When the $hit flows down hill! (My New Truck)

[firemedicmonkey]

Below is the story of my trip from Cleveland Oh to Bloomington IL to pick up my first diesel truck. The truck which I found on ebay: 1993 F-250 XLT 4x4 Single Cab Long Bed.
Well wow ok. Here is the story of my weekend. I left Cleveland after class and headed for Valparaiso IN, (45 mins east of Chicago on I-80) I was driving my dads Dodge Shadow 2.5l Turbo 5-speed. The plan was to drive to Bloomington IL on Sat and pick up the truck drive both back to Valpo and then tow the car back to Ohio. Well the clutch let go and took out the tranny Friday night. Luckily I got to Bloomington the truck looked about as it was described. It was -1 deg F without the wind chill the truck fired right up. I checked out that the little things listed in Mels tech article except checking the coolant, didn't have the opportunity. We loaded the plow in the back of the truck and headed for Valpo. Made it back to valpo with out a problem running 75 mph @ 2500 rpm and plenty of power to spare. I got to valpo and the trailer lighting plug wasnt working. While I was working on that I noticed that the rear-tank was leaking fuel. Luckily I only had $20 in it and had run most of it out. Still ended up covered in fuel though. Sunday evening I headed for home.

Plow was loaded up car was loaded up and trailer was hooked up. Some air in tht tires and a fuel front tank of fuel and I was on my way. It was running good down the highway I was running about 70-75 mph @ 2500 rpm the whole way. Every time I would stop I would smell some strange smell but I could not figure out what it was. Also there was a hazy like smoke the headlights were lighting up. I had not idiot lights on and all the gauges were good to go. Then the water in fuel light started flickering and the O/D light had been flickering the whole trip. The truck was still running strong so I just prayed hard to mister Ford and kept the hammer down.

Then I got about 70 miles from my exit on I-80 the fuel gauge was reading empty but I only had about 225 miles on the tank so I figured I could make it the 5 more miles to the travel plaza. yeah well that didn't happen. I ran out of diesel about 3 miles from the plaza. (I didnt know that at the time.) Thank goodness for roadside assitance. So while I was stranded and waiting for the tow truck I noticed the front of the trailer was covered with an oily substance, that led me to the rear end also covered in an oily substance, and continuing forward the majority of the underside was covered in the oily substance. I traced it back up to the transmision that also had this oily substance on the bottom of the pan. The gasket on the pan was also soaked with this oily substance. I then asummed that it was the tranny leaking. But from the amount of missing fluid, I thought the tranny would have been acting up slipping ect, but no real sign of it. I checked the tranny fluid cold (still waiting for fuel) it wasnt extremly low but I also smelled it and it smelled very similar to the wierd smell from earlier.

So the tow truck showed up with unleaded after I told the operator 3 times i needed diesel. so the tow truck towed my truck and trailer the 3 miles to the service plaza and I filled the tank. Then the truck wouldnt start or crank. It sounded like a stuck starter. The tow truck driver got out a hammer and hit the starter and i got it started. I never shut the truck off again. I drove it home and made it. Something in the drive-train didnt feel right when I was backing the trailer in. So then this morning I come out and the starter is still not working. So I climbed under and found that the main power wire from the battery was loose. Tightened it up and it would crank and crank nothing doing. So my dad had the idea to use some starting fluid, I raised protest based on an article that I read either on this site or another one. But he did it anyway the truck fired right up. So been driving it all day no starting or running problems, I check the tranny fluid and it wasnt low but the whole length of the pan gasket is covered in the oilly substance. The whole under-side is still covered from tranny back in the substance. I have laundry list of things that I think need fixed and tweaked on the truck and will be posting about all of those in another post but I thought I would vent about my weekend from hell but I would rather go through that then go through owning another chevy! :draw

 

[The Warden]

Dumb question, but what's your fuel consumption like?

Emptying a tank at 225 miles doesn't sound good...I'm wondering if the "oily substance" could be a massive fuel leak?

Still wouldn't explain the OD light flickering, nor the smell of the stuff inside the tranny...OTOH, I know next to nothing about the E4OD. You were checking the tranny oil level with the engine running, right?

 

[ericboutin]

Hmm, I was thinking the same thing...maybe you got a return line or injector line leaking. They sure will make a mess under and all over the back side of a truck!! And it does look like "an oily substance". I'm also wondering if that is not the weird smell you are smelling, since this is his your first diesel. It may be diesel smell in the cab. With lines leaking it can be very strong in the cab, not bad when motoring down the highway but definitely bad when stopped at a light!

 

[firemedicmonkey]

Hmm, I never thought of it being a fuel thing. I know that the back tank leaks fuel real bad. I checked the tranny while it was running and while it was warm, it was not extremly low, still in the cross hatch area. The smell of the tranny fluid was similar to the smell I smelt at a stop at the toll boths, or if I rolled the window down. I was driving with a 800 lb plow in the back of the truck and towing a car on a uhaul trailer, so I figured that 225 miles to the tank was good. It was the first tank of fuel I went through in the truck. I was hoping for a little better mileage.

So as far as checking for this fuel leak, under the hood is dry, no noticible fuel anywhere on the motor. The underside from the tranny back is covered though, so was the front of the trailer. How would I go about looking for this leak?

 

[82fordtruck]

225 miles on a tank at 2500 rpm's towing is good.

 

[ericboutin]

Hmm, I never thought of it being a fuel thing. I know that the back tank leaks fuel real bad. I checked the tranny while it was running and while it was warm, it was not extremly low, still in the cross hatch area. The smell of the tranny fluid was similar to the smell I smelt at a stop at the toll boths, or if I rolled the window down. I was driving with a 800 lb plow in the back of the truck and towing a car on a uhaul trailer, so I figured that 225 miles to the tank was good. It was the first tank of fuel I went through in the truck. I was hoping for a little better mileage.

So as far as checking for this fuel leak, under the hood is dry, no noticible fuel anywhere on the motor. The underside from the tranny back is covered though, so was the front of the trailer. How would I go about looking for this leak?

If your lines were leaking you would definately know it. You would also see it when you popped the hood, so if you are saying that the top of the motor is dry then your fuel lines are not leaking. Still could be a return line though, check out the back of the motor - your oily substance on the tranny still may be a fuel leak from the return line. Of course gotta agree that 225 miles off 1 tank while towing is pretty good, forgot about you dragging Pop's car behind yah... Anyway if you had a leak you would be able to smell it pretty strong while stopped. If you are not getting that strong diesel smell your search goes on for the source of the "oily substance".

 

[OkieGringo]

If the rear tank leak is just a connection problem, that's pretty easy fix. But if it is a rust thru problem you'd be better off just replacing it. Once you start scraping off rust, the holes get BIGGER and more plentiful. Been there, done that, got frustrated. www.mtscompany.com for great plastic tanks. OkieGringo

Hmm, I never thought of it being a fuel thing. I know that the back tank leaks fuel real bad. I checked the tranny while it was running and while it was warm, it was not extremly low, still in the cross hatch area. The smell of the tranny fluid was similar to the smell I smelt at a stop at the toll boths, or if I rolled the window down. I was driving with a 800 lb plow in the back of the truck and towing a car on a uhaul trailer, so I figured that 225 miles to the tank was good. It was the first tank of fuel I went through in the truck. I was hoping for a little better mileage.

So as far as checking for this fuel leak, under the hood is dry, no noticible fuel anywhere on the motor. The underside from the tranny back is covered though, so was the front of the trailer. How would I go about looking for this leak?

 

[Cowboy_Customs]

I too agree that 225 at 2500 RPMS doin 70 is quite good with a plow n a goat on a trailer. That equates out to 12 MPG if ya used everysingle last drop of that 19 gallons in the front tank. hehe maybe im just a hardcore farm boy but if it was me I have one very simple way of figuring out what fluid are leaking on my trucks/tractors. Nuthin like a tip of the finger taste test, that has the oily substance on it! lol, but thats just me, and ONLY with vehicles guys
So your noticing a haze as well. and the smell is the same as the trans fluid i think I read? from what I gather on the OD light, n fluid covering everything from the transback, your first course of action is to PARK IT!!! Then get that code checked. An E4OD is nuthing to play with less'n ya got lotsa money or good spares lying round. What was the overall ATF consumption on your trip? Id be inclined to think the front seal is bad, or the trans gasket is absolutly shot (if It has one) Sooo Get the code checked, get under it with a rag n clean er up, to source the leak, once you find it, go from there. If the trans fluid doesnt smell healthy, or isnt a nice rich red, or even if the Trans Pan gasket is shot beyond shot, Id get it down to a Tranny shop n have em give er a good flush, n filter replacement for a little piece of mind. A really bad transpan gasket would make me be inclinded to think the fluid has not been changed too recently if at all, ever.
Just my 2 cents!
Fill in yer Sig. so we can the specs on yer new beauty!

 

[h2odrx]

... would vent about my weekend from hell but I would rather go through that then go through owning another chevy! :draw

welcome to the right side of the tracks!! A FORD DIESEL Owner you are!!!!

 

[Cowboy_Customs]

oh yeah I forgot to mention, I too was young and stupid, buying them chitty chevy's. Then I grew up n bought a Ford diesel. Well im still young, dumb n fulla, well u know the rest, But to be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid!

 

[firemedicmonkey]

Oh I used every last drop. I ran out of diesel about 75 miles from home and about 4 miles from the service plaza. I got under the truck and looked into the leak some more. The Oily substance was starting to dry on the farther back parts like the rear end and such. The front drive shaft and the tranny, still soaked. I did the fingure test minus the licking, but smelling and looking seems to reveal a redish tint and a sent of some really burnt out tranny fluid. I dont know about consumption b/c I did not check the fluid before the start. The fluid was still in the cross hatch, but I dont know how since the WHOLE underside was covered. The front seal sounds like a good place to start, b/c he cover over the torque convertor has a lot of oily substance and is even dripping with it.

I think tomorrow I might take it to the ol tranny shop and get the codes run. I want to get the tranny a good flush and filter and fill, but last time i did that on an auto, in a Chevy, that the fluid didnt even look that bad in, I ended up with a bum tranny and had to get it rebuit. I would have rather left the old and thick fluid in and gotten a few more miles out of the tranny before the rebuild. Man I hope I dont regret the automatic, I really want my manual tranny back! Thanks for that advise so far guys.

 

[Cowboy_Customs]

lol, I dont do the fluid taste test toooo often, figured youd get a laugh out of it. I happen to have a misterious front seal leak, sometimes.
I was able to watch it drip out of while running, then it just kinda one day.... stopped. no problems to speak of, no fluid use now. all I did was add a quart of fluid one day and that was it.

Id be a little warry of flushin the tranny too if that happened to me. Well, best of luck to ya though! let us know the results when ya get the codes checked!

 

[The Warden]

If you can find a tranny, you can always swap a 5 speed in there

Too bad about the E4DOA...

 

[firemedicmonkey]

I would prefer to have a five speed, because I love manuals and I think they are more reliable than automatics. I dunno how hard it would be to switch an auto with a manual. I would need to put in a slave cylinder and a bunch of other goodies that i cant think of right now.

 

[The Warden]

I would prefer to have a five speed, because I love manuals and I think they are more reliable than automatics. I dunno how hard it would be to switch an auto with a manual. I would need to put in a slave cylinder and a bunch of other goodies that i cant think of right now.

Actually, I don't think it would be that hard. You'd need the tranny (and need to make sure it's a 4x4 unit), a clutch kit that includes a flywheel, the hydraulics (a master cylinder, line, and slave cylinder...and they're sold as a single pre-bled unit from Ford), a floor pan insert (unless the one from the E4DOA will fit over the ZF5; in that case, you'd only need to cut the appropriate hole for the shift lever), and a tranny mount...and that's probably about it. I accidentally got a crossmemebr for an E4DOA when I did my tranny swap, but it worked perfectly with my ZF5...so I think you can reuse your crossmember.

You'll want to double-check this, but my ZF5 is the same length that my old T-19 was, so I didn't have to worry about resizing driveshafts. The E4DOA may be the same, or possibly not. Since you have a transfer case, you shouldn't have any other concerns with the driveshafts...

It probably won't be cheap, though...I spent a bit over $2K for my tranny job, but that included a tranny rebuild, a new SMFW clutch assembly, and no labor costs. But, that's about in line with a quality E4DOA rebuild...so, it might be worth it. I think the hardest thing will be finding the tranny..you NEED to find a ZF5 with a diesel bellhousing bolt pattern (the diesel bolt pattern is unique) and with a 4x4 rear (not feasible to adapt a 2WD tranny for a 4x4).

Or, if you can live without an overdrive gear, I've got a T-19 up for sale :Sly

{on edit} I'm not certain if any electronic issues related to the E4DOA would crop up or not. Probably not, though, since there isn't an engine computer to deal with...