Years ago I decided to try my luck rebuilding an A4LD out of a 90s Ford Explorer. Got told by the parts guy it would never work and that I had no business even taking it apart to fix it without having a clean room, the correct fixture to hold the transmission, training, etc. I bought the manuals, read up on it, bought the parts, and it worked fine. I'm just a home garage guy and that transmission looked a lot simpler than yours.
I am a self taught trans rebuilder. People that are scared of transmission repair are deceiving themselves. They are not magic. As said, get the manuals(the so-called experts consult manuals too 👍👍), learn and understand hydraulics and planetary gearsets.(for autos). Manual boxes are child's play.
A4LD is a simple trans...not a single special tool required....a C-3 w/OD. Not really much of a common problem with those...bushings lasted, gear-train lasted...seals wore out. Easy overhaul.
My A4LD burned up and having rebuilt a C3 in the 80s in my garage, I carefully assessed the situation and paid my local shop to rebuild that A4LD. Funny story: the trans shop had never seen one like it. The guy who originally bought the minivan got all the options, period, including the high altitude options. He lived on Mercer Island and that minivan never went over anything higher than Snoqualmie Pass 😂
@@chrismosmeier555 I'm not convinced about that. Using powertools though I totally support your hypothesis, the manual impact is a very safe to use though. Unless you miss and bash your hand.
I rebuilt my zf5 last year, it was my first attempt at rebuilding a transmission. One tip for anyone else attempting this: you can use a couple ratchet straps to hold the gearset together when you lift it in/out of the tailhousing. It worked just fine instead of the special tool.
Always amazed at complicated things like this.....there was an engineer who sat down and designed all these bits & pieces, made sure they fit together, and worked.
and worked.......hmmmmm...transmission pulled to fix ????!! Ford CEO a while back said they working on improving quality. Can't remember if that was the current CEO or... Henry Ford.
I thought I fully understood how manual transmissions worked vs. automatics, but... I'm still just as lost. I don't think I'll ever understand autos. It's all black magic.
@@MattExzy modern automatics are a wonderful thing. With the electronics and computing power available they can be made to operate reliably for many many years and miles. That is if the bean-counters don't get in there and use inferior quality parts to save a few cents. Proper Maintenance and Service also helped a great deal.
@@bennym1956 what do you want? Fixing it without pulling it? I doubt it A transmission tha will work forever without failure? Physically impossible. You have to find a compromise between cost and longevity. The average lifetime of a car is what? 15 years before getting replaced because of new gadgets in ned cars? So why trying to build a transmission that lasts 30 years when it's not even used for this long (in most cases)?
I used to keep several of those as 'swing units' for plow trucks at the Ford truck dealership I worked at. Popping out of reverse or 1st for that matter was a common thing. BTW for those who don't know, R is just down from 5. If you decide you want to grab a 6th gear, you're going to wipe out the R synchro....happened so often. The plastic gear-train holding tool is very useful...in fact aligning them is pain w/o it. Put the bearings/races in a kitchen-type toaster oven and they just fall on the shafts. I've done so many of those things. Decent transmissions. Thanks for invoking the memories.
It's even worse because ZF put that synchro on reverse. On most older transmissions you'd get a nasty grinding the second you tried to hit reverse at any speed above 0 mph.
@@WatchWesWork Having older 4 speeds and having rebuilt them, I was wondering why they bothered with it in the first place. Seems pretty useless in a truck transmission.
I tried to go into 6th in my 5 speed Corolla while barreling down the Motorway at 70mph back in 2016. Oddly enough my gearbox survived without any ill effects to this day. I had been driving around a 6 speed Ford Focus 1.5TDCI for 3 months for work and I got in my own car to go home from the office and did it without thinking. What a fail.
The “reverse detent” as Wes called it in the video is actually a reverse shift interlock. It’s prevents shifting straight from 5th to reverse (pulling the lever straight back into reverse). To shift into reverse, so long as this interlock is installed, the lever must move back towards its neutral position (between 3rd and 4th) then move the lever straight to the right and down into reverse. This is why the interlock plate is sort of loose on the dowel at 22:30.
I was a mechanic for a number of years however, I've never seen anyone able to work on anything that rolls in and do so seemingly with ease. He is my hero.
“that wasn’t that bad”…, well Wes, it might not have been “that bad” for you, but I will reserve my transmission rebuilds to being vicariously experienced thru watching you do the work, while I sit here in my recliner sipping coffee, and eating donuts. All of your transmission videos are real treats. Thank you sir.
Yeah it's impressive the intuitive understanding he has. That's all experience, and ability to visualise things moving in 3D space. He's wired for it. For me, as soon as half the gears fell off into that bucket - the 'repair' would be over for me. I would spend hours trying to put it back together and probably failing, even with a diagram. I'd just shop around for a second hand transmission and use that lol
Not reveling in your oopses. But when those parts fell through your forklift forks, I again was reminded that I watch your stuff cuz you're real. That stuff happens everywhere from SpaceX to the local repair shop. Thanks for always showing the entire repair. Cheers buddy.
I’m a shade tree mechanic and decided to rebuild the trans in my ‘14 Fiesta ST. I have the manual and took my time figuring it out. Initially I missed the issue and had to pull it back out and replaced *all* of the bearings to be sure. The issue was the input shaft bearing. Anyway, the hardest part of the job was getting the parts. It took months in some cases. Oddly I had to order stuff from Europe and that arrived within a few days! The trans has over 50k on it since I rebuilt it and still going strong. Last month I replaced (not rebuilt) the trans in my ‘06 Odyssey. Fun stuff. Thank you, Wes, for making vids like this that give us regular guys a view of what it takes to dive into a job like this. Couldn’t have done it without it. 👍
Watching Wes is a breath of fresh air. He really doesn't give a shit about what negative people say. But if you have a good idea, he will tell you. He's not fake at all. Refreshing.
The forklift is an under appreciated workshop tool. It was the first adjustable stand up desk. It can be a mobile workbench, welding table, hydraulic jack, crane, elevated work platform, tow vehicle and you can even use it to lift up and shift pallets. 😀 Thanks for another great video.
The mechanic ( Warren Rogers ) that runs the RUclips channel " Western Truck and Tractor Repair " also has the ability to repair anything that comes through the door of his repair shop. Plus, he will go to the customers location and repair anything at their location if requested.
@@robertqman5751 Your welcome ! Yes, Warren Rogers does spend a lot of his time repairing John Deere equipment and from what I can see, he is very good at it.
That static ring with rubber on the inside at the end is called a usit ring. It is for hydraulic applications, mainly to seal bolts. It can be used on fully threaded bolts, very handy.
Thanks for the official name of this rubber centered special washer. I was in the business for years with carburetion and fuel injection. Did a lot of drag racing so I broke a lot of parts. Had lots of problems just having money for the parts, let alone the manual. Love to keep learning about these things.
First time seeing one of those, I'm used to old school. I've got a T-18 in my 72 F250. Zero issues, it will probably last another 50 years if the truck doesn't rust away around it first. Enjoyed...good one Wes. ATB....Dean
You can almost fix a rainy day with your skills. Don't know many mechanics who do electrical, engine, transmission, and differentials. You practically do it all.
I’d probably get it put back together with about 1/3 of the parts left over. And it would work somehow. I call those extra parts gallbladder and appendix.
I winced when the gears fell. You know your way around a transmission much better than I do, so I don't think you were stressed about it like I would have been. Nice work, Wes. Cool video.
This may sound silly. But to keep all the gears clustered together try using 'shrink wrap'. Wrapping it tight enough and with enough wraps it will hold everything perfectly in place.
I tore apart an old automatic when I was a young fella. Probably would have got it back together and working without a problem, except I smoked a joint somewhere in the process and, well...
Comments about cleaning the trans before you start? I was saying that to my wife when you said it. My first LOL. The second was your "got it!" as the gears were going in all directions across the floor. Mad respect though. All I could think was no,no,no when I saw the inside of that thing.
Enjoy your videos Wes - thank you for taking us along. One comment, using copper washers on aluminum housings is that Cu and Al are dis-similar metals, and the Al will corrode away due to galvanic reaction. Lube oil may mitigate this to some extent, but I know from experience in the electrical power industry that special alloys are needed to terminate Al and Cu conductors, and have seen what happens to Al when done improperly.
I don't know if other channels edit out the gear assembly falling off the bench or taking the wrong bearing off the first time ;-) but kudos to you Wes for leaving it in. Whenever I watch you, I always think "yup, that's exactly how that would go if I was doing that" ha ha Tks for all the great content!
It's always great when you comment about things to look out for and how to do it right as you go along. That makes it easier to learn. I have watched a transmission rebuilder's videos. He just lets us watch as he rips them apart and puts them back together. Not much information given out as he goes along. Thanks again for the great videos.
Wow, there was a lot of "stuff" in that transmission, I would never, ever be able to get that back together! Thanks for another great video. I'm watching you more and more of you and getting more impressed, I was already impressed before.
A good thing about recording these procedures is that it’s not only entertainment for us, but you can reference it too for the “where does this thing go 🤷♂️” on the reassembly. 👍🏻👌🏻😏💪
I've worked on just a few manual transmissions, but nothing as beefy as this one. Really enjoyed the video, there is something magical about all those gears playing together.
In the "Billie Jean" playlist, I've got a few videos about the 5 speed in my Class 7. Wes about has me thinking a gal could take on replacing 4th gear synchro...
I have a couple of these ZF5 manuals in my Super duty Ford's, all work awesome but they're spendy to find in good shape. After watching your video Wes Id gladly tear into one If I bought it cheap enough. Heck I could make some good side money as a decent back yard mechanic! I'd never attempt to rebuild an automatic transmission as I'm not crazy enough yet 😂. I Appreciate the excellent video since I own and enjoy these gear boxes! 💯👍👍👍👍👍
I've been working as an intern in a driveline shop while I'm getting through the diesel technology program at the local community college. They mostly have me building Eaton Fuller heavy duty transmissions. The ZF guy hates working on these transmissions. "This is the last one I'm doing" he says every time one comes in. He had one come back three times once.
I rebuilt a rt 910 10sp years ago my first year as a mechanic my boss said take it out and fix it boy I got thrown in the deep in quick, great video keep up the good work God bless from GA and stay safe
I love the moment's in life where you've done something 100 time's and then somebody asks why not do it this way instead? then you just have to ask yourself, am I really as smart as I think. I find them humbling and plus you learn something that will make you life easier.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who instinctively shouted when the transmission gears slipped between the forks like that! Anyway, as for cleaning before taking something apart, especially if it's as unwieldy as this, I would just worry about cleaning along the joints and around the screws (a few swipes with a stiff brush and a quick blast with an air hose) to minimize dirt getting where it shouldn't...
"they have the parts i NEEDED" is a phrase that still gives me goosebumps a few times a week. specially these days (i'm old).....lol thanks Wes i had a comparitivly shit week. i needed to touch ground. ...🙂🤓👍
It has been MANY moons since I have worked on repairing transmissions, and I am so happy to see the use of caged roller bearings instead of the loose needle bearings I had so much trouble with in a 1953 Mercury 3-speed manual...You do great work, Wes... You are an inspiration to the masses out here. Keep it up...we need people like you to show "how things should be done", instead of the sloppy work we are usually exposed to at many dealership shops across the country..
I shouldn’t have laughed when that gear train hit the floor but . . . I think the suggestion to disassemble it on the forklift was to perhaps have a sheet of plywood screwed to a pallet as an adjustable height bench. Love watching your channel, you always do great work sir. Love it that you leave in the oops moment too. Brilliant!
There are definitely two schools of thought when it comes to washing something before taking it apart. I can understand both sides reasoning. Personally I do wash before taking apart. My reasoning for that is that the dirt is going to have to come off anyway. I would rather come off outside before I start taking it apart then all over my shop floor while I'm taking it apart. Also keeps the parts washer cleaner. Then again I live in Florida so snow never plays a part in my decision making process :-)
You made it look a bit easier than it is, but i do like seeing rebuilds done by hand without all the special jigs and fixtures. You have a great channel with instresting content. Thanks.
I’ve seen guys in the motorcycle world making square or slightly rectangular boxes out of 2x4s to hold the cases of their engine. They never fit perfect, but they fit well enough to hold the engine solidly. It looks like that concept could have been helpful when disassembling the shaft.
I'm still waiting for the RUclips edit of pattern bolt removal composed only of cuts of moving the tool between bolts but not actually removing them. I think this is the channel to do it.
in the 70s using a Motor's Manual as a guide, dad and I put new bearing and synchro's in a Ford 4 speed top loader. I'm not sure what we did right or wrong, but as long as you had your foot on the gas it would stay in first gear back off holding your hand on the shifter and it would jump out of first so hard it would slam back into second, made my 1-2 shift at the track seem like it was an automatic!
I really wish you’d put out more content. Besides mortske you’re my favorite channel to watch. Always a step above with the detail you go in to and I appreciate that every time. Goes to show there are good mechanics out there that do know what they’re doing.
Shims are behind the main bearing races in the case. Get the end-play down to 0 to 0.003" an the thing will feel great. Too tight and you're screwed with a wrecked assembly. Too loose and it feels loose. I think I have a few hundred different sized shim floating around in my 1990s tool box.
I'm impressed that you got it back together on the second try. I was struggling with my ratchet strap idea for a good long while. This worked a lot better lol.
Having a selection of squarely cut exhaust tubing/pipe and schedule 40 pipe comes in VERY handy to set seals and bearings without cocking them all to hell. Really like that bearing puller you have. Could have used that a couple thousand times over the past 50 years.
I admire your knowledge base but I am really blown away with your willingness to tie into so many wild and diverse issues on an equally diverse universe of things from antique crawlers to welders. When I recall you formerly traveled to lay hands on CNC and other machining devices, I have begun to wonder if you are this Midwest electro-mechanical savant or a product of Area 51 or Roswell. In either case,Wes, rock on and Nanoo Nanoo!
Hi you crafty devil you! ... it again was a pleasure to watch you work Wes and again greetings from a ( now ) longtime viewer from The Netherlands a.k.a. Holland ... Greetings and Carry on!!.
Absolute genius when it come to mechanics. I don’t have many hero’s in this world but Mr Wes is one of them. Sharing the knowledge for others is price less
I used to sell parts for these and they were pretty sturdy. Had a customer who bought an F350 with one and he lemon lawed the truck because he complained it was too noisy. We had gone through it and as a last resort just replaced the transmission, still wasn't satisfied. Had to use the old "they all do that" defense, but he still did it. They resold the truck and never heard any complaints from the new owner.
Yep. He said something initially that raised my hackles but I've learned to finish the vijeo before commenting. He properly explained it later. It's a brilliantly simple system.
i made my spending cash in high school buying Muncie's that jumped out of gear. Take 2 or 3 to make one. Put it in my Nova and drive it couple days, pull and sell. Could swap trans in less than an hour. But I also was too stupid to charge properly for my work. Always worked waaaay too cheap.
@@gailtaylor1636 Your high school business plan sounds a lot like mine back then. Did lots of work for folks but did not charge near enough for what it was worth! Good Ole days!
@@skiphill9 Fully retired now. Do my best to toggle from bed to Hardee's for breakfast, then finish off the day in recliner watching RUclips videos. I don't miss working at all.
Hello Wess. new subscriber here, really enjoy your program. You are very informative and helpful with many different things. look forward to watching your future programs. Take care 👍
![ZF5 Transmission [5-Speed] - Complete Guide to the S5-42 and S5-47 for Ford Trucks](/img/1.gif)
Years ago I decided to try my luck rebuilding an A4LD out of a 90s Ford Explorer. Got told by the parts guy it would never work and that I had no business even taking it apart to fix it without having a clean room, the correct fixture to hold the transmission, training, etc. I bought the manuals, read up on it, bought the parts, and it worked fine. I'm just a home garage guy and that transmission looked a lot simpler than yours.
I am a self taught trans rebuilder. People that are scared of transmission repair are deceiving themselves. They are not magic. As said, get the manuals(the so-called experts consult manuals too 👍👍), learn and understand hydraulics and planetary gearsets.(for autos). Manual boxes are child's play.
👍👍right on feller's.. same here 👊
I'm never going to rebuild an engine or a gearbox. But I can't look over a competent mechanics shoulder in real life 😁
A4LD is a simple trans...not a single special tool required....a C-3 w/OD. Not really much of a common problem with those...bushings lasted, gear-train lasted...seals wore out. Easy overhaul.
My A4LD burned up and having rebuilt a C3 in the 80s in my garage, I carefully assessed the situation and paid my local shop to rebuild that A4LD. Funny story: the trans shop had never seen one like it. The guy who originally bought the minivan got all the options, period, including the high altitude options. He lived on Mercer Island and that minivan never went over anything higher than Snoqualmie Pass 😂
The manual impact driver is such an underused tool. Such a brilliant thing when you remember that you have one.
I find that often I don't even need to hit it. That large handle gives me the extra torque needed just turning it like a screwdriver.
Watching videos like these remind me to have a professional like yourself do it. I would have a pile of scrap metal if I attempted it.
@@akawireguy1197 Yeah that is also an option but it's brilliant toolall the same.
@@chrismosmeier555 I'm not convinced about that. Using powertools though I totally support your hypothesis, the manual impact is a very safe to use though. Unless you miss and bash your hand.
True - but often people don't know you have to pre- torque them!
“GOT IT !” 5:12 - must be my all-time favorite quote from the humble mastermind. Thanks Wes for making my day again. 👍👍😎👍👍
He did well to hold back the tears at that point! 😵💫
I FELT THAT 😫
Kudos to him for leaving that in, that would have been a perfect point to jump cut to “AlL dOn3! 👍🏻🤪”
@@Mrhalligan39 That's what I would have done 🤣
Certainly meets the shadetree qualifications.
I rebuilt my zf5 last year, it was my first attempt at rebuilding a transmission. One tip for anyone else attempting this: you can use a couple ratchet straps to hold the gearset together when you lift it in/out of the tailhousing. It worked just fine instead of the special tool.
Always amazed at complicated things like this.....there was an engineer who sat down and designed all these bits & pieces, made sure they fit together, and worked.
Thanks for another great video.
Nice to see a real mechanic work
and worked.......hmmmmm...transmission pulled to fix ????!! Ford CEO a while back said they working on improving quality. Can't remember if that was the current CEO or... Henry Ford.
I thought I fully understood how manual transmissions worked vs. automatics, but... I'm still just as lost. I don't think I'll ever understand autos. It's all black magic.
@@MattExzy modern automatics are a wonderful thing. With the electronics and computing power available they can be made to operate reliably for many many years and miles. That is if the bean-counters don't get in there and use inferior quality parts to save a few cents. Proper Maintenance and Service also helped a great deal.
@@bennym1956 what do you want? Fixing it without pulling it? I doubt it
A transmission tha will work forever without failure? Physically impossible. You have to find a compromise between cost and longevity.
The average lifetime of a car is what? 15 years before getting replaced because of new gadgets in ned cars? So why trying to build a transmission that lasts 30 years when it's not even used for this long (in most cases)?
I used to keep several of those as 'swing units' for plow trucks at the Ford truck dealership I worked at. Popping out of reverse or 1st for that matter was a common thing. BTW for those who don't know, R is just down from 5. If you decide you want to grab a 6th gear, you're going to wipe out the R synchro....happened so often. The plastic gear-train holding tool is very useful...in fact aligning them is pain w/o it. Put the bearings/races in a kitchen-type toaster oven and they just fall on the shafts. I've done so many of those things. Decent transmissions. Thanks for invoking the memories.
It's even worse because ZF put that synchro on reverse. On most older transmissions you'd get a nasty grinding the second you tried to hit reverse at any speed above 0 mph.
@@WatchWesWork Having older 4 speeds and having rebuilt them, I was wondering why they bothered with it in the first place. Seems pretty useless in a truck transmission.
I tried to go into 6th in my 5 speed Corolla while barreling down the Motorway at 70mph back in 2016. Oddly enough my gearbox survived without any ill effects to this day. I had been driving around a 6 speed Ford Focus 1.5TDCI for 3 months for work and I got in my own car to go home from the office and did it without thinking. What a fail.
@@WatchWesWork I was going to say it's pretty rare to see a syncho on reverse. I've never driven a car with one. my 2012 certainly does not.
The “reverse detent” as Wes called it in the video is actually a reverse shift interlock. It’s prevents shifting straight from 5th to reverse (pulling the lever straight back into reverse). To shift into reverse, so long as this interlock is installed, the lever must move back towards its neutral position (between 3rd and 4th) then move the lever straight to the right and down into reverse. This is why the interlock plate is sort of loose on the dowel at 22:30.
I was a mechanic for a number of years however, I've never seen anyone able to work on anything that rolls in and do so seemingly with ease. He is my hero.
This repair is where you shine. Most techs would say NO to repairing. You don't, you rise to the job.
“that wasn’t that bad”…, well Wes, it might not have been “that bad” for you, but I will reserve my transmission rebuilds to being vicariously experienced thru watching you do the work, while I sit here in my recliner sipping coffee, and eating donuts. All of your transmission videos are real treats.
Thank you sir.
Yeah it's impressive the intuitive understanding he has. That's all experience, and ability to visualise things moving in 3D space. He's wired for it. For me, as soon as half the gears fell off into that bucket - the 'repair' would be over for me. I would spend hours trying to put it back together and probably failing, even with a diagram. I'd just shop around for a second hand transmission and use that lol
Well Wes, you are a much better man than me! When those gears fell off the forks, I would have headed for the bar!!
Maybe he edited out that part? 😂
If you noticed he put an oil drain pan under the forks before he started. No dummy he!
I love it when you said " ya let's put it on the forklift forks" all those "dah" memories moments come flooding back.
Not reveling in your oopses. But when those parts fell through your forklift forks, I again was reminded that I watch your stuff cuz you're real. That stuff happens everywhere from SpaceX to the local repair shop. Thanks for always showing the entire repair. Cheers buddy.
My response was oh s==t.
I’m a shade tree mechanic and decided to rebuild the trans in my ‘14 Fiesta ST. I have the manual and took my time figuring it out. Initially I missed the issue and had to pull it back out and replaced *all* of the bearings to be sure. The issue was the input shaft bearing. Anyway, the hardest part of the job was getting the parts. It took months in some cases. Oddly I had to order stuff from Europe and that arrived within a few days! The trans has over 50k on it since I rebuilt it and still going strong. Last month I replaced (not rebuilt) the trans in my ‘06 Odyssey. Fun stuff. Thank you, Wes, for making vids like this that give us regular guys a view of what it takes to dive into a job like this. Couldn’t have done it without it. 👍
Watching Wes is a breath of fresh air. He really doesn't give a shit about what negative people say. But if you have a good idea, he will tell you. He's not fake at all. Refreshing.
The forklift is an under appreciated workshop tool. It was the first adjustable stand up desk. It can be a mobile workbench, welding table, hydraulic jack, crane, elevated work platform, tow vehicle and you can even use it to lift up and shift pallets. 😀
Thanks for another great video.
You can also crack walnuts with them!
And a handy walnut cracker.
Really like that there's no music, just the sound of Wes working.
Finally! The Loctite 515 makes a guest appearance!
These older Ford Transmission are pretty easy to rebuild there very simple Transmission good video as always @Watch Wes Work
I am constantly impressed by your ability to tackle ANYTHING that comes through your doors. Thanks for the great videos!
The mechanic ( Warren Rogers ) that runs the RUclips channel " Western Truck and Tractor Repair " also has the ability to repair anything that comes through the door of his repair shop. Plus, he will go to the customers location and repair anything at their location if requested.
@@BobSmith-iu3hx .. Thanks for the lead on that fellow .. Looks like some good JD videos there ..
@@robertqman5751 Your welcome ! Yes, Warren Rogers does spend a lot of his time repairing John Deere equipment and from what I can see, he is very good at it.
Once I split the case and saw all the gears. I'd crapping my pants.
Transmission work has always intimidated the heck out of me. Probably more than anything else mechanical. God speed young warrior.
That static ring with rubber on the inside at the end is called a usit ring. It is for hydraulic applications, mainly to seal bolts. It can be used on fully threaded bolts, very handy.
Thanks for the official name of this rubber centered special washer. I was in the business for years with carburetion and fuel injection. Did a lot of drag racing so I broke a lot of parts. Had lots of problems just having money for the parts, let alone the manual. Love to keep learning about these things.
Never heard of that, only Dowty or bonded seals. Loads of search results using those names.
@@erik_dk842 Dowty is the original company that made them in the UK.
@@erik_dk842 Dowty is another name and they are both bonded seals. Main suppliers here list them as Usit rings.
First time seeing one of those, I'm used to old school. I've got a T-18 in my 72 F250. Zero issues, it will probably last another 50 years if the truck doesn't rust away around it first. Enjoyed...good one Wes.
ATB....Dean
Wes got what he said with “about to have parts everywhere” then it fell. Cracked me up cause we all have done that.
Takes a real man not to edit out the bad stuff respect Wes
I'll echo some other comments. I'd never dare to crack that open and if I did, it likely would never work again. Brave soul!
Oh yeah…the input shaft. LOL
Every time I hear you reference a specialty tool and say we don’t have it, it brings images of Red Green!!
I particularly enjoyed all the things falling on the floor.
Every time...
You can almost fix a rainy day with your skills. Don't know many mechanics who do electrical, engine, transmission, and differentials. You practically do it all.
I’ve would never get that thing working again! So many parts. Great work as always 😊
there's no doubt i'd have a handful of bolts left over with no obvious place to place them
I’d probably get it put back together with about 1/3 of the parts left over. And it would work somehow. I call those extra parts gallbladder and appendix.
I winced when the gears fell. You know your way around a transmission much better than I do, so I don't think you were stressed about it like I would have been. Nice work, Wes. Cool video.
It's just nuts and bolts.
This may sound silly. But to keep all the gears clustered together try using 'shrink wrap'. Wrapping it tight enough and with enough wraps it will hold everything perfectly in place.
5:08 That scene was worth the price of admission all by itself. It was also a visual metaphor of my of amateur mechanicing life.
The most well retained shift tower I have ever seen!
I would have used 9 bolts…
These videos are worth their weight in gold. Thanks for bieng real and not having any bull crap
Love your transmission videos. I’ll never be brave enough to mess with one but I’ve always enjoyed seeing you work on them. Cheers!
I agree I would never attempt this
I tore apart an old automatic when I was a young fella. Probably would have got it back together and working without a problem, except I smoked a joint somewhere in the process and, well...
Comments about cleaning the trans before you start? I was saying that to my wife when you said it. My first LOL. The second was your "got it!" as the gears were going in all directions across the floor. Mad respect though. All I could think was no,no,no when I saw the inside of that thing.
Enjoy your videos Wes - thank you for taking us along. One comment, using copper washers on aluminum housings is that Cu and Al are dis-similar metals, and the Al will corrode away due to galvanic reaction. Lube oil may mitigate this to some extent, but I know from experience in the electrical power industry that special alloys are needed to terminate Al and Cu conductors, and have seen what happens to Al when done improperly.
Good point...Dielectric grease might help too.
Different application. Just guessing the current flowing thru the connectors would accelerate the process, not positive, just a thought.? 😃
@@kevinknight470 That's true if it uses the casing as ground. Not a lot of current for a reversing switch but yeah...
I don't know if other channels edit out the gear assembly falling off the bench or taking the wrong bearing off the first time ;-) but kudos to you Wes for leaving it in. Whenever I watch you, I always think "yup, that's exactly how that would go if I was doing that" ha ha
Tks for all the great content!
It's always great when you comment about things to look out for and how to do it right as you go along. That makes it easier to learn. I have watched a transmission rebuilder's videos. He just lets us watch as he rips them apart and puts them back together. Not much information given out as he goes along. Thanks again for the great videos.
Wow, there was a lot of "stuff" in that transmission, I would never, ever be able to get that back together! Thanks for another great video. I'm watching you more and more of you and getting more impressed, I was already impressed before.
We had a bearing heater aka crockpot just like yours there in my hydraulic shop and every time we used it I got hungry for French fries
Dual purpose?
A good thing about recording these procedures is that it’s not only entertainment for us, but you can reference it too for the “where does this thing go 🤷♂️” on the reassembly. 👍🏻👌🏻😏💪
I've worked on just a few manual transmissions, but nothing as beefy as this one. Really enjoyed the video, there is something magical about all those gears playing together.
In the "Billie Jean" playlist, I've got a few videos about the 5 speed in my Class 7. Wes about has me thinking a gal could take on replacing 4th gear synchro...
I have a couple of these ZF5 manuals in my Super duty Ford's, all work awesome but they're spendy to find in good shape. After watching your video Wes Id gladly tear into one If I bought it cheap enough. Heck I could make some good side money as a decent back yard mechanic! I'd never attempt to rebuild an automatic transmission as I'm not crazy enough yet 😂. I Appreciate the excellent video since I own and enjoy these gear boxes! 💯👍👍👍👍👍
Always amazed at all of the repair areas you dive into - most people would have sent that to a transmission shop. It would nice to have you nearby.
I'll pitch in some 💰 let's move Wes to a sunnier state...😅
I've been working as an intern in a driveline shop while I'm getting through the diesel technology program at the local community college. They mostly have me building Eaton Fuller heavy duty transmissions. The ZF guy hates working on these transmissions. "This is the last one I'm doing" he says every time one comes in. He had one come back three times once.
Good Morning, Wes! Great call on the secret snap ring. If you hadn't caught that, this could have been a much longer fix. Keep up the good work!
See Andrew Camarata...
Great comeback! Although it’s fun to watch when the big AC does his thing. 🥸👍✅
@@WatchWesWork Bwhahahahaha That was a tough video to watch.
You're worth whatever you charge. Thanks for making this video.
I rebuilt a rt 910 10sp years ago my first year as a mechanic my boss said take it out and fix it boy I got thrown in the deep in quick, great video keep up the good work God bless from GA and stay safe
I love the moment's in life where you've done something 100 time's and then somebody asks why not do it this way instead? then you just have to ask yourself, am I really as smart as I think. I find them humbling and plus you learn something that will make you life easier.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who instinctively shouted when the transmission gears slipped between the forks like that! Anyway, as for cleaning before taking something apart, especially if it's as unwieldy as this, I would just worry about cleaning along the joints and around the screws (a few swipes with a stiff brush and a quick blast with an air hose) to minimize dirt getting where it shouldn't...
"they have the parts i NEEDED" is a phrase that still gives me goosebumps a few times a week. specially these days (i'm old).....lol
thanks Wes i had a comparitivly shit week. i needed to touch ground. ...🙂🤓👍
It has been MANY moons since I have worked on repairing transmissions, and I am so happy to see the use of caged roller bearings instead of the loose needle bearings I had so much trouble with in a 1953 Mercury 3-speed manual...You do great work, Wes... You are an inspiration to the masses out here. Keep it up...we need people like you to show "how things should be done", instead of the sloppy work we are usually exposed to at many dealership shops across the country..
I shouldn’t have laughed when that gear train hit the floor but . . .
I think the suggestion to disassemble it on the forklift was to perhaps have a sheet of plywood screwed to a pallet as an adjustable height bench. Love watching your channel, you always do great work sir. Love it that you leave in the oops moment too. Brilliant!
There are definitely two schools of thought when it comes to washing something before taking it apart. I can understand both sides reasoning. Personally I do wash before taking apart. My reasoning for that is that the dirt is going to have to come off anyway. I would rather come off outside before I start taking it apart then all over my shop floor while I'm taking it apart. Also keeps the parts washer cleaner.
Then again I live in Florida so snow never plays a part in my decision making process :-)
Cant imagine working on something covered in crap. I clean it first.
@blake8297 I'm with you, takes 5mins and you're not getting covered in crap
Nice work. Transmissions are interesting
You made it look a bit easier than it is, but i do like seeing rebuilds done by hand without all the special jigs and fixtures. You have a great channel with instresting content. Thanks.
Disassembly was quick, the forklift definitely helped with that.
I’ve seen guys in the motorcycle world making square or slightly rectangular boxes out of 2x4s to hold the cases of their engine. They never fit perfect, but they fit well enough to hold the engine solidly. It looks like that concept could have been helpful when disassembling the shaft.
The breadth and depth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
I'm still waiting for the RUclips edit of pattern bolt removal composed only of cuts of moving the tool between bolts but not actually removing them. I think this is the channel to do it.
Hmm. Sounds exciting.
Excellent work. Probably the best disassembly-reassembly video on a manual transmission that I've watched in a while.
Hey Wes, I know for sure one thing I would have done... Send it to someone like you! Well Done as always!
in the 70s using a Motor's Manual as a guide, dad and I put new bearing and synchro's in a Ford 4 speed top loader. I'm not sure what we did right or wrong, but as long as you had your foot on the gas it would stay in first gear back off holding your hand on the shifter and it would jump out of first so hard it would slam back into second, made my 1-2 shift at the track seem like it was an automatic!
Wes, the way you just take on jobs is impressive. Excellent video. Thanks.
Always excited for another Video feels like it's been months from a Automotive Video Missed the entertainment and Puns @Watch Wes Work
I really enjoy these detailed videos you do. Thanks for sharing 👍
This video was great. I would 100% tackle a zf5 rebuild after watching this video, really doesn’t look bad to do at all
I really wish you’d put out more content. Besides mortske you’re my favorite channel to watch. Always a step above with the detail you go in to and I appreciate that every time. Goes to show there are good mechanics out there that do know what they’re doing.
The new picture quality is amazing
Shims are behind the main bearing races in the case. Get the end-play down to 0 to 0.003" an the thing will feel great. Too tight and you're screwed with a wrecked assembly. Too loose and it feels loose. I think I have a few hundred different sized shim floating around in my 1990s tool box.
I'm impressed that you got it back together on the second try. I was struggling with my ratchet strap idea for a good long while. This worked a lot better lol.
Wes, you maybe should have set something on the forks first, like a piece of plywood.
Love your videos.
And he could have tied it down
Having a selection of squarely cut exhaust tubing/pipe and schedule 40 pipe comes in VERY handy to set seals and bearings without cocking them all to hell. Really like that bearing puller you have. Could have used that a couple thousand times over the past 50 years.
You the man Wes
All facets of this blow my mind. The engineering, the casting, the assembly, the eventual repair. Wild.
Looks like your shop suffers from the same affliction mine does. Strong gravitational pull towards the floor... 🤣
Rainman Ray would call it "Mainshaft gravity" or something similar!
@@redmondjp mine is equal opportunity gravity... 🤣
Nice. Cooking with Wes. Neat idea for the heating of sleeves and bearings.
I admire your knowledge base but I am really blown away with your willingness to tie into so many wild and diverse issues on an equally diverse universe of things from antique crawlers to welders. When I recall you formerly traveled to lay hands on CNC and other machining devices, I have begun to wonder if you are this Midwest electro-mechanical savant or a product of Area 51 or Roswell. In either case,Wes, rock on and Nanoo Nanoo!
Oh man the Reverse Synchro ring Looks pretty beatin down that will do her
Hi you crafty devil you! ... it again was a pleasure to watch you work Wes and again greetings from a ( now ) longtime viewer from The Netherlands a.k.a. Holland ... Greetings and Carry on!!.
Welcome back!
Absolute genius when it come to mechanics. I don’t have many hero’s in this world but Mr Wes is one of them. Sharing the knowledge for others is price less
Thanks for the upload this is really interesting
I appreciate these transmission videos. I might attempt a future transmission repair when needed because of these videos. Thanks Wes!
My reverse went out on my mid 90s f250, at 100,000 miles back in the day, exhaust work done by Marvin, the Killdozer Guy, Granby Colofornia.
Just remember old age and treachery beats youth and exuberance evert time
Very impressive repair Wes!
I used to sell parts for these and they were pretty sturdy. Had a customer who bought an F350 with one and he lemon lawed the truck because he complained it was too noisy. We had gone through it and as a last resort just replaced the transmission, still wasn't satisfied. Had to use the old "they all do that" defense, but he still did it. They resold the truck and never heard any complaints from the new owner.
Gearboxes always amaze and scare 😱 me at the same time
Things I would never know if it where not for Wes's channel 👍👍😉 I always wondered how synchro's worked.
Yep. He said something initially that raised my hackles but I've learned to finish the vijeo before commenting. He properly explained it later. It's a brilliantly simple system.
Wes, “Almost like you knew what you were doing” is right. Thats your proffesional DIY resume…haha. Nice work!
mabye a nice pallet with a piece of plywood attached for an adjustable forklift work platform... it works well for me.
I like the idea of pouring the maple syrup on the bearings before reassembling the transmission. Made me want pancakes.
Just a bit more complex than the Borg Warner super T-10 I used to rebuild on my garage floor during my Hot Rod days!
i made my spending cash in high school buying Muncie's that jumped out of gear. Take 2 or 3 to make one. Put it in my Nova and drive it couple days, pull and sell. Could swap trans in less than an hour. But I also was too stupid to charge properly for my work. Always worked waaaay too cheap.
@@gailtaylor1636 Your high school business plan sounds a lot like mine back then. Did lots of work for folks but did not charge near enough for what it was worth! Good Ole days!
@@skiphill9 Fully retired now. Do my best to toggle from bed to Hardee's for breakfast, then finish off the day in recliner watching RUclips videos. I don't miss working at all.
Thanks Wes ... been a while ... you were missed.
Hello Wess. new subscriber here, really enjoy your program. You are very informative and helpful with many different things. look forward to watching your future programs. Take care 👍
Wow easy job for a change...don't get used to it Wes. Great video thumbs up.
Love it! Great work!
As usual, excellent work
🥲👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✅✅✅✅✅
Jeeez,Wes, is there anything you CANT rebuild ????
Washington?
That's beyond repair !!@@WatchWesWork