Mazda M5OD transmission

The M5OD (Mazda 5-speed with Over Drive)[1] is a line of manual transmissions produced by Mazda and used in Mazda and Ford cars and trucks. Two variants, light-duty R1 and medium duty R2, were made. R1 transmissions have been used in the Ford Ranger, Explorer, Aerostar, and Bronco II. R2 versions have been used in the F-150, Econoline Van, full size Bronco, and the Cougar/Thunderbird with the supercharged V6. The M5OD ended production in December 2011, being last used in the 2011 Ford Ranger.

The M5OD is fully synchronized on all gears, including reverse. The synchronized reverse gear was one of the main features of the new units, to protect internal components from being damaged by inadvertent operation by the customer, and was protected by US Patent 4,757,726.[2] The transmission has an integral bellhousing, making the power plant stiffness high enough to avoid harmful resonance. The transmission uses a hydraulic clutch setup and has an internal slave cylinder, which is a source of frustration for anyone having a slave cylinder failure, as it requires the entire transmission to be removed.