Ford Powershift clutch replacement guide(pictures)

Plug · 24-10-2012 11:48am #1

Here is a guide I made to replacing the twin clutch pack and input shaft seals on one of these gear boxes. A major common problem with these new Powershift gearboxes are the input shaft seals that leak oil from the gears onto the twin clutch pack. It causes slippage and hesitation, also it puts up no fault codes for this. The only way you know is from the customer and oil that can be seen on the bottom of the bell housing where it meets the engine.

I won't bore ye with the gearbox removal or putting it back on but the major difference from a traditional gearbox and this is that the starter needs to be removed completely and 6 nuts on the back of the flywheel that hold on the clutches have to be removed. It takes about 2 hours alone just to get the thing out.

So the first thing, the box out on the bench. The strange looking clutch can be seen above and one of the release bearing motors on the side. Theres two of these.

The next thing to do is to remove two cir-clips and a splined metal piece. Then put 3 special tools 120 degrees apart that catch the clutch from underneath, these are then held on with nuts. A large plate is bolted onto these 3 little tools and a threaded piece is put down the centre and is pushing against the longer inner input shaft. This is basically a pullers and as you tighten up with the threaded bolt the clutch pack lifts out. Is quite heavy.

Part 2 as follows.

Plug · 24-10-2012 12:14pm

Here it is with the clutch pack removed. You can see the two release bearings in the centre, one larger than the other. Also there is the two forks which rest under the release bearing, they are beside each other. The two input shafts can also be seen, the hollow shorter one which drives 1, 3, 5 gears and the solid inner one which drives 2, 4, 6 gears(not sure which one drives reverse). On the bench the release bearings, forks, fork motors, release bearing slide and the cir-clip and splined metal piece I took off at the top of the clutch can all be seen.

Inside the bell housing with everything removed, you can clearly see the input shafts and oil/dust residue everywhere. Thats what causes the slippage.

To remove the large seal a screwdriver and hammer is the way to go. Bang one side down and the other side pops up. For the small inner seal a special tool is required. Basically you thread down a hollow tapered threaded piece, this grabs the seal from the inside and then you tighten down a bolt on top of that tool which pulls it up.

Plug · 24-10-2012 12:29pm

Next thing is to grease the inside of each seal and hammer down both seals with special tools and a hammer. After that its time to clean out the box.

Whats next is reassembly of the release bearing slide, the two forks and the two release bearings. Cleaning the parts is a must and then torque them down.

Not finished yet.......

franorzxrh2 · 24-10-2012 12:29pm

good write up!!fair play!

Plug · 24-10-2012 12:44pm

This part Im putting in the clutch pack onto the input shafts. You need to bolt on the special tools similar from the start,pick it all up and drop it in. I needed to wiggle it to get it onto both shafts. Then the large black plate is bolted onto the gearbox and the threaded part is used to press the clutch pack securely onto the input shafts. I then put in the metal splined bit along with the two cir-clips but forgot to take that picture(have a look at one of the first pics).

This part I have to set the forks against the clutches. To do this you put a special tool at the end of a ratchet with an extension and rewind it slowly for ten revolutions. This will be against spring force and it will wind itself back in but you still have to provide resistance to slow it down. Clicks can be heard and this confirms its correct. It has to be done twice and then reinstall the fork motors.

Con't....

Plug · 24-10-2012 12:51pm

So thats it done but it all has to go back in. The clutch has studs that have to go through the flywheel, the clutch spins quite easily and is awkward to get back in given the freely spinning clutch and the sheer weight of the thing(2 clutches, 2 input shafts, 2 out put shafts, differential and electronics). Bolt on some bell housing bolts and then torque the 6 nuts at the back of the flywheel. its done through where the starter sits. You know the rest.

As for programming, there are 3 separate things to do. Clutch, shifting and gear position. After that it has to go through a crazy drive cycle that takes about a half hour. And thats it all done!!!!:)

BTW Im down in OZ and the clutch costs $3000 alone, good thing its under warranty:D

MuppetCheck · 24-10-2012 1:47pm

Is this a problem on all powershift boxes? The casing looks pretty fresh there, I'm assuming it was a low mileage car?

Plug · 24-10-2012 2:52pm

Ford have two powershift gear boxes. The other is a wet clutch unit from volvo which is soaked in oil so thats not an issue. Its only this one that suffers the problems, I've seen cars with only 3000km come in with this problem. This car had 14000km.

AzureAuto · 25-10-2012 6:15pm

Very interesting stuff, thanks fr the write up. Ive never come across these boxes before (and pray that i dont)!

Plug · 30-10-2012 10:46am

AzureAuto wrote: »

Very interesting stuff, thanks fr the write up. Ive never come across these boxes before (and pray that i dont)!

Thanks. yeah there won't be many in Ireland. ill stick with a manual any day.

vectra · 31-10-2012 9:52am

Great write up.
Shows you paid attention during your apprenticeship.
Didn't know you moved to Oz ?

Plug · 31-10-2012 11:37am

Thanks Vectra.
Ended up in Perth since June, best thing I've ever done. Good money and lifestyle, getting sponsored too. TBH I don't even want to head home at all!

dgt · 31-10-2012 12:22pm

Excellent write up Plug, I've never seen a clutch job on such a low mileage vehicle, nor expected it to look like that!

mooredvd · 08-01-2013 11:38am

"A major common problem with these new Powershift gearboxes are the input shaft seals that leak oil from the gears onto the twin clutch pack. It causes slippage and hesitation, also it puts up no fault codes for this."

This is a very interesting post because I am one of the very rare folk who actually bought a S40 2.0D 2009 with this Power Shift Arrangement. I am assuming it's the wet clutch set-up because it is extremely smooth. This has been an amazing car to very recent.. very comfortable, very good drive train - loads and loads of power - and I really enjoyed it.

Sadly I appear to have slippage and hesitation if that is the right way to describe what I'm feeling through the car..

Example a)
Set cruise control to 60 miles p/h
The car maintains 60 miles per hour by the revenue counter moves or twitches per one notch on the clock (it's running between 1900 and 2000 rpm. This happens constantly and gets worse when your going up a hill. You can feel a slight chucking effect but very minor.

Example b)
Set cruise control to 60 miles p/h
Car is running around 30miles per hour and you press the button to go back to the 60 on the steering wheel (some sort of restore or launch to previous) - I'm not technical

Car goes to looks like 4th gear and then there is a lot of slippage.. revenue counter goes to 2,000 - jumps to 2.5 - jumps to 3 then eventually a gear change and the box cycles to 5th and then 6th.. and we go to scenario a). In over taking the rev. counter is not going up smoothly.. it is jumping 500 rpm in chunks..

When after about 40-50miles - things are nice and hot
Any sort of fast take off from Toll Bridge etc can see a lot of slippage on the way to 6th cruise cog.

Went to Volvo - they want to change the oil in the box first
No fault codes
Recommended two new alloys @ 900 Euro odd
Couple of joints need replacing but the NCT month before didn't have a problem
Brake fluid needs changing..
But care is 2009 - 60,000 miles is virtually like new..

I haven't looked at the bell housing for oil because quiet frankly not sure I'd recognize it or even know what I'm looking at..

Any advice from the members here.. ? Ideally would like to find someone with the skills to carry out the described procedure.. (is there another Plug in Ireland) assuming that it could be verified that the seals are the problem and getting oil on me clutches is the real problems

If someone has advice I'd appreciate it.. my usual auto transmission guy tells me there is a problem fixing these because of a lack of parts or parts availability. Seals might be easier

raff2taff · 16-02-2014 4:19pm

I have very similar issue (V50 2.0D 2008 PowerShift/MPS6) as @mooredvd ...

@Plug is this slippage?

At my bell housing I can't see oil, but every 5 months I get an error (source DiCE/VIDA) "437: TCM-05C2 Multiplex function solenoid, clutch pressure/cooling odd gears. Hydraulic pressure too high" It's jerky at shifting between 1500 and 2500 rpm or takes too long... And ofcoure car at that time goes safe-mode, no shifting, I stop, engine off, engine on and it works fine...

thanks for all advices...

BR
R

mooredvd · 17-02-2014 1:39pm

the dealer changed my tranny oil and it sorted out a lot of my problems.

Further problems and I'm told I need a new box

No one seems to repair these boxes - the difficulty seems to be to get parts..

raff2taff · 24-02-2014 4:00pm

Sorry @Plug (I didn't read carefully ) and as you said Volvo has wet clutch and also in my case oil and filter change did the trick, we also did TCM software upgrade...

raff2taff wrote: »

I have very similar issue (V50 2.0D 2008 PowerShift/MPS6) as @mooredvd ...

@Plug is this slippage?

At my bell housing I can't see oil, but every 5 months I get an error (source DiCE/VIDA) "437: TCM-05C2 Multiplex function solenoid, clutch pressure/cooling odd gears. Hydraulic pressure too high" It's jerky at shifting between 1500 and 2500 rpm or takes too long... And ofcoure car at that time goes safe-mode, no shifting, I stop, engine off, engine on and it works fine...

thanks for all advices...

BR
R

bmm · 04-07-2014 4:09pm

Nice work . I have an automatic gearbox on a 2008 ford Mondeo 2.0 tdci. last time I had it for a service in a ford dealer I asked about a oil change for gearbox and was told it wasn't needed. 6 years old so I found it strange ford are not advising gearbox oil change ??

Ford Powershift clutch replacement guide(pictures)

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