Zf 5 heater

[JAKRANCH]

I'm thinking about getting a transmission heater of some kind for my zf5. Its pretty worn and needs all the help it can get. The tractors that come equipped with transmission heaters say to never plug it in cold. Would the zf5 be the same way?

 

[79jasper]

Do hwat?
Have you drained/refilled with the proper fluid?

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[JAKRANCH]

Yup. It sounds and feels like some of the synchros are starting to go. It has atf in it but was ran on gear oil for an unknown amount of time. It freshened up a little after the change back to atf, but it gets a lot better after it warms up, hence ponderings on a plug-in heater of some kind

 

[Thewespaul]

Don’t waste your time/money on the heater idea. Start looking for another trans to drop in or rebuild.

 

[laserjock]

If you are set on a bandaid, I’d grab a small magnetic oil pan heater and stick it on the pto cover. It might cause it to start leaking but I do t know how else you get heat to it. Case is aluminum.

 

[madpogue]

I would drain the ATF, maybe fill it once more with conventional ATF and run it awhile, then drain it again. That should flush out all the old molasses (gear lube) that was in it. Then try a fill of SYNTHETIC ATF; ZF later changed their spec to say you should run synthetic in this trans when it's behind a diesel. Synth always flows better cold than conventional.

 

[79jasper]

I would drain the ATF, maybe fill it once more with conventional ATF and run it awhile, then drain it again. That should flush out all the old molasses (gear lube) that was in it. Then try a fill of SYNTHETIC ATF; ZF later changed their spec to say you should run synthetic in this trans when it's behind a diesel. Synth always flows better cold than conventional.

Yup. Previously I always ran whatever cheapest atf I could get my hands on. Did it work? Yeah.
But this last fill (after my drain plug fell out in the driveway lol) I did the synthetic. I do notice smoother shifts. And oddly, I can more easily float the gears.

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[icanfixall]

Might try any wrap on heater blanket like some use on fuel filters or oil pans. But as suggested already you probably should look into a rebuilt trans.

 

[FordIDIot]

check hydraulics? typ4 was having clutch hydraulic issues with cold weather. i feel most zf5 problems come from hydraulics or pedal rack problems IF they arnt messed up from someone jamming gears and/or running wrong fluid

 

[JAKRANCH]

It ran the wrong fluid for quite some time before I put it in my truck. It also marinated in the wrong fluid for two years. I've done quite a bit on the petal so I don't think it's the hydraulics unfortunately. College and baby mean no rebuilds for the moment

 

[pelky350]

What brand synthetic and type should be ran in it? I'm about to change my fluid out as well

 

[DrCharles]

Mercon V full synthetic.