HudsonvilleHornet
Registered User
Yep - upper left corner (with relation to the text orientation!), you've got a 02/87 date of manufacture. I'm not sure if that's actual or schedule, but it's an interesting data point.
If that was the situationAnother possibility. I believe that 87 was the 1st year of the ZF-5. Since it is a 1st year truck/transmission. Maybe Ford had a program that if the transmission failed, they wanted it back so the engineers could go through it and determine why it failed. If this was the case, that transmission would have been removed, and a completely different one installed in its place. It would have then been sent to a specific person or place for examination.
I am only making this WAG, based on experience in my line of work. I’ve seen equipment that fails in a unique/unusual way be completely replaced, not just fixed. It is then sent in for engineering analysis, or even back to the manufacturer to do an in-depth analysis to find root cause.
If this is the case, I would say this would attest to the durability of the ZF-5… since that transmission is still in there 35 years later…..
I have read U-Haul‘s based on Ford trucks and van’s got C-6’s based on U-Hauls request. It was inferred the c-6 was very trouble free so they wanted to stick with them. Just read that, so it is not verified.I believe the 86 Model year (end of the Bullnose trucks) was the last year for the T-18/9 4 speed.
Somewhat unrelated, but i think 89 was the 1st year for the E4OD…. We had an 88 that was a C-6. Allegedly, you could option a C-6 up into the 90’s sometime… but I have never seen one…..
Another possibility. I believe that 87 was the 1st year of the ZF-5. Since it is a 1st year truck/transmission. Maybe Ford had a program that if the transmission failed, they wanted it back so the engineers could go through it and determine why it failed. If this was the case, that transmission would have been removed, and a completely different one installed in its place. It would have then been sent to a specific person or place for examination.
I am only making this WAG, based on experience in my line of work. I’ve seen equipment that fails in a unique/unusual way be completely replaced, not just fixed. It is then sent in for engineering analysis, or even back to the manufacturer to do an in-depth analysis to find root cause.
If this is the case, I would say this would attest to the durability of the ZF-5… since that transmission is still in there 35 years later…..