Hey guys, I'm in the market for a truck because I want to tow my boat. I have a jeep right now, and it's the 4.0 with the 5 speed. I love driving it because it's a stick. Now I've heard that the M5OD trans that comes with the 4.6 is not very good, especially for towing. Also, how are the auto transmissions for the 4.6 and 5.4? My mom has had problems with transmissions for a long time...99 Dodge Ram 1500---90k and trans crapped, 04 Chrysler Pacifica---110k and trans crapped, 04 Jeep Wrangler---95k and trans crapped. I like my stick in my jeep because I know it's durable and a lot easier to maintain and more reliable than the auto. I don't know much about the transmissions in the Fords, but my dad has owned Ford all his life and had no problems with them that I know of. Any info at all would be greatly appreciated!

 

If you want a Ford with a manual transmission to tow with, look for a F-250. It will be a ZF, which is more than up to the task.

 

I've heard the ZF series is really good. Do they only come with the powerstroke, or can I find one hooked up to a gas V8?

 

You can find that manual on the 5.4, 6.8, or diesel for the F-250. But buying an F-250 if all you normally tow is a boat may be excessive. It's more than up to the task, but isn't very comfortable by comparison.

I'm a huge fan of manuals, but Ford screwed us out of that choice for the F-150 as of 2009, and from 2005-2008 it was only available with the V6. LAME.

 

I would only be normally towing a boat, but I might want to upgrade my boat to a bigger one or buy a trailer and set up some sort of local towing business or something...I'm just preparing for the future! I would definitely want a manual for the reliability and ease of maintenance...and as for comfort of the F250, my jeep is leaf sprung all around, and I think it rides really smooth with the springs I have on it, but I've been told it's really bumpy. An F250 would be like a Cadillac compared to my jeep.

 

I had an '89 and a 2000 Cherokee, both 5-speeds. Compared to the 2004 F-250 that I occasionally drive, the Jeep was a slushwagon.

The 2004+ F-150 is the most comfortable (and capable) 1/2 ton I've driven. But the lack of a manual still pisses me off a little.

If you don't mind the stiff ride and mileage of an F-250, they are extremely capable trucks. You'll find that the manuals are rare, but they do exist. And as of 2011, they discontinued the manual.

 

From what I've heard, the 5.4 actually gets only slightly less mpgs than my jeep. WHY would Ford discontinue the manual???? There are people in this world who still like to drive them! As far as I'm concerned, a truck should ride stiff!

 

The M5OD seems to be hit or miss. I'm not sure if it's the transmissions themselves or what. I have a '97 with 240,000 that is all original, at least I'm pretty sure, I bought it with about 45,000. I haven't been real hard on it, I drive the freeway to work everyday. I use it on the weekends to haul appliances and building materials for some rentals I have and to tow jetskis. I used to tow a big trailer that was usually about 4-5000 lbs. So it can hold up well under average conditions.

There are a lot of people who have had problems. This just anecdotal but it seems like the most common problem is the clutch slave cylinder leaking. It's not a small repair, the trans has to be dropped and usually the clutch is replaced since the trans is out anyway. There are others that have more serious problems, it's tough to say if there are more problems with the M5OD that the autos because there are so few of them.

The real problem is finding one with the options you want. I have been looking for one for a while now Supercab, 4x4, reasonable miles and few others and it as been hard to find within 500 miles of where I live. If you want a reg cab, 2wd, V6 there is a reasonable selection because they made them after 2003.

 

The most a M5OD-equipped 97-08 truck is OFFICIALLY rated to tow is 3500#, and it can be as low as 2000# depending on other factors.

The biggest issue with the trans itself (not the clutch) is the input shaft.

 

I think I'm going to go with the ZF5 or ZF6 in the F250

 

I have been doing a lot, and I mean A LOT of thinking about what I'd need in a truck and what is going on in my life. I'm going away to school in the fall of 2013. I'm mainly looking for a truck to tow my boat, which including the trailer can't weigh more than 1500 lbs. I'd be using it for spring, summer, fall, and winter of 2012 and spring and summer of 2013. At the end of summer, I'd either trade it or sell it for something that gets better mpg's that would be better for going off to school. After school, when I'm making money, I'll get my 3/4 ton truck with manual trans. Until that point, I might just settle for the 5.4 with an auto trans. Are the automatic transmissions in the 1999 F150 Supercab 4x4, 5.4L any good? I'm just looking for something that won't give me any problems and will be real easy to sell or trade. The one I'm looking at has 107k miles on it. What kind of problems could I expect in the next about 10,000 miles or so if I were to get that one?

 

That's like asking "how long will my brake pads last?" There's too many variables to predict transmission life. The key to extending the life is flushing the fluid every 60,000 miles or so. A little more frequently if it has severe usage. Also, having a transmission cooler does miracles for extending their life. Hopefully whatever truck you're looking at has one. Pretty rare not to.

It's always good to check the fluid when buying a car with an automatic. If the fluid is dark and has a burnt smell, that indicates that the transmission has been running hot and/or it has never been serviced. Not the end of the world. Just get it flushed and monitor it from there.

Also critical is using the correct fluid. I think those required Mercon V. There are many shops that will dump regular Mercon in there and add a friction modifier. That is saving the shop money at the expense of your transmission's life expectancy.

But the short answer is that you can't predict it. You can look at the fluid and pay careful attention when test driving it. That's about it.

 

That's more or less what I was looking for...just some general stuff as to what might indicate longevity. I'm going to assume the truck I'm looking at has a transmission cooler because he has a Class IV hitch and brake controller, but I'll double check once I sell my jeep (possibly to the guy's nephew) and look at the truck.

 

If all you are towing is 1500#, you can do that with a 4.2 or 4.6 with a M5OD. I did a lot of towing with mine - a 5x8 cargo trailer full to the brim plus a full truck bed - and got about 14 mpg on the highway doing it. Unloaded, I get about 16 in town and 20 on the highway.

 

That's all that I'd be towing right now. I have no idea, I might upsize my boat, or have to tow some sort of car trailer if my buddy gets a project charger he's been looking at.