£3000 Gearbox or £90 Repair-An Inspiring Tale

[Montana5]

A happy and inspiring Tale to end 2012.
I read this on another board and was so impressed by the determination and unwillingness to accept the Dealers condescending attitude.



Some time ago I got the worst thing anyone wants to see on an S type. "Gearbox fault". the car was not changing past third.

Took it to Dealers, they did the usual huffing and puffing " Need new transmission. £3000" cant you fix it? "No, beyond repair"
Took it to an auto specialist that advertises Jag transmission.
Clutches badly worn
we need to take box off, "£900" So I asked for the codes PO734 735 745.
Well after a good deal of Internet searches and reading up on the Ford 5R55N gearbox , and the problem was indicated to be the 4 3 pre stroke spring

So, I set too and removed the gearbox sump and valve box, and sure enough a broken spring! (was I glad to see that)
This is what it has cost: Spring, filter and atf, about £90!

I was going to change the atf anyway. at 90k it was a dark brown! So I recommend any one with that sort of mileage to do it now!

All in all it was a straight forward job, the most difficult part was jacking the car high enough to get at it all.
Everything is common sense. although it looks a bit daunting to start, there are lots of stuff on the Internet. and the Ford 5R55Nmanual is available to download.
While I was at it I changed plugs and coils.

The car now runs perfectly, for an ATF shampoo and little money.
So if you have this forth and fifth problem, don't be too scared of it its easier than you might think!
Dave.


Doug.

[latebreaker]

Hi Doug,

It's always a nerve wracking situation for your wallet when you take a car back to the dealers with a fault, especially when it's out of warranty. Never again!

Krish.

[J44EAG]

Dealers do not tend to do gearbox repairs themselves and sub the work out at a premium to a local gearbox specialist. In Portsmouth, the going price for a full rebuild and fit at a specialist is around £2200.

I`ve had a gearbox fail and took the car to Bristol transmissions. Believe me when I say that the fault was more than just the pre stroke spring. By the time I got the car to the workshop the car was doing a very passable impression of an RN destroyer laying a smoke screen.

The fellow who just needed a pre stroke spring was indeed very lucky. Most failures are usually vastly more catastrophic. In Dougs post, in the description of the work carried out, the man describes having renewed the ATF. For the record neither the 5R55N or ZF or Merc boxes run in conventional ATF at it is traditionally available. ie Dextron11. That is only suitable for the power steering on an S-type.It is too late tonight to try and Google the correct oil but there is plenty of reference to it on the internet and on our BB postings. From memory LT17?? or similar.

These video clips provide interesting viewing. Don`t have nightmares!!

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 4564,d.ZGU
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 4564,d.ZGU
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... GU&cad=rja

Mike