Sometimes hard to get into gear

[dwsykes]

Truck is a 2002 4.0L Fx4 with M5OD-R1HD transmission and a manual transfer case. When the truck is cold it is hard to get into gear, especially 2nd gear. Feels like the fluid is thick. What is the transmission fluid supposed to be, and what else could be the problem?

 

[fiveologyjay]

Mine does the same thing but mine seems worse when its warm. I just tried switching from ATF to synchromesh and it hasn't made a difference. My clutch and slave is pretty new so I think the problem might be with the clutch master cylinder.

 

[4x4junkie]

'02 M5OD uses Mercon ATF.

 

[Joey Stacks]

Same problem here only with 92 2.3
Replaced Fluid in Tranny and installed new master cylinder
Clutch pedal Is good now but Yeah it still sucks going into 2nd and 3rd gear. Check out the linkage... or your truck is like mine and there was some metal particles on the drain plug... gears are getting old.
If your rough on the truck it will wear out a lot faster. Had an 88 Ranger and after the beating of a lifetime it started being hard to shift and popping out of gear.

 

[dwsykes]

well I've only had the truck since march of 09 so I believe that the previous owner did not treat it like I do. It is my big chunk of gold.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Sounds like the clutch or the slave (most likely slave). The slave isnt disigaging all the way so the synchros cant get the input shaft to the same speed as the gear. If you run it that way long enough the synchros will burn up and make hard to get into gear even after the clutch hydraulics are fixed. It is common for the slaves to leak on the M50D. Check the fluid level in the resevoir and pull the access cover on the bell housing and see if the slave is wet.

 

[dwsykes]

I will definitely check the fluid level and the slave. The truck has 89,000 miles on it. I don't know if that is enough wear out the clutch. Guess it depended on how the prev owner drove it. Thanks guys.