My dodge is a 1 ton (3500) series.but i have worked ford and chevy half ton trucks. I am just saying I have had a lot of trouble with my fords. And I agree that all the truck companys have some lemons.And that sometimes you just plain get lucky and get a truck you never have trouble with.

 

3000 miles now and the notchyness / crunch into 3rd seems to be getting a lot better with break in, even though the weather is warming up. now I really have no complaints about the transmission, or the whole truck for that matter. so for those of you who have crunchy 3rd shifts on a new truck, break it in a bit before taking it to the dealer. by the way, 1st and reverse are not too bad either. if it won't go into reverse just put it in 1st and then it goes right in.

 

Good luck I hope you do not have any problems with your truck.I have had some good fords just my transmission problem really make me mad.I like the V6 the power is great and the gas mileage is great.

 

What I would like to know is there a compatible tranny that I can replace the Mazda POS with if/when it breaks. I have not had any major problems with my '99 F150 but I am disappointed that Ford would put a light duty transmission in what should be a "work truck".

Another major factor that will cause me to consider a different brand next time I purchase a new truck is that the Ford dealer has not been able to fix several problems that I had while it was still in warranty - and of course since they were not repaired then, I still have the same problems. (I had the same problem on the previous truck that I owned)

The dealer claimed that they did not even know about the door crack problem so I printed out articles and pictures from the internet and took it to them.
I have to reset my computer about every 8000 miles or the engine will not idle correctly.
The steering has always had a slight pull to the left - just enough to be irritating - but the dealer says that it is not pulling when they drive it. I have been driving it for over 4-1/2 years and it pulls.
There is a loud click in the dash when the air conditioner is on that they say does not exist.

 

LTDC. I agree with you I will not get another ford. My dealer has told me the same thing.They can not find any of the problems I tell them about. Took them 3 tries to fix the door crack.

 

You might be surprized how good it can be to work with a good dealership. I have had a great experiance with my dealership and will continue to purchase Fords from them.

It's not always fair to blame Ford for a bad dealer.

 

I agrea it is not always fair to blame ford for a bad dealership.But there are only two ford dealerships in my area. Both of them are staffed by idiots.I have just had to many fords and to many problems.My next truck will be a dodge diesel or a chevy.

 

LTDC,

The 5 or 6 spd ZF tranny from a SD should bolt up but you will need a few mods. The flywheel and clutch from a 5.4 SD truck as well as the slave. You will probably have to modify a tranny mount to fit and shorten the driveshaft. I can not say for sure that the tranny will fit in the tunnel so that would be a concern.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

I've been having troubles with my 5-speed, grinding into 3rd gear and now, hard to shift into any gear from Neutral.

I know there are no problems with the master & slave cylinder as they are new. What would cause it to be so hard to get into any gear from Neutral? I really have to push the stick hard. Letting clutch out and pushing it in again doesnt really help.

*sigh* It's disappointing to have these kinds of problems at such low mileage, especially inherent to a machine that automakers have had so many years to get right.

 

hades281,

Try bleeding the system. Even new slave cylinders have been known to be bad. Is the new one a Ford unit or aftermarket?

JMC

 

Best thing to do id get rid of the ford. At 44,000 miles my transmission is just getting worse every day. At 70,000 miles my dodge still shifts smooth as silk. Original clutch in the dodge and the dodge works hard 10-12 hours a day 6 days a week. the ford piece of **** is just a toy. All i can say good about the ford is the v6 power is good and the gas mileage is good.

 

I hate to tell you this, but in my opinion the 5-speed that Ford uses in the 1/2 ton truck is worse than crap! Yes to the grinding when shifting, yes to the synchro problem. Additionally it's noisy and generally hard to shift. My transmission went out at 120k-3rd gear synchro came apart and locked the tranny in 4th gear.

The disappointing thing was that when I got my new tranny it had the same problems the old one did!

Just expect to be fighting the truck from day 1 if you have a 5 speed...sorry.

 

I agree 100% the Ford 5 speed is junk.My next half ton truck with be a chevy or a dodge.

 

Hi JMC,

The Clutch Slave & Master are both Ford replacement parts. I am so tired of taking this thing into the shop.

I think this transmission completely ruins an otherwise great pickup.

Another question: Are there any aftermarket parts out there for this transmission -- like master/slave cylinders, and internal parts (i.e. synchros, shift forks, etc) that last longer and provide better shifting? I know there are aftermarket clutches and now a Hurst shifter but I'm more interested in having a solid hydraulic system and synchros that dont wear out after 30k miles.

Thanks!

 

2001 F150 Sport. I'm guessing that the real reason that your shifts are smoother with your technique is not because you let go of the shifter but rather because of the extra delay in shifting. the delay lets the engine slow down more and puts less stress on the synchros. But you are essentially right. The secret is not to try to shift too fast. Incidentally, i just changed the trans lube on my 5 speed, standard ford issue stuff, and the shifting is MUCH smoother. i would recommend to everyone to change their lube every 30M miles.