I have a '96 F-150 with a 4.9L 6-cyl. The 5-speed's symptoms are popping out of gear in 5th. I was able to hold the shifter tightly in 5th and continue driving, but it popped out of gear anyway when even slightly accelerating. Soon thereafter, with a bang, I now have no 3rd or 4th gears (acts like it's in neutral). I realize the 5th gear problem is probably the synchros self-destructing, but with 3rd & 4th gone, is this usually repairable, or should I simply replace the whole tranny? And if so, is there an "upgrade" tranny (with little or no modifications) to look for, such as a ZF-5? I've called several local salvage yards with zero success looking for an exact replacement... Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

i replacment should be easy to find any m5r2 from 88-96 will work you can go to Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market and look there it searches local salvage yards

you could also fix it it might just be a problem with the shift forks or rods/*****/springs in the top cover which is easy to remove with the trans still in the truck

you could also replace it with the stronger zf but if your 2wd youll need a different driveshaft