I finally had the chance to install the SF SynchroGlide tranny fluid and HDS-5 75W-90 rear diff fluid in my 2002 F-150 with the Mazda MOD5 tranny. The manual tranny is spec'd for Mercon ATF. Not a happy combination even with the Schaeffer's #204S. Though the Schaeffer's #204S Mercon was 100% better than the factory Mercon
. It still sounded and felt "clunky" with the ATF fluid. I went with SF's SynchroGlide tranny fluid and whoa, what a positive improvement in shifting quality in the only 50 or so miles I've driven so far since the fluid change. It's a slightly more viscous fluid than ATF and is totally synthetic with EP and AW additives that ATF doesn't have.
I dumped my rear diff Ford 75W-140 fluid, There is about 20,000 miles on it. It was an opaque grey fluid that came out. There is no magnet in the diff cover. Also this diff does NOT have limited slip. I refilled with SF's synthetic 75W-90 gear oil. It could be my imagination but I didn't have to down shift out of 5th to 4th to get up the same hills where I normally have to downshift. Could the 75W-90 SF gear fluid vs 75W-140 Ford gear fluid make a difference
? As I said previously I don't tow but 2,000 lbs one in a blue moon and don't offroad, unless muddy construction sites count as off road
.
Whimsey
I dumped my rear diff Ford 75W-140 fluid, There is about 20,000 miles on it. It was an opaque grey fluid that came out. There is no magnet in the diff cover. Also this diff does NOT have limited slip. I refilled with SF's synthetic 75W-90 gear oil. It could be my imagination but I didn't have to down shift out of 5th to 4th to get up the same hills where I normally have to downshift. Could the 75W-90 SF gear fluid vs 75W-140 Ford gear fluid make a difference
Whimsey