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M50d Trouble


Mechanickid

Mechanickid

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
976
City
Martinsburg W.V
Vehicle Year
1988
Transmission
Manual
Hey guys I noticed that my explorer is shifting really bad the other week especially 2nd gear. I changed oil. I found a lot of metal on the pan plug magnet. Got me a little suspicious, so got the old extender magnet tool out and fished around in the bottom of the trans. I dug out a washer like ring. I'm not a trans guy but I believe it is either a sinchro shim or a bearing shim. After changing the oil it helped as it came out black and it calls for mercon atf. But its grinding when I shift to second quickly, but if I'm babying it it shifts fine. Idk but I may need a tranny soon, or possibly a new truck as the trans will cost more than it is worth. Any thoughts or opinions?
 
Mine started acting up like that, too many power shifts and hard driving at a younger age....I run 50w synthetic from work cuz it's free and it shifts a whole lot better now.

-andrew
 
Were you having trouble in 2nd or all gears? I read up on it in the tech library and they said it calls for atf but I'm not a fan of using thin oils. I think 50w is a better choice, I'm probably going to change it again anyways and put some nice synthetic in there to flush it out again and give it better lube.
 
Just 2nd, I never really ragged it hard on any other shift....

-andrew
 
So did running heavier oil help? Because right now I think a new transmission will cost more than my truck is worth and idk if a junkyard trans is going to be any good... there a gamble at best. Oh and btw I'm 17 and deliver pizza so my truck gets ragged on a lot more than I like :sad:.
 
Finding parts loose in your trans is never good. In your case I'd say just baby it along but don't consider it reliable.

Maybe you can find a parts truck that you can steal a trans from? Sometimes they go pretty cheap/free...
 
Not in my area... Everyone takes them to the local scrap yard for $. I have a parts explorer but it has a blown a4ld. That sux.... I'm buying a 4cyl 85 4x4 ranger soon so I'll probably sell my explorer to some soccer mom for 1500$ and just fix/drive the ranger :)
 
Even so, I have gotten a load of stuff from cars on their way to the scrap yard. Usually I take what I need and throw in some some of my scrap to even the weight out. Ask around, you'll be surprised what you can find.
 
If the ring is about the diameter of a half dollar it has nothing to do with the synchros

I'll almost bet you have sloppy shifter syndrome.

as for thicker oil? No.


AD
 
Sloppy shifter? ABSOLUTELY! like bad, it HAS had a sloppy shifter ever since I've owned it. but it would never grind at all until about a month ago when I went through some water to the bumpers.
 
I hope its the shifter. Cuz that's an easy fix. I'll give that a try. I looked it up in the tech library and it looks easy. Just wondering would it be better if I get one from the pick n pull? Because there's a explorer with a m50d that has a tight shifter in there.
 
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