raydav
Full Access Member
I have an 84 E350. It started as a 460/C6. I changed to an E4OD, and a dually rear, and then to an 89 IDI and rebuilt diesel trans, with what was advertised as a triple disk billet converter. The weight with seventy gallons of fuel is about 9K#.
Some time later we are part way up Baker grade, right foot on the floor, talking to my wife, not really paying attention to what I am doing. I flipped the switch to drop out of OD, the converter unlocked, the trans downshifted, right foot still on the floor, the converter tried to lock, there is a big cloud of grey smoke behind us, we are losing forward force, and are soon on the side of the road, and then on a flat bed.
That is the only E4OD I have rebuilt. It got a little hot. I needed to drill off one converter to flex plate bolt that had welded. The plastic valve in the pump melted. The plastic tube that is part of the filter that fits into the case melted down to the filter body. I took the converter to a converter shop. They opened it and rather than three disks, there was a single disk, stripped of all friction material, both sides.
I know I put in an F5 pump with a metal valve, and a planetary because I have the left over parts. I don't recall what else. I did that by-the-book and it took most of four days. If I had done another immediately it would probably have taken four hours. I also installed a Transgo Tugger. That took two days, again by-the-book.
That was 2010. In 2014 I added a turbo. I have a 2001 PSD. I assumed Ford properly sized that turbo. Both engines are 7.3L. So I had a local shop build a 7.3 PSD turbo that I could adapt to the IDI. I had already stripped the fuel filter off the engine and didn't want to try to stuff a turbo on there so it is on the frame at the rear of the transmission. It is impressive what five pounds boost will do to that engine. The black soot has been reduced to a bit on grey smoke if I lug it, and I am up one gear on hills.
It did a 9K mile cross country in 2014. And is still my daily driver. I just replaced the converter which had developed a "clunk" when it engaged. It and the replacement are triple disk billet, which is all I use. The trans still seems OK.
Now where was I going with all this? Oh yea. It is not difficult to build an E4OD that will last. Get the ATSG E4OD and E4OD update manuals, and take your time. The Front Lube/Drainback Valve should be replaced with metal. It is 36425-01K and available from Sonnax.
Some time later we are part way up Baker grade, right foot on the floor, talking to my wife, not really paying attention to what I am doing. I flipped the switch to drop out of OD, the converter unlocked, the trans downshifted, right foot still on the floor, the converter tried to lock, there is a big cloud of grey smoke behind us, we are losing forward force, and are soon on the side of the road, and then on a flat bed.
That is the only E4OD I have rebuilt. It got a little hot. I needed to drill off one converter to flex plate bolt that had welded. The plastic valve in the pump melted. The plastic tube that is part of the filter that fits into the case melted down to the filter body. I took the converter to a converter shop. They opened it and rather than three disks, there was a single disk, stripped of all friction material, both sides.
I know I put in an F5 pump with a metal valve, and a planetary because I have the left over parts. I don't recall what else. I did that by-the-book and it took most of four days. If I had done another immediately it would probably have taken four hours. I also installed a Transgo Tugger. That took two days, again by-the-book.
That was 2010. In 2014 I added a turbo. I have a 2001 PSD. I assumed Ford properly sized that turbo. Both engines are 7.3L. So I had a local shop build a 7.3 PSD turbo that I could adapt to the IDI. I had already stripped the fuel filter off the engine and didn't want to try to stuff a turbo on there so it is on the frame at the rear of the transmission. It is impressive what five pounds boost will do to that engine. The black soot has been reduced to a bit on grey smoke if I lug it, and I am up one gear on hills.
It did a 9K mile cross country in 2014. And is still my daily driver. I just replaced the converter which had developed a "clunk" when it engaged. It and the replacement are triple disk billet, which is all I use. The trans still seems OK.
Now where was I going with all this? Oh yea. It is not difficult to build an E4OD that will last. Get the ATSG E4OD and E4OD update manuals, and take your time. The Front Lube/Drainback Valve should be replaced with metal. It is 36425-01K and available from Sonnax.
Last edited:
