meantime I guess you'll just have to drive around like grandma if you don't want to pop the trans or axle. But ya, having that much power hooked up to a stock powertrain that wasn't made for it is just asking for problems. That's like taking the 3hp motor off a table saw and putting it in your kid's Power Wheels, it would launch across the lawn once until the plastic "transmission" fell apart.

But you'd really be able to "blast off" at stoplights if you wanted to, providing the axle and trans could take it. Even in my completely stock truck with that trans and a 300, I can almost spin the wheels from a stop. Almost.

 

Oh crap . Man I hate hearing that. What about a Richmond or Doug Nash being able to work? I would rather save up the money for one of those than have to keep working on a problem that won't ever go away. Yeah, I know about the 8.8 rear also .

 

If you divorce the T-case or have some sort of adapter/extension housing built to attach the T-case to. Richmond and Doug Nash are 4x2 trannies are they not?

JMC

 

Didn't know 4x4 transmissions were different from the 4x2. This looks like one major PITA problem

 

A friend of mine owns a 9 second Camaro 6 speed. He paid major bucks to have a T-56 built to hold 1000+ hp and he broke it last weekend. 3rd gear broke in 5 places. I was going to have them look into building one for me but I gave up when I found out that they could not get me a low enough 1st gear. Kind of glad that I did.

JMC

 

I really don't like where this transmission thing is heading .

 

Join the club. I do abuse my tranny so I expect things to break. I think I have finally cured the rear axle problem though. I swapped a sterling 9.75 for the 8.8 about 4 years ago.

JMC