5R110W Planetary

If your Ford Super Duty, Excursion or E-Series with the 5R110W TorqShift has developed a whine that rises and falls with road speed, has lost a gear, or dropped bronze-colored pinion washer chips and steel flakes into the pan, the planetary gear set is one of the first hard parts to inspect. This listing is a 5R110W planetary in new-other condition, which means it has not been in service but may be out of its original packaging. It is a replacement for a carrier that has worn pinion bearings, chipped teeth or pins that have started to walk out of the carrier.

What the planetary does in a 5R110W

The 5R110W carries three planetary gear sets: the overdrive set at the front, behind the coast clutch drum, and the front and rear sets behind the center support. Every forward and reverse ratio comes from holding or driving a different member of those sets with the clutches and one-way clutches, which is how the unit gets 3.09 in first, 2.20 in second, 1.54 in third, 1.00 in fifth and 0.71 in sixth. Because the TorqShift is built for diesel torque, the planet pinions, their needle bearings and the thrust surfaces between the carriers see heavy loads every time the truck pulls a trailer from a stop.

This is also a unit Ford kept revising. According to Transmission Digest, the rear planet was updated by 2004 to stop the pinion gear pins from walking out, the front planetary tooth counts changed in 2005, the overdrive planetary was split into gas, diesel and PTO versions in 2007, and from 2008 the low one-way clutch was bonded to the rear planet. Those changes are the reason a planetary has to be matched to the build in front of you and not just to the transmission name.

Symptoms of a worn 5R110W planetary

• A whine or howl that follows vehicle speed rather than engine speed, often loudest in one particular gear
• Loss of one gear while the others still work, or a neutral condition after a bang
• Steel flakes, bronze washer material or needle bearings in the pan and on the filter magnet
• Excessive end play when the unit is apart, with pinion gears that rock or have blued, heat-marked pins
• Gear ratio error codes such as P0732 (second gear incorrect ratio) logged alongside a mechanical noise; on this unit that code can also come from a solenoid fault, so it alone does not condemn the gear set

How to confirm the planetary is the problem

Before you pay for a gear set, rule out the cheaper causes. Clutch slip, a failing overdrive solenoid or a leaking pressure switch on early units can all look like a lost gear on a scan tool. Our 5R110 shift solenoid symptoms and testing guide walks through which solenoid runs which clutch so you can separate a hydraulic fault from a mechanical one. For noise, drive the truck through each gear and note whether the sound follows speed or rpm; the 5R110W whine and clunk diagnosis guide covers that test. Then pull the pan. Metal on the magnet plus a speed-related whine points at the gear train. With the unit apart, inspect each pinion for side play, rough rotation, pitting and pins that have moved.

Fitment

The 5R110W was used in 2003-2010 Ford F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty trucks, the Excursion and E-Series vans with the 6.0L and 6.4L Power Stroke diesel and the gas V8 and V10. This listing is titled for the 5R110W without a specific model year, so the year range and position are not narrowed down by the title. Because the three gear sets are different parts and the front, rear and overdrive sets each changed during production, compare the photo, the spline and tooth counts and any casting marks against the carrier you removed before ordering. If you are unsure, send us your year and VIN and we will help you confirm it. You can browse every TorqShift part we stock on the 5R110W parts page.

Install notes

• Measure end play before and after. Transmission Digest notes the stack-up runs from the rear ring gear and thrust bearing forward through the sun gear and thrust bearings to the front planet and drums, ending at the center support, so a new carrier changes that stack.
• Replace the thrust bearings and washers that ride against the carrier, and check every bushing it turns on.
• Do not mix an early rear planet with a 2005-up front sun gear shell; the later shell can interfere with the first-design planet.
• Inspect the low one-way clutch while the gear train is out. A 5R110W sprag clutch is cheap insurance on a high-mileage unit.
• If the planetary failed from heat or debris, the frictions have usually suffered too. A 5R110W rebuild kit covers the seals, gaskets and frictions in one order.
• Refill with the fluid your truck calls for. These units were filled with Mercon SP, and Ford now approves Mercon LV for refill and top-off. Replace the oil-to-air cooler after a metal-producing failure, as Ford recommends on an overhaul.

Which planetary is this - front, rear or overdrive?

The listing is titled as a 5R110W planetary without a position or year. Compare the photo, spline count and tooth counts against the carrier you removed, or send us your year and VIN and we will help match it before you order.

Will a worn planetary set a trouble code?

Not directly. A failed gear set usually shows up as noise or a lost gear, and the computer may log a gear ratio code such as P0732. That same code can come from a solenoid or clutch problem, so confirm with a pan inspection and a road test first.

What should I replace with the planetary?

The thrust bearings and washers that ride on the carrier, any worn bushings, and usually the frictions and seals if the failure put metal in the fluid. Check the low one-way clutch and replace the cooler after a debris failure.

Can I use an early rear planet with a later sun gear shell?

Transmission Digest warns that using the first-design rear planet with the 2005-up shell can cause interference. Keep the planet and shell matched to the same design level and check clearance during assembly.

What fluid does the 5R110W use after the repair?

The 5R110W was filled with Mercon SP. Ford now authorizes Mercon LV for complete refill and top-off on these units. Set the level hot, in Park, with the engine running.

• 5R110 TorqShift Rebuild Guide: Known Wear Points and Upgrades
• 5R110 TorqShift Shift Solenoid Symptoms, Testing and Replacement
• Ford 5R110 TorqShift Service Guide: What Every Super Duty Tech Needs to Know