Simone Foucher

Hi Everyone,

I purchased a 1993 f150 i6 5 speed 4x4 a few months ago. It's got 187,000 miles but had been driving fine. I noticed that 1st gear would randomly grind loudly when shifting, and 2nd required a bit of effort to engage. However, yesterday I attempted to get it into first and it went way far to the left and the truck acted as though it was still in neutral... I tried to put it into second gear and it traveled far to the left and bottom to the point where the shifter is hitting the seat. It seems like it might be in second since I could get a slight pull from it and when the clutch is engaged the truck will not move. Dis-engage is and it rolls.
Now, I am unable to get the truck out of gear, the shifter will not travel back to neutral despite being loose side to side.

I went ahead and removed the shifter but things are looking strange, it seems jerry-rigged, please see attached photos. The bolt holding the shifter does not look to be original, with that weird spacer that fits into the shifter.

What should be my next move? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Simone

Steve83

Right - the original shifter bolt is even weirder. But that's not where the problem is... Read this thread:
https://www.f150forum.com/f10/stuck-...h-gear-406321/

Simone Foucher

Thanks Steve, looks like it might be a beat shift fork. Guess it's time to drop the tranny and see what's going on there. Praying other things look okay and I can just replace the fork. But, with first gear grinding I'm worried the syncros might be worn... Oh man...

If not, thoughts about replacement:
- I could attempt to pull one off a junkyard for about $150 (M5OD-R2, 4x4, 5sp (does it need to be off a i6 or are the bell housings the same as the v8s?)). Any specfics to check for? Other than leaks, odometer, and fluid?
- I could buy a "rebuilt" one online on Ebay for about $800, or on this website: https://spprecision.com/products/m5o...sion-sale.html
- I could buy a re-manufactured one at a shop in Portland OR for about $1400...
What do you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Simone

Steve83

You don't have to drop the trans to take the shifter off. Refer to this:


(phone app link)

Simone Foucher

Thanks Steve for that diagram, I'm having issues pulling the shifter ball (name?) out of the top part of the trans since its stuck in 2nd gear. Should I pull harder?
Also, can I remove the top part of the trans without taking off the trans or is this just too ridiculous? I'd like to inspect those forks.
Thanks!

Steve83

Stop trying to take the ball out of the tower. Take the tower off the trans body. Read the NEXT few captions in that photo album.

BareBonesXL

I was able to read one of your picture links, but only by clicking on a "phone app link" underneath the actual picture. I think it was in an 86 F150 problem thread. If you click the picture on a real computer you just get a tiny picture that is low-res when you blow it up. There's no link under this one. It's just a tiny illegible picture.

Edit - wait, just figured out how to make it work. Right click the picture and "open link in new tab". The forum software is ID'ing it as a picture, not a link, so just opens up an album of pictures from the thread.

Right click, not left click.

Steve83

That's a problem with phone apps, like CrapaTalk. On a real browser (even on a phone), clicking the thumbnail SHOULD open a new tab/window showing the fullsize pic on SMN. Clicking that pic will show the original size (big). If you're using a phone app, clicking the link below the thumbnail should open a new tab. I just forgot to add that link in my last post (which I've fixed now). I have to type that in manually each time...

BareBonesXL

I'm on a full size computer with Windows 7, using the Opera browser. I've found that internet software is changing so fast to keep the tracking software up to date to beat the ad blockers that you never really know how things are going to work. That's why I tried a right click. The same reason I clicked on "phone app link" on your other one. It was worth a try.

Another site I frequent just had some questions about web links popping up in post text. Turns out the admin was trying out an ad program on his site called "Skimlinks". It processes all of the words in a post and if it finds a word or phrase that matches a web site, it creates a link to that site. Really irritating and creates links to totally obscure sites that nobody on the site would ever be interested in but apparently it makes him about $70 / month. For no value to the site users. Weird stuff. All of these web site ads and schemes that don't create any value but somehow create money.

Anyway, thanks for the info, it's good stuff.

Steve83

I've seen those random text link ads on this site; particularly on the words "battery" and "steering", for whatever reason. It's another reason I usually use thumbnail links - they're easily-identifiable as intentional, and mine.