Hey guys, I said in another post that I would properly introduce myself to this side of the forum once I got my new truck home. I started on the '48-'60 side with a 1951 F1 project truck. Then (long story) I sold it and bought a '62 F100 project truck, so i've been hanging out in the '61-'66 section a lot recently.

Well my DD, a 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins quadcab shortbox 4wd just blew it's trans a couple of weeks ago. I already put one in it when I bought it and I wasn't going to do it again. And our kids are getting bigger so we'd been considering a full double cab. Plus i'm a Ford guy and while the Cummins tempted me away the Dodge part of the truck was getting annoying. So I sold it as is for a bit of a loss and started looking for a truck. I used to have a 1990 F-250 302/M5R2 and before you tell me that you can't get a light duty M5R2 in a 3/4 ton truck, I know. The dealer told me that all the time but there it was, in our family from 1992-2005. We took fantastic care of it and it served us well, here's a pic.


I loved driving that truck and I missed the manual transmission very much. So I did a search and found that the crew cabs of this vintage are few and far between, the 4wd versions are even harder to find. But luckily there was one in Bozeman, MT, just an hour from my folks and where I grew up. I worked over the deal for a few days wit hthe dealer and headed up there on Friday. I checked it out and bought it, drove it home yesterday and i'm getting it cleaned up today.

Here's the AutoTrader ad that I found it on, the price on the window was 4,973.00 but after fees etc. I paid 3,500 even. The truck runs great and coming home last night at between 70-75mph it got just a hair over 14mpg! I was going to be happy with anything over 10 so i'm really happy. The truck will have to be repainted because the clearcoat is a mess, peeling badly. I expect to put some money in it but I think I got a good deal on a solid truck. Anyway, I hope to be a good addition to this side of FTE.

Cars for Sale: 1989 Ford F350 4x4 Crew Cab in Bozeman, MT 59718: Truck Details - 305249819 - AutoTrader.com

Joe

 

Good looking truck!

I, too, have the 302/M5R2 combo in my 89 F250. I've argued with a a few of the parts dealers I've dealt with because they've told me that that combo didn't come from the factory. But, after some investigation, I can say that about 11% of the light duty F250s came built like mine. One guy jokingly said that he's believe me if he saw the VIN...I took him out and showed it to him, it's the N code engine.

 

HaHa, good to know someone else has dealt with it too. It's a good combo, enough power and not too bad on gas. I hear people have problems with the M5R2 but we never did, even towing stock trailers full of cows, the truck held up fine. I sold it with 180k+ miles on it and it was still flawless.

I was worried that the ZF wouldn't be as fun to drive but it is, can't tell the difference between the two probably because of the hydraulic clutch. I just have to get used to this huge crew cab freight train i'm driving now.

I parked in a regular spot at McDonalds yesterday and if someone had parked next to me on the right side I couldn't have backed out, i'll have to be more careful about where I park...

 

Glad you got it home OK, and yes, you definitely have to reconsider where you park. As you stated, just because you can get in, doesn't mean that you will be able to get out if people start parking around you.

I find the most open area in the lot with mine, far away from the front door usually!

 

Those are both great looking trucks. I think the squared front end on these trucks make it more difficult getting in and out of spaces. One of the Grocery Stores around here has unusually small spaces and rows. I had car park on both sides of me one day, and I had to do a 3 pt turn to get out. That's in a standard cab truck too

 

The only issue I've had with the M5R2 is the bellhousing cracked. A little time with the grinder and two tubes of JB Industrial Weld seems to be working, but I'm on the prowl for a replacement. The PO used the truck in UT to haul construction equipment up and down the mountains...so it wasn't taken very good care of.

I just replaced the engine with a Jasper that had just under 60k on it. While it was out, we saw the cracks. I did what I could, then replaced the clutch line and slave cylinder.

Once I find a replacement tranny, I'll be happy. I've had the ZF before, and loved it, but I'm not really interested in doing an upgrade, just a replacement.

 

nice find, as you already stated parking isnt the fin thing, kinda like parking a barge where a speed boat will go...or more as I call it the ocean liner in a speed boat parking spot...and I too get teh occasional small car parking up close syndrome...again beautiful find and hope you have tons (no pun intended ) fun with it and may she serve you well!

 

very sharp looking rigs!

 

Great looking CC, and I'd say you got an excellent deal! Best of luck with it!

 

Zf's can get noisy if you don't keep high quality ATF in it.
Some of us like Royal Purple Syncromax.

I like those wheels and drop bumper.

Congratulations!

 

A bit OT, but my 1990 crew cab also has the 5-speed with what sounds like a noisy input shaft bearing (quiets up when I put in the clutch, and I can't hear it once driving). I just bought 4 quarts of the Syncromax (yikes, $18/qt!) and am debating whether to put it in now, or wait until I do something about the bearing. The vehicle/tranny only has 98K on it now and the clutch is still in great shape. It doesn't look like the tranny fluid has ever been changed based upon the factory paint marks still on the drain & fill plugs. Thoughts?

 

Rattles in neutral but NOT in 4th or reverse?

100k on the factory ATF in your rig???
The manual calls for a change at 70,000
...I would just change it.

At the very least to the Ford specced fully synthetic fluid.
Or make sense of this; http://www01apps.zf.com/kst464/ZF_In...002_en0700.pdf

Heck, it might be good for another hundred thousand.
A magnetic drain plug will tell a LOT about the condition inside.

When I dropped my fluid it looked like a strawberry milkshake.

BTW, the RP is cheaper on Amazon by $4 a quart.

 

Is that what's making that sound? lol Mine makes a noise when it's lugged real low, like in gear, stepping lightly on the gas when the engine is under 1,000rpm.

I think I told you guys I got 14mpg on the way back from Bozeman. Well I just filled my front tank again, this one was all Rapid City driving in town and it came in at 11.09mpg. I couldn't be happier with that, I was expecting 8/10 and i'm getting 11/14!

 

I have stock tires, 4.10's and a heavy foot. I would be glad to get 10 around town but like to see 12 on the highway.
Traffic around here is brutal, and speed plays a big role.
If I can keep it at or under 3,000 and not have to slow down and speed up again it really helps.
The 5th gear in this box is SO nice to have compared to my T-19.

From what I understand a few things happen to these Zf 5-42 gearboxes.
People put the wrong lubricant in them and it eats the yellow metal (syncro's)
People put too thick an oil in them to try and quiet them down and it wears the syncro's (drag) and doesn't really help.
People over fill them from the top, intentionally.

"Clacking" while lugging the engine is due to the helical gears trying to force one or the other shaft out the end of the case.
I.e. excessive end play.
A little bit of very fine metal -smooth paste- on a magnetic drain plug seems to be okay. Ir there's any grit or texture to it you should be prepared to replace some bearings.

This is just my experience, but I'm not a transmission guy so don't take it as gospel.

I've learned to always back my truck in if at all possible.
One of the company's I work for has a crew cab Super Duty and that extra 42" of wheelbase makes a huge difference, I know.

 

Yes, I only got this truck a few months ago, it's not a daily driver, and I have a long list of items to do to it, tranny fluid change is definitely on the list!

It's not a rattle, it's a noisy bearing, sometimes it gets a bit worse, like one of the worn-off ***** gets into a certain position in the race and is dragging a bit. I don't hear it at all in 4th or in reverse. Just in neutral, with the vehicle not moving. The noise may be there in 4th, but once the vehicle is moving the higher ambient noise level may be covering it up.