Which 5 speed would you choose?

[FarmerFrank]

Title is simple,
i have a s47 from a superduty powerstroke that i know nothing about (scrap yard buy) and i also have a s42 off of a 460 that i know some about. i've read the 460's had different gear ratios but the s47 is "stronger" so which would you guys go with? Im putting a 7.3 with hypermax setup infront of it and keeping my 3:55 gears

 

[TWeatherford]

The s47 is stronger, but behind an IDI you're not going to smoke an s42 anyway. To me it would depend on if you want to mess with drilling the 460 case to mate to your IDI adapter.

 

[Clayton]

I put the 47 in mine, Love the low first and reverse work out good with 3:55's.

 

[FarmerFrank]

what about the closer ratio in the s42 460 versison? would be nice to keep it wound up between shifts when i got a good jag on it

 

[ZWilson07]

what about the closer ratio in the s42 460 versison? would be nice to keep it wound up between shifts when i got a good jag on it

I was under the impression that the gas s42 is actually listed as "wide" and the diesel s42 is "close"

Diesel: 1st: 4.14, 2nd: 2.37, 3rd: 1.42, 4th: 1.0, 5th: .77, Reverse: 3.79
Gas: 1st: 5.72, 2nd: 2.94, 3rd: 1.61, 4th: 1.0, 5th: .76, Reverse: 5.24

S47 Close Ratio (Diesel I assume being listed as close)
1st: 5.08, 2nd: 2.60, 3rd: 1.53, 4th: 1.00, 5th: 0.77, Reverse: 4.66

Diesel s42 actually is closer between shifts then the close s47 just the close 47 has a steeper reverse and 1st.

So for me I think I would rather have the close s42 over the s47 if I am going to be towing and can only choose between those two.
If were talking between the wide s42 vs s47 which is what you were originally asking, then id rather have the s47 as then the s47 gear split is less of a drop.




EDIT: Diesel/F-Superduty S5-42/Close
1st-2nd: 1.77
2nd-3rd: 0.95
3rd-4th: 0.42
4th-5th: 0.23

Gas/Wide S5-42
1st-2nd: 2.78
2nd-3rd: 1.33
3rd-4th: 0.61
4th-5th: 0.24

Close S47
1st-2nd: 2.48
2nd-3rd: 1.07
3rd-4th: 0.53
4th-5th: 0.23

Close S47 (I assume the numbers I was able to find for it is the diesel 4x4 one since Diesel Brad posted them from when he used it; and I know his are diesels and 4x4's. I don't know if the 2wd got a different 47 and I can only assume close means it was for the diesel/f-superduty since that is how the S5-42 is set up.

 

[riotwarrior]

USE the S47 then send me the S42 so long as it's a 4wd model for a BONUS Christmas present!

I'll make the S42 work in me diesel. I'll swap out the internals to a diesel case!

Thanks in advance

 

[Clayton]

My 47 came from an f450, I'm not sure if the ratios are different in those or not...

 

[franklin2]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the one tranny is stronger(the close ratio) because there is less ratio in the 1st gear. In other words, both trannies are the same, same case, same guts. But the higher torque multiplication in the lower 1st gear of the one tranny, means they have to rate it at a lower input torque, because it has more advantage with the lower gear and could break something easier in the tranny.

I have seen this on the T5's in the mustangs also. The 4 cyl tranny in the SVO I had was the same tranny the v8's had, except it had a lower 1st gear for the 4 cyl to get going. Everything was the same except the ratio, and I am thinking because of this the reason the 4 cyl tranny was also rated lower.

 

[cpdenton]

I have an zf 5s-47 from a 95 stroker. I have had great luck out of it except for a few things. Mine has a scratch if I don't shift slowly in and out of second gear.

Reverse is the biggest let down in the diesel model. It really needs a lower gear in reverse to back up a heavy load.

If it were me, I would use the 47 out of the diesel for the ease of install.

I have always wondered if I rebuild the trans, could I use the lower gear from a gasser to make it better...

 

[FarmerFrank]

The only thing that scares me with the 47 is that the only thing i know is that i unbolted it from a powerstroke but for $100 i was willing to gamble for 4x4 s47. The 42 was in a f-450 and it shifted alright doing a burnout through 4th gear. ill try out the 47 and if it doesnt shift right ill throw in the 460 s42. Thanks for the input fellas

 

[ZWilson07]

The only thing that scares me with the 47 is that the only thing i know is that i unbolted it from a powerstroke but for $100 i was willing to gamble for 4x4 s47. The 42 was in a f-450 and it shifted alright doing a burnout through 4th gear. ill try out the 47 and if it doesnt shift right ill throw in the 460 s42. Thanks for the input fellas

I edited my post to give you better numbers if you want to go look at it.

Since you narrowed it down to being a diesel 4x4 then all those numbers should be correct. I know for certain all the S5-42's are because they are right out of the Ford book sitting next to me. The 47 numbers were taken from Diesel Brad when he has it and all the other numbers he had posted were totally correct as well so id be willing to bet 99% they are correct.

If I was you and like posted above id go with the 47 since the 42 you have is the wide ratio if the superduty was a 460 and worse comes to worse even if the 47 is totally shot, you could still at least get your money back selling it if not more. For $100 bucks you gotta pick that up .

 

[FarmerFrank]

I like the s-47 numbers but that was my thought, i could easy double my money. The last zf i bought for 100 didnt have reverse after i put it in and when i tore it down and priced the gear, syncos, and the shift forks i was looking at $600. Once bitten twice as shy y'know?

 

[FarmerFrank]

Wait so all superduty s42's have the diesel gears?

 

[ZWilson07]

I like the s-47 numbers but that was my thought, i could easy double my money. The last zf i bought for 100 didnt have reverse after i put it in and when i tore it down and priced the gear, syncos, and the shift forks i was looking at $600. Once bitten twice as shy y'know?

Well if it was me I wouldn't put the wide gas s5-42 in that truck unless I just didn't have a choice and needed it done or something even if the diesel 47 ends up being bad. Id still look for a close diesel s5-42 to put in it and would sell the wide gas s5-42 along with the bad diesel 47 in that situation.

 

[ZWilson07]

Wait so all superduty s42's have the diesel gears?

Not from what I have read but I dont know for sure.

According to my Ford book even the 2wd F-superduty got the S5-42 which is the 4x4 transmission.

But the only distinction it shows between having the close ratio is if it came with the diesel motor wide ratio being with 7.5, 5.8, or 4.9. So in this situation with the f-superduty being a 460, it should in theory be the wide ratio according to my book here.

Im trying to search online to see what else I can find.