Manual Transmission dilemma and noise

[MangyRanger]

Hi everyone! Just joined after loitering for years. I have a 2003 Ranger XLT 4.0 SOHC 4x4 4 door Flareside Stepside? 4.10 ratio differential 5 speed manual transmission. The transmission is starting to make noise when in neutral and stops when the clutch is depressed. My transmission code is a "J" which from what little I have found is a rare M5OD-R1HD trans with a lower 1st gear ratio and better synchro's? I have also read that none of the parts from a standard M5OD-R1 will interchange. My truck has 267K miles on it and starts and runs beautifully. I am pretty sure the original engine will make it another 100K.
I am trying to source parts for this odd trans, as I am pretty positive the input shaft bearing is going south. Anybody have the same transmission behind the 4.0 SOHC 4x4? Or know of a parts source?
On my third clutch now 1st one was still good until some idiot at a lube shop put DOT4 fluid in the Clutch Master Cylinder. Second clutch went because of cheap knockoff slave cylinder. Lesson learned! I am retired now and have time to restore this truck. Thanks for any input!

 

[Shran]

Welcome to the forum!

Just FYI there is nothing rare or unusual about your transmission, it is the standard issue M5OD that came with those trucks.

That noise is not a symptom of a bad input shaft bearing. How loud is it exactly? All manual transmissions make some gear noise. A bit more in neutral with the clutch engaged is normal, a lot is not. I would be suspecting a dry pilot bearing here personally. Transmission bearings, usually the pocket bearing between the input & main shaft, will make noise in every gear except 4th while driving.

 

[MangyRanger]

Shran
Thank you for your input! The noise just recently got louder. I am a little hard of hearing, so I haven't noticed much, if any, noise through the gears. Only in neutral in with the clutch engaged. I would think the input shaft and the pilot would be spinning at the same speed? The clutch was done with a new pilot bushing about 30K miles back.