Harsh reverse
 

Hello everyone, I am new here. I just purchased a 95 f150 5.8 4x4 e4od. The transmission was rebuilt 23,000 miles ago. But I have noticed when shifting from drive to reverse, it's harsh and I hear a loud clunk. My u-joints have zero play. What does it sound like to you? Thanks in advance.
-tylor

Check the backlash in the rear axle.

Okay, I will find someone with a dial indicator and give it a shot. Wouldn't that cause a clunk going into drive also? I could be wrong. And thank you.

Grab the driveshaft then see how much you can twist it back and forth. Some play is normal but if you get 1/2 turn or more out of then it's time to open it up. Anything beyond a 1/4 turn makes me worry.

I checked it out today and it seems fine. I got nowhere near 1/4 turn. 1/16th or 5 degrees maybe. Could it just be how the rebuilt trans shifts? Everyother gear shifts flawlessly.

Just curious but does it do that on an incline? My driveway has very little grade to it but the first few times I parked in it and shifted into reverse it sounded pretty bad to me. Then when pulling in one day I simply came to a stop w my foot on the brake still and pushed in the e-brake all the way, then put in park. The next time I drove it voila, it shifted into reverse w out a single noise or effort. In fact it was hard to even tell I was in reverse.

Since your u - joints and back lash are good it must be the characteristics of the rebuilt transmission.

I did notice it more on an incline, although it seemed bad to me all the time. I changed my t-case fluid, and diff fluid, and greased my u-joints today. And it seemed like it cushioned the clunk a bit. I'm going to guess since the whole driveline has 135,000 on it, and the trans is fresh and shifting nice and firm, it makes all the combined slack in the driveline feel much worse than it is. Thank you guys for the inputs.