Help troubleshooting ZF5

[fields_mj]

I think my clutch is going out. Took the camper camping this weekend. When we got to the campground, we discovered the spot we had reserved was especially difficlut to get into. After 45 min or so of backing in and out (in the dark), I was finally close enough to make it work, but I know I was ******* the clutch, and it was stinking pretty bad. On the way to work this morning, I noticed that in 5th gear if I stepped on it, the tach would climb at a moderate pace, but my speed wouldn't really increase much. Coming off the stop light, I acclerated pretty hard to see what the other gears were doing, and didn't notice any problems in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. 4th may be doing it a little, but hard to say. 5th gear was very noticable though. If I take it easy it doesn't seem to have any problems, but if I stand on it much, I can see it slipping, and when I let off I can feel it grab again (almost like spinning a tire, but the back end wasn't coming loose). Is this just the clutch and clutch plate, or should I be planning on something a little more painfull?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[lindstromjd]

It's your friction plate. Time for a new clutch.

 

[fields_mj]

That's what I figured, and it's actually what I'm hoping for, but I wanted to make sure that it didn't sound like something more serious. With 220K on it, I'm not all that bummed about needing a new clutch. I've only put the last 50K on her, but I've used her to yank several cord worth of logs out out of various ravines, and I do mean yank. So she's do for a new clutch anyway.

 

[Agnem]

The lower gears have less strain on the input shaft, but overdrive is definitely going to be the challenge. Swap it out before the other gears start doing it too. You'll see 4th go next. Then third... and so on.

 

[hesutton]

Next time you back the camper, put the T-case in 4 low but don't lock the hubs. It will make backing the camper much less of a strain on the clutch and the truck in general.


Heath

 

[PackRat239]

Sounds to me like you have oil on the clutch disk.

 

[icanfixall]

Watch for hot spots on the flywheel when you remove the clutch. Or simpley replace the clutch, friction plate, flywheel and throwout bearing just because your that deep into it. Make sure you lube the throwout bearing if its an open bearing and seal the flywheel bolt threads so oil wont leak out and ruin the new clutch. This is a much over looked item when a clutch is changed. Those bolt holes go thru the crank flange into the oily side of the oil pan. The bolt torque is 47 lbs.

 

[madpogue]

220,000 on an original clutch is waaay "above and beyond". Didn't mention your truck's year, but if you have a dumb-mass.... er... dual-mass flywheel, this would be the time to opt for a single-mass.

And +1 on the low-range option, if applicable. Def. clutch saver.

 

[fields_mj]

It's a '93. I bought the truck in '09 with 170K on it and the previous owners handn't changed the clutch. I suspect that they put around 50K on the truck, and it's reasonable to think that the factory clutch made it past 120K without any problems, so I'm pretty sure that what I have is still factory stock.

Although this is a repair that I do feel comfortable doing myself, especially with all the help/info from this board, I have absolutely no time to work on it right now. I'm working 12 hr shifts because we've been down a guy for 3 months now, Mom is having surgery this afternoon for ****** cancer, wife works tonight and is spending Thursday at my folks to take care of mom (nurse), and works Friday night meaning that it just me and the kiddo's for the rest of this week, I'm working this weekend, and next weekend we have another camping trip already scheduled and paid for. Oh, and this is my daily driver.... So, I called the mechanic on the way home last night. He's getting a clutch kit on the way, and looking for fly wheel just in case. I will give him a call this afternoon on my way to the hospital to see where timing is on things.

Thanks for the 4 low tip! I had thought about it, but the op manual warned against egauging the t-case without locking the hubs so I've avoided it in the past. I'll be changing that practice.

Thanks!