how long is a zf5 good for before problems?

[HankHill]

I'm looking at buying one with 150,000 miles on it.

I'm worried about synchronizer problems, or the truck grinding or popping out of gear etc.

previous owner doesnt know if it shifted well or not and I would hate to put it in my truck and then discover problems

so go ahead and give any insight you have please, thanks

 

[93f250idi]

My truck has 209k an tranny is still strong. My old 93 had 272k miles an 4th gear grinded.

 

[redneckaggie]

all depends on how they were treated but I would say with only minor abuse I would trust one up to 250,000 but like i said it all depends

 

[bike-maker]

Mine had either 212k or 312k on it when I put it in my truck. Works just fine.

 

[George_7.3IDI]

Well I've got a truck with a ZF5 in it and between 168K and 175K miles on it and so far it shifts ok. I've noticed that a few of the synchronizers are starting to go out on it so I have to hesitate before shifting it into 3rd and 5th gear or it'll grind slightly just as it goes into those gears but if I'm powershifting I can push it right into gear without any grinding. The previous owner used the truck to haul around a large in bed camper so I'm betting that the ZF5 got a good workout doing that along with whatever trailer he may have been towing to go four wheeling or snowmachining. I've also given it a good workout towing trailers loaded with toys for snowmachining and four wheeling. So far it has worked well for me. I have heard though that it can get the transmission fluid hot if you are towing heavy loads and it can benefit from an external cooler and temperature gauge. I would like to at least put a temp gauge in mine at some point to see how it does but I just haven't had the $$ laying around to purchase a gauge lately. Besides I'm usually towing the heaviest loads in the winter up here in AK and at -25 to -40 I doubt I need to worry much about the transmission overheating. Just so you know this truck is the F350 in my signature.

 

[redneckaggie]

how would a tranny cooler work on a manual without an extra pump mounted

 

[RyanDamo]

how would a tranny cooler work on a manual without an extra pump mounted

dieselsite makes some finned aluminum ones that mount on the pto cover, not sure if they do alot of cooling but they add about a quart of oil capacity per cover, must help some.

 

[towcat]

to date, noone has done external cooling for a ZF5. it is a absolute must for the ZF6 or it will commit suicide.
I have 300k on the ZF in my '92 CC. it's starting to get a little notchy but still very easy to shift.
bottom line....longevity depends on the previous owner/abuser.

 

[towcat]

Doesn't the ZF6 have a pump built in?

I'm looking at a factory OEM pump right now.

 

[phazertwo]

The syncros will depend on the number of times its been shifted. If its spent allot of time in around town traffic. I would imagine that the syncros on 1st 2nd and 3rd may have issues. If it has 400k of highway they syncros will probably be fine, but you will be looking at bearing issues (I would imagine). Bottom line, hard to tell with out putting it in.

That being said my ZF5 has ~160k on the clock, and it shifts perfect.

PZ

 

[towcat]

Thought so

but it's not built in to the trans.
it's external and so is the cooler and fan assy.

 

[HankHill]

awesome thanks for all the posts guys, I'm going to buy it, its in a parts truck I'm going to buy the entire truck it has a 7.3l idi motor in it too, I need to get my trailer wiring figured out though because I need to tow it home

 

[Diesel_brad]

awesome thanks for all the posts guys, I'm going to buy it, its in a parts truck I'm going to buy the entire truck it has a 7.3l idi motor in it too, I need to get my trailer wiring figured out though because I need to tow it home

Just out of curiousity. What are you paying for one?

 

[George_7.3IDI]

to date, noone has done external cooling for a ZF5. it is a absolute must for the ZF6 or it will commit suicide.

Ah ok... I might have confused ZF5 with ZF6 back when I heard about one of these manual transmissions overheating. It's been so long since I had heard about it that I'm not sure I could even find the thread/article where I read about it.

 

[Brianedwardss]

My last IDI (a '90 4x4 F250), The ZF-5 was toast by 190K. The owner before me had it up til 166K, and had never changed the fluid since he bought it in 1994. (I bought it in 2005).