ZF5 question

[fields_mj]

How hard is it, and what tools are needed to change out a ZF5?

I think mine is going out. I've been noticing a little bit of a noise the past week when I get up to speed (60ish). I can barely hear it, and I haven't been able to figure out where it's coming from. When I push the clutch in and let off the gas, the noise is still there. I put 1000 pounds of wood in the back end the other night to go try out a new chainsaw, and the noise was much more pronounced. Sounded like a bearing going out. The noise wasn't loud, but it was a lot easier to hear it over the engine and AC. It sounded like a bearing going out somewhere, but I still couldn't tell where. Got home and slid under the truck. I can push forward on the front wheel and move the truck about an inch or to and it will rock back into place. When I do, I can hear the gears in the tranny. Never been able to hear that before.

I don't like messing with transmissions, and I don't have a shop to do the work in, just out in the drive way. We're in the middle of adopting my nieces son, and I'm finishing up putting the shingles on our new roof, so cash is going to be pretty tight the next few months. Not to mention that I WAS planning on taking the truck to the body shop and dropping a grand into the bed to repair the damage done when I lost the tread off a tire last month. I plan on taking the truck over to a shop and letting them look at it and see if they think that's what it is. If so, I'm considering trying to to the swap at home. I won't tear one apart, but if I'm basically taking one out, and putting the other one in, maybe it wont' be so bad Any thoughts, or warnings?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[TwoTone IDI]

its not too bad to take out. one thing i would definitely put my money in (as if you have tons to spend, i know how that is) is a tranny jack and a case of beer for a buddy to help. in terms of tools i think you will be fine but the transmission itself is a little unwieldly up there in the air.

if you have a basic craftsman with the 3 drives and a combination set you will be fine as far as hand tools go. you will need a few extensions, both 3/8" and 1/2" drive

in terms of difficulty, by yourself with no transmission adapter for your jack, id call it an 8 on a scale of 10 just because of the safety aspect. the ZF is very hard to balance on a regular 2 ton jack plate.

with a transmission adapter you are down to a 4/10

with a transmission adapter and a buddy you are at a 1/10. definitely a piece of cake.

quick and dirty step by step:
1. apply parking brake on level ground, disconnect batteries
2. remove any skid plates etc., disconnect driveshafts, remove starter
3. pull slave off mounting boss and tie up out of your way
4. remove shifter boot, dust guard, and shifter
5. remove transfer case linkage, shifter can stay in the cab
6. 4 (i think) bolts on transfer case, this you should be able to military press off by yourself, maybe 80 lbs
7. place jack under transmission and put a little of the tranny's weight on the jack... this should be done somewhere near the middle drain plug for optimum balance
8. remove tranny cross member and secondary supports that go to the top of the frame rail... this is a little tricky but it will make sense once you get there
9. unbolt mount from tranny, let crossmember assembly down and out of the way
10. let jack down just a touch to expose top bolt on bellhousing, remove bellhousing bolts
11. return jack to more or less level, then pull the tranny away

definitely get the transmission adapter for your jack if you can spare it. northern tool, harbor freight, tractor supply, other chinaman houses all offer an affordable serviceable adapter that will make the job much easier.

 

[Exekiel69]

Not hard at all. Are You just swapping the transmission or will You replace the clutch while You're at it? 4x4 is more work but still pretty easy if it is just replacing the bad one with a good one.

Before You replace it, have You drained the oil and see if there is any shavings? how about new fluid in it and drive it some more.

 

[G. Mann]

While we are on the subject of ZF5's, where can I buy internal parts for a rebuild on one?

Trans in my 92 F450 is getting hard to put into reverse, and jumps out of reverse.... truck has little over 200,000 miles on it... looks like it's original trans. Time for a "take apart and rebuild" I think. Anybody have a manual on how to do it?

 

[TwoTone IDI]

there are internal parts ALL OVER ebay... seems like the ZF and T5 have tons of aftermarket support... or tons of "make 1 good one out of 2 bad ones" opportunities

G Mann are there any other gears that pop or grind? may be clutch related

 

[franklin2]

I think mine is going out. I've been noticing a little bit of a noise the past week when I get up to speed (60ish). I can barely hear it, and I haven't been able to figure out where it's coming from.

It would have to get way louder than that before I pulled the tranny. It could be the rearend also, noise from it will transfer up through the driveshaft.

There is nothing wrong with letting it get a little louder to make it easier to diagnose.

 

[RLDSL]

Are you positive it's the tranny going out or is it the dual mass flywheel about to take a dump on you?

 

[fields_mj]

Good questions, and I'm not sure what the answers are. As of yet, I haven't done anything with it. I had forgotten about the duel mass fly wheel. I remember reading a lot about it on here before I bought the truck. I don't think it's the rear end. It's relatively new (last winter).

Either way, I'll take it to my mechanic and see what he thinks. I can cough up a few bucks for a good diagnostics so that I only fix the right thing. If it's the tranny, I will get the adapter for the jack, and I will probably fork out the $$ and get a good set of metric wrenches. I have a good set of standards, but the only metrics I have are the el cheapo set that I keep in the truck. I'm doing alright on sockets. I have a full set of standards, and 4 complete sets of 1/2" impact sockets (standard, metric, deep, and regular).

 

[Clydesdale]

6 bolts for t-case, and top ones are a PITA.

 

[Brimmstone]

Go but yourself a set of impact universal sockets. HF has them at a decent price. I've had a set in each flavor for years now and they are a life saver for transmission work. With them you can using an air ratchet and 6 inch extension take all but two of the bolts holding the transfer case on. Otherwise get a set of stubby ratcheting wrenches. Either will work to take the bolts out.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

I would have a look at the driveline bearing as well as the pinion bearing in the rear axle before I pulled the trans. I am assuming you've looked at all the u-joints already?

 

[RLDSL]

Good questions, and I'm not sure what the answers are. As of yet, I haven't done anything with it. I had forgotten about the duel mass fly wheel. I remember reading a lot about it on here before I bought the truck. I don't think it's the rear end. It's relatively new (last winter).

Either way, I'll take it to my mechanic and see what he thinks. I can cough up a few bucks for a good diagnostics so that I only fix the right thing. If it's the tranny, I will get the adapter for the jack, and I will probably fork out the $$ and get a good set of metric wrenches. I have a good set of standards, but the only metrics I have are the el cheapo set that I keep in the truck. I'm doing alright on sockets. I have a full set of standards, and 4 complete sets of 1/2" impact sockets (standard, metric, deep, and regular).

It's just that being able to move the thing like that kind of sounds like the dual mass flywheel is starting to come apart. They can make quite a racket when they get loose or if they spit a spring or two out.

 

[fields_mj]

The rear pinion bearing is less than 6 months old, so it should be good. I haven't had the drive shaft off, but all the U-joints seem nice and tight. No play. I've worn out my share of U-Joints over the years, and this doesn't sound like that, but I could be wrong. Not sure what the drive bearing is so I wouldn't know how to check it.

I'll mention the fly wheel to the mechanic. I've always been able to rotate the drive shaft a little bit (1/16 to 1/8 of a turn) when the truck is off and in 1st gear. I say always, but I've only had the truck for a year now.

Maybe it would be a good time for me to have the mechanic fix my parking break too. Wait, I forgot, I'm broke... lol Got to laugh or I might start to cry.

 

[Diesel_brad]

I think i would be checking the oil(level and condition) before i did ANYTHING

 

[fields_mj]

Well, I figured it out. Some joker had locked my hubs in for me. I was hearing the front gears and transfer case. I had went out after work to cut a load of wood. Everything looked pretty dry on the way in. When I had finished loading the truck, I wasn't paying a lot of attention and I had just flipped the lockers just in case. I was coming out with about 5K of black locust on the back when I started to slip in the rear. I reached down and pulled it into 4WD, and in just a few seconds I had set the rear end on the ground. I got out and looked and I had actually unlocked the hubs. I locked them back in, but it was too late. I unloaded most of the wood, and with the help of a tractor we were able to rock back and forth until I could fit a piece of wood down in the rut behind the rear tires. Then the tractor was able to pull me out backwards. I didn't get out until about 10:30. I think that's the worst I had ever been stuck.

I feel like an idiot for not figuring the noise out sooner. I've been putting a roof on the house and that has gotten all of my attention for the past several weeks.

So now the question is, what kind of harm/damage can be done by running 60 and 70 mph with the front hubs locked in for the last 3 weeks (about 800 miles).