'95 Ford F-150, good truck?

[Macguyver82]

Hi guys, need some advice

I've been looking for a decent truck for my dad and ran across a 95 F150 XLT
4x4 with the 300 and 5 spd. I know the 300 has a great rep for being damn near indestructible but what about the rest of the truck? does you Ford guys know what t-case and trans Ford used? how do these era trucks hold up?
Thanks!
Mac

 

[stroked 350]

i had a 92 great truck

 

[The Warden]

Should be good IMHO '96 was the last good year for the F-150...

 

[Macguyver82]

Thanks guys,
good call Warden- I don't care for the jellybean style either!
I found out it may have an M5OD Mazda tranny, these any good?

yeehaa!

 

[hheynow]

I had a '91 F-150 straight six with a handshaker tranny. That truck was great . I sold it at 252K and it was still running strong. The engine never needed any work. Had the tranny rebuilt once but I went through my share of clutches.

 

[Macguyver82]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen,
Everything points to it being a darn good unit
My buddy said he'd hang on to it and sell it to me when I return from Club Med

 

[DeepRoots]

i had a 300/6 with a c6 go 365k miles
awesome vehicle. Never had to fix a thing.

I do know the landscaping company I used to work for had a bunch of the inline6 m5od combos.
seems the m5od is a good trans for a ranger, but I've seen alot of them get fragile around heavier loads.
course it could just be that $5 an hour flunkies were driving them.

dp

 

[adrianspeeder]

Bulletproof drivetrain. It WILL get you home.

The ranger/explorer/aerostar fivespeed is the Mazda M5OD-R1

The five speed in the F150s/Broncos is the Mazda M5OD-R2. I beat the livin wee out of mine speedshiftin in the 92 Bronc with a 302. The same big trailer I drag and worry about tranny temps with the stroker isn't even an issue with the 97 F150 4.6L/M5OD. Dad and I have four trucks in the past with M5ODs and not a one has had any issues with heavy abuse.

Adrianspeeder

 

[Rcannon]

one thing.. check the oil pan. Some had corrosion issues.

 

[Copper]

I had a '95 with a 302/Mazda 5 speed/3.55 rears. It seemed very high-geared picking up a load, but it was manageable. Now, this could be just rumor, but I've been told some of the 300-I6's had ZF wide-ratios behind them, like came behind the small-block powered 250's. If so, they may have had a little lower 1st ratio (again, I've been told, not for sure) so that'd help. Plus, they were a lot stronger. Good Luck, though, they're a great pickup either way. I wish mine would have had a 300.

 

[The Warden]

I'm nowhere near certain on this, so please correct me if I'm wrong...but I thought the ZF was only used behind big blocks and diesels? Certainly, it seems like quite a bit of $$ to spend to make a 3rd ZF case (since the bellhousing is integrated, they would have needed to make one with the small block bolt pattern as well as the other two they were already making), particularly since it sounds like the Mazda tranny was pretty stout...

Of course, I'm also assuming that Ford's small block bellhousing bolt pattern was differnt from the big block pattern...this is what I get for knowing next to nothing about Ford g@$$ers...so, enlightening is good

 

[MUDDY]

fact,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the zf WAS offered in the f150 and the f250 LD behind the 300 I-6. not the v-8s. same ratios as the zf in the f250hd/f350 with the 351 and 460 having an approx 5.61 or so 1st gear unlike the 4 to 1 1st in the zf behind the diesels. the lower ratio zf was offered as an option for a few short years behind the diesels but was rare.

 

[82fordtruck]

You guys are exactly right. However, we have had a lot of HARD miles on a M5OD at work, and it lasted 180k miles before the output shaft broke and took the back half the case with it.

This truck was loaded up to 16k lbs several times, and taken all over the country like that. It isn't really geared to take off with a load like that, but if you don't give a damn about the clutch....

I would not think twice about it, these really are great trucks.

 

[FORDMAN41291]

can I put a 3/4 ton clutch in these M5OD's? someone told me they did it but i aint to sure? I was thinking about the same thing next time i put a clutch in? what exactly is the upside of having a 3/4ton clutch?

 

[Optikalillushun]

IIRC the 300/m5od uses a 10 or 10 1/2" clutch...no real thing as a 3/4 ton clutch but u can try to find a larger diameter clutch for it. i think an 11" is also available.