4.0 M5OD No 3rd gear? | Ford Explorer Forums

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4.0 M5OD No 3rd gear?

BlackAcidDevil

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I have a 91 Xplorer with 160k+ miles on it. A few weeks ago on a ski trip I was going up the mountain and it spat the stick out of 3rd gear. It is possible to hold it in gear *which I had to do a few times to get home* but the second I let pressure off the stick it grinds and spits it back out. A buddy of mine said it was probably a synchro problem. What do you guys think? It shifts more or less fine in all other gears *first and second are a little rough, but you don't have to force them* and while running in these sounds fine. Thanks for any help!
 



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No 3rd

More than likely, the engagement teeth on the side of the gear and/or sliding hub are FUBAR:( . Once these teeth get rounded off, they try to force each other apart. The synch. ring itself is not at fault, because once locked in gear, the hub engages directly into the side of the third gear. It's also possible the detent ball and spring on the 3rd/4th rail has lost its guts somehow, but not likely. If this was the case, it may try to pop out of direct(4th), also. The fix would involve tearing trans apart and replacing the 3rd gear itself and 3rd/4th sliding hub. At that point, might as well rebuild whole trans. ($200-$300 for parts, if lucky)
 






So what exactly does a complete rebuild involve parts wise? Assuming thats what I have to do am I looking at replacing every component in the transmission or just major parts? I've always done my own repairs so I more or less know my way around a vehicle but I've never even LOOKED inside a tranny so this is new ground for me.
 












Yeah, I've read through that a few times now. Can't wait till he finishes it, it's real interesting. I guess I'll just wait till I have some $$$ saved up and tear into to see what all is busted. Thanks man!
 






Manual trannys are nothing mysterious, but can seem confusing at first. A rebuild is definately within the scope of a reasonably competent home mechanic with a decent set of tools. Just get all of the literature together (exploded views, measurement specs, etc.) and TAKE YOUR TIME. This can be hard to do with a daily driver that has to be on the road, but trust me, rushing gains you nothing. A basic rebuild kit can consist of synchro blk. rings, gaskets, various small parts, and possibly bearings. Don't forget to replace the three rubber plugs at the back of the shift rails with steel ones!!(Dorman PN# 555-108 or Dana PN#219-3052) Hard parts such as gears, shafts, and synch. hubs will have to be obtained separately. These pieces are where this trans can get expensive. Check out Drivetrain.com and TheRangerStation.com for parts and exploded views of the Mazda M5 trans.
 






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