Description

Dana Spicer ES70-5 Service Manual

If you’ve ever been halfway through a transmission rebuild and realized the torque spec in your aftermarket manual is off by 15 ft-lbs, you know why I’m standing here telling you to buy the factory book. I’ve seen stripped threads, broken shift forks, and blown seals because someone trusted a reprinted spec sheet. This Dana Spicer ES70-5 Service Manual is the actual OEM document—34 pages of what Dana Spicer wrote for their own technicians. It covers torque specs, disassembly, reassembly, and troubleshooting for the 5-speed ES70-5 transmission.

Torque Specs and Fluid Capacities

Page 2 in this manual lists every torque value you need for the ES70-5. These aren’t ‘suggested’ numbers—they are the factory specifications. Use a calibrated torque wrench. I don’t care if your clicker ‘feels right’. The spec for the clutch housing bolts? It’s right there. The shift tower bolts? Same page. Aftermarket manuals often round these up or down, and that causes leaks. Don’t guess.

Does This Manual Cover the Shift Tower Disassembly?

Section III is dedicated entirely to shift tower disassembly. That’s page 7. The manual doesn’t assume you know the procedure—it walks through removing the shift tower, handling the interlock mechanism, and reassembly in Section XIII on page 26. If you skip that section and try to pry the tower off, you’ll bind the interlock. The manual warns about that explicitly. Read the safety notes on page 2.

34 Pages of Factory Tear-Down Procedure

From Section V (Case Disassembly, page 10) to Section XI (Case Reassembly, page 22), the manual gives exploded drawings for the mainshaft, countershaft, input shaft, and clutch housing. You get the part numbers, the snap ring positions, and the bearing preload specs. There’s no ‘figure 7-3 might look like this’—it’s the actual factory illustration. The cleaning and inspection section (Section IX, page 19) tells you what to look for when you’ve got the gears in your hand. Metal fatigue, pitting, brinelling—they spell it out.

Get the Right Torque Data Before You Start

I’ve seen guys tighten the shifter housing bolts to ‘tight’ and then wonder why the shift pattern is wrong. On the ES70-5, the torque for the shifter housing bolts is specified on page 2. Same for the case cover bolts. If you don’t have the manual, you’re working blind. The ES70-5 is a medium-duty transmission, but it still needs proper torque. Over-torque the countershaft nut and you’ll mushroom the threads. Under-torque it and the gear train walks. The factory spec saves that headache.

Cleaning and Inspection: Factory Procedures

Section IX (page 19) is not a generic ‘clean with solvent’ paragraph. It tells you which solvents are safe for the seals, which gaskets must be replaced, and how to check bearing end play. It also includes a table of wear limits. At 34 pages, the manual doesn’t waste space. Every page has a purpose. The driver instructions in Section I cover pre-checks before you even bolt the transmission to the engine.

This manual is for anyone who owns or works on an ES70-5. Whether you’re a fleet mechanic rebuilding one on the bench or a DIYer pulling a used one from a salvage yard, the factory specs are the difference between a transmission that shifts smooth and one that grinds. I’ve had beginners ask me if they need the OEM manual for a single transmission repair. My answer: If you can afford a $200 mistake, skip it. Otherwise, get the book.

Source validity matters. This is a Dana Spicer factory manual—not a third-party reprint. Not a compiled PDF from someone’s scan. The 34 pages are the original document. Compare that to the aftermarket ‘multifit’ manuals that cover six different models with vague notes. The ES70-5 manual is specific to that model. The torque specs are for the ES70-5, not the ES60-5. Don’t mix them up. If you need a manual for a different Spicer model, check the related manuals: Dana Spicer 1372-A Service Manual – Factory Specs & Rebuild Guide, Dana Spicer ES60-5, CM59, ES60-5A, ES60-5C, ES60-5D Service Manual, Dana Spicer ES46-5 ES56-5 2002 Service Manual – 40 Pages of Factory Specs. For general background on manual transmissions, see Manual Transmission or Manual Transmission.

Can I use this manual for an ES60-5?

No. This is for ES70-5 only. Using specs from this manual on a different model will damage the transmission.

How do I get the correct torque for the mainshaft nut?

On page 2, the torque specification table lists the mainshaft nut torque. But that’s not the end of the story. You also need to check the bearing preload procedure in Section X (Mainshaft Reassembly, page 20). The manual tells you to tighten the nut to a specific value, then check the rotating torque with a dial indicator. If it’s outside the range, you adjust with shims. That level of detail is why you buy the factory manual—so you don’t end up with a gearbox that whines at highway speed.

If you’re rebuilding an ES70-5, stop searching forums for torque values posted by someone who ‘remembered’ them. Access the Factory Manual. It’s 34 pages of what you actually need.