722.5 Sprag Clutch, new and ready to install. Fits the 722.5. Ships fast from the USA.
This listing is filed under sprag clutches, but the part in the box is a new friction plate kit for the Mercedes-Benz 722.5 five-speed automatic: a full set of lined clutch discs for the clutch and brake packs. It is listed for the S320, SL320, 300SL and 350-series cars that came with the five-speed, and it is aimed at the owner or shop whose 722.5 now slips once warm, flares between gears, or dumps lining material into the pan. It is an aftermarket set, sold new. It does not contain a one-way clutch, steel plates, seals or gaskets.
The 722.5, factory type W5A 030, arrived in 1990 as a five-speed version of the hydraulic four-speed family. Mercedes kept the four-speed core, with gears one through four and reverse shifted hydraulically by the valve body, and bolted a separate housing to the back containing a fourth planetary gearset and its own brake and clutch. That overdrive section is electrically controlled and gives a 0.75 fifth gear. Counting both sections, the transmission uses four planetary gearsets, four brakes and three clutches, and it is rated at 294 Nm of input torque. Each brake and clutch is a pack of lined friction discs interleaved with steel plates. When the lining glazes, burns or wears thin, the pack takes longer to lock, the engine flares on the shift, and heat from that slip damages the fluid and the steels. Because this unit carries an extra brake and clutch for fifth gear, a four-speed friction set will not cover it; the plate count and sizes are specific to the 722.5.
The first four gears of a 722.5 are controlled hydraulically, so check the simple things first: fluid level hot, vacuum supply to the modulator, and the throttle cable adjustment. A cable out of adjustment or a leaking vacuum line can make shifts soft and late without any worn plates. Fifth gear is electrical, so a fifth-only complaint deserves a check of its wiring and control before you open the overdrive housing. If the slip remains with the controls correct, drop the pan; lining paste and a burnt smell confirm worn packs. Our Mercedes shift problems guide explains how slip feels different from a pressure fault, and the 722.6 problems and fixes guide shows what changed when Mercedes replaced this unit.
The kit is listed for the 722.5 only, in the S320, SL320, 300SL and 350-series applications named on the listing. Mercedes produced the 722.5 from 1990 to 1997, offered it as an extra-cost option, and built relatively few, so confirm what you have before you order. Read the transmission number on the case; it should begin with 722.5. Count the discs in each pack as you take the unit apart and compare them with the kit, because Mercedes made running changes and a pack can differ by one plate between versions. If anything does not line up, send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Everything we carry for this family is in the Mercedes 722 collection.
The 722.5 overhaul kit supplies the seals and gaskets that this friction set leaves out. If shifts were harsh as well as slipping, the 722.5 shift kit corrects the valve body while it is apart.
| Fits | 722.5 |
| Part type | Sprag Clutch |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. Despite the listing name, this is a new 722.5 friction plate kit: the lined clutch discs only. It does not include a one-way clutch, steels, seals or gaskets.
The kit is listed for the S320, SL320, 300SL and 350-series Mercedes with the five-speed automatic. The 722.5 was built from 1990 to 1997 as an option, so check the number on your case.
No. The 722.5 has an extra brake and clutch for its fifth-gear overdrive section, so its friction set is different from the four-speed units.
An overhaul gasket and seal kit, a filter and fluid, and steels if yours are discolored or warped. Inspect bushings and the pump while the unit is apart.
Fifth gear is electrically controlled on the 722.5, so check its control and wiring first. If the fifth-gear clutch or brake is worn, it is usually best to renew all packs while the unit is open.
