M5OD help needed

[Happy Jack]

I just bought a 94 Sport with a 5-speed. I drove it back from the east coast. 1st and 3rd gear was difficult going into gear. 1st seems to be good if the truck is moving a little or with the engine off. I changed the tranny and t-case fluid. There was about a table spoon of metal mud on the tranny drain plug. The stuff that came out was as black as the engine oil. After the fluid change it seemed to get worse. It seemed to get worse as the tranny warmed up. Drove it yesterday and it seemed to shift well. It has 138,00 miles on it and there is a sticker on it that says a new clutch was installed 50,000-60,000 miles ago. Has good clutch pedal. Pedal comes off the floor several inches before the truck starts to grab. There is a lot of play in the shifter.

Figure it's the syncro's for 1st and 3rd gear that is the problem. But that is just a guess. I hope that the new fluid is just taking a while to free up the tranny but I'd like some input from others. This is the first X I have owned and the first M5OD.

Is this the beginning to the end of the tranny or can it last for a while? Does BG or Lucas have an additive that will keep this tranny going for a while? I'd like to get another year out of it before I go with a C-5. I use this as a DD and to drive 1,000 out of state to wheel on trails. I'd like to know what others have done and what has happened when other 5-speeds have started doing this. Thanks for any help on this.

 

[Creager]

These symtoms are quite common in the history of this forum. I wouldnt say that its the begining of the end, but you maybe got another 30-50k until those synco's finally crap out. It will go out with a bang when you least suspect it. Happened to me shifting out of 3rd to forth, to bad i couldnt make it to forth otherwise i might of been able to make it home.

The M5OD is minorly problematic... compared to A4LD atleast. shiftrail plugs causing leaks, syncros wearing out. Some might say your problem is the slave, but i doubt it. There really is no inbetween with this type slave cylinder, either its bled or its not: Works or doesnt.

I'd put some Mobil1 synthetic in there. Lucas might be good. I heard of people using motoroil also. Any full-synthetic ATF might pro-long it if thats even possible.

Lucky a rebuild M5R1-OD is cheap compared to the A4LD. I bought a reman'd unit cheaper ($700) then what the bone-yards wanted ($800). If mine goes again ill probably look into an HD unit out of a newer SOHC equipped truck. Not sure if it is any heavier duty, but the name is something like M5R1-ODHD.

 

[BrooklynBay]

This thread has a lot of information on the M5OD: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159665