I'm going to have to take my transmission out of my truck in the next few weeks to install a new rear main seal on my 2.3L.Any tips on the removal of the transmission would be great!!

I have a few more questions:

1) When I'm driving down the road,I can hear a slight rattle or roar from the transmission.When I let off the gas,it roars slightly louder than it does when there's a load on it from the engine.The shifter handle vibrates pretty badly also.I was wondering what this might?I want to try to fix it if it's not that big of a pain.Do these trucks have shifter bushings?I think if they do,it might be that.The rattle sounds like it's coming from the shifter assembly instead of the transmission,but I don't know.

2) My truck's got about 200,000 miles on it.If you were me,would you continue running Mercon Auto-Trans Fluid in your M5OD or switch to something that offers more protection?What do you reccomend?

3) I'm going to fix my shift rail plugs while I have the transmission out.That way,I can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.Also,I'm going to install a new clutch,so there's 3 birds with that same stone .Any tips on how to go about installing the clutch or the shift rail plugs would be great.I'm going with steel plugs so I don't have to do it again.

I was reading through some of the tech articles on this site and I found an article based on a homeade tool to install a 2.3L One-Piece Rear Main Seal.I've gotta make a trip to the hardware store to get the supplies so I won't have to buy the seal installer from Ford.It looks like it worked pretty good .

Wish me luck.

Nightrain

 

What a mess...

I just got off the phone with the local Ford dealer and they can only get the original rubber shift rail plugs.They're $1.10 each.He couldn't give me any info what-so-ever on them.I'm going to call a bigger Ford dealer tomorrow to see what they have to offer.Does anyone know the part numbers for the steel plugs?No parts stores here in town can get the plugs.I'll have to get them at the dealer.

Nightrain

 

For steel plugs, measure the id of the hole and use a small expansion plug available at any parts store,
Or an easy fix is to just put a bead of silicone sealer around the old rubber ones and reinstall. they leak because they shrink. if you look at them they can be turned in the housing very easily.

 

That's what the guy called them at the Ford place called them...Expansion plugs.Are they the steel ones?

Nightrain

 

One more question...When I get my transmission out of my truck and the clutch assembly off of the engine,how will I visibly be able to tell how worn the original clutch disc is?I'm going to go ahead and pick up a clutch kit while I'm at the parts store so I won't have to come back.It kinda feels like it's worn out in the truck,but it might just need adjusting.If it's worn,the disc will be pretty much smooth wouldn't it?If I took some pics of it when I got it out,could you guys tell me how worn it is and maybe how many more miles I might be able to put on it?It would be better either way to just go ahead and put a new one in so I wouldn't have to worry about it on down the road.

Nightrain

 

Yes they're just like freeze plugs only smaller.

As for the clutch disc wear, there will be grooves across the disc of the clutch lining. If those grooves are almost worn off, it's time for a new clutch assembly. If it were mine, I'd replace it along with the slave cylinder just because it's easier to do now than later.

 

Thanks.

I know the grooves that you're talking about,I just didn't know exactly how to tell if it was worn out or not.So if they're basically worn off,go ahead and replace it?Yeah,I'll throw on a new slave cylinder also .

Nightrain

 

Oh yeah...The dude at the Ford place said something about 10mm.Is that the width of the shift rail hole?

Nightrain

 

dont forget to have the flywheel resurfaced when you replace the clutch.

 

I was just fixing to ask that.What does it take to do that,a trip to the machine shop?

Nightrain

 

yep!!!

 

Oh,okay.That works.So this is manditory?What if the surface of the flywheel is in good shape?I've changed clutches before,and I've never had the flywheel resurfaced.All of those turned out okay.It's not a problem to have it resurfaced though.Maybe it's something that I should've started years ago .

Nightrain

 

While its a recommended procedure, you can get by without doing it providing-

1) clutch being removed doesn't chatter or vibrate when engaging


2)visual inspection of flywheel reveals no heat checks, cracks, or damage of any kind.

I have replaced many clutches by just taking a scotchbrite pad in a drill to scuff the flywheel up slighty and haven't had any problems. Bottom line is it costs about $40 to resurface. If you can afford it and have the time to wait for the machine shop to do it, then it's probably a good investment, but it you can't, and the flywhel looks ok,I wouldn't loose any sleep over not having it done.

 

Thanks again.The clutch seems fine at the moment.I heard this little ping the other night when I was engaging the clutch from a stand-still,but I didn't pay it any mind.If it looks good,I'm just going to put it all back together.By it being resurfaced,do they just scuff it up to get it to grip to the new clutch?

Nightrain

 

In other words,the flywheel that the current clutch is installed with should look basically like a brand new brake rotor?

Nightrain