Who Knows Drivetrain?

portlandareae28 · Sep 24, 2011

I have a 1997 F350 Crew ZF5 and US Gears OD, within the last 2 weeks the truck has gotten a new carrier bearing, all 3 ujoints on the rear driveshaft, and a new Southbend clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, throwout. Here is my question, when driving the truck nice and easy everything seems fine and smooth, if I get on it and run the RPM's to 2500-2800 before shifting it seems to load up and "CLANG" on shifts. The best way to describe the clang would be if the truck were an automatic and parked on a hill with no e-brake and you shift it from park to drive and it CLANGS into gear. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

This is not a new issue from the new parts, the new parts are in there trying to solve this issue...

TyCorr · Sep 24, 2011

Linkage needs adjustment, lubed, or straightened? I would look at the linkage or the clutch. It kinda sounds liek the clutch is effed up and you're literally pulling the truck outta gear and it 'clangs' when you break that connection.

Good luck!

portlandareae28 · Sep 24, 2011

shifter linkage?

TyCorr · Sep 24, 2011

Yeah if its bent or needs adjustment it wont engage or disengage gears properly. The higher the rpm the harder to shift.

smokedout250 · Sep 24, 2011

I agree with tycorr... could be a bent clutch fork.... could be a weak slave or master as well

PSDSeven.3 · Sep 24, 2011

Did it just start doing this suddenly or has it always been that way? Are you sure it is not the loading and unloading of the drivetrain as you shift? Check the slack in the trans, t-case and rear end, if one is worse than the others it may be the problem. All will have some slack in them and combined it may be what you are hearing. I can get any of my four trucks with manuals in them to jerk and make noise if I am not smooth on the clutch at higher rpms.

TyCorr · Sep 24, 2011

I vaguely remember my 96 f350 460 with the zf5 making pretty sh!tty noises whenever the clutch was pushed in to shift.

portlandareae28 · Sep 25, 2011

could be ALL DRIVER, I am so NOT a truck guy, and used to driving a German sports car.. I am going to work on the driver and see what happens..

golfer · Sep 25, 2011

...not sure off the top of my head...but do the crew cab zfs have a SLIP YOKE at the front (of the rear) driveshaft? I've seen the splines get rusty...stick and once the rear pinion angle changes enough (suspension compressed by hp or merely terrain)...the driveshaft needs to slip...but corrosion...etc makes it stick then BANG all at once...something to be aware of.

Pstroke96 · Sep 25, 2011

golfer said:
...not sure off the top of my head...but do the crew cab zfs have a SLIP YOKE at the front (of the rear) driveshaft? I've seen the splines get rusty...stick and once the rear pinion angle changes enough (suspension compressed by hp or merely terrain)...the driveshaft needs to slip...but corrosion...etc makes it stick then BANG all at once...something to be aware of.

that would be my first guess because if it was the clutch or linkage it would do it all the time, my uncles idi with a zf just would be real hard to pull out of gear when he bent the fork

TyCorr · Sep 25, 2011

Pstroke96 said:
that would be my first guess because if it was the clutch or linkage it would do it all the time, my uncles idi with a zf just would be real hard to pull out of gear when he bent the fork

Its very easy to pull something out of gear at low rpms/low power. The OP specifically stated at rpms above 2500. Theres a lot of power going through that gear at that point which would put alot of force into anything connected to it at that particualr moment. Like linkage or bent fork or loose components. Or it could be something in the clutch itself.

Dieselfever · Sep 25, 2011

Is it hard to get into gear from a dead stop? Does it grind when up or down shifting INTO any gear(mainly 2nd or 3rd)?

It's probably the clutch rid bushing and the clutch pedal pivot bushing. It's less than $30 of parts and takes 3 hrs at most to fix

-Michael