No gears at all until engine is shut down,restarted,then gears - E4OD

[FORDF250HDXLT]

The old trans in log truck has been hanging in there but I feel like I'm pressing my luck lol.Especially considering I've got a reman sitting waiting to go in.

What does that mean when I start the truck,shift to any gear and the truck moves fine.Until I stop,shift to park and go to shift again.No R,no D,No manual 2 or manual 1.Just revs.If I shut the engine off and restart the truck,I'll have the gears again.What specifically is failing?
Last season she kept puking ATF up out of the trans tube whenever I reversed even though the trans wasn't overfull.I kept it topped up.This season she's been sitting for a while which is uncharacteristic but I've got to use the truck again for some upcoming jobs.I don't need this truck often but when I do there's nothing like it.Of course if I had a good trans in it,I would trust it more and use it more too no doubt.I'm going to order a tugger kit and a multi disc converter and prep the new trans but I can't help to be curious too.

 

[Sidewinded_idi]

I've seen check balls stick and when you shut down the pressure relives off and they move, then when you start back up the pressure pumps em up again. Granted it was an automatic forklift trans but maybe!

 

[Hydro-idi]

Kind of sounds like something electrical might be malfunctioning. However, transmission fluid puking from dipstick tube is a definate mechanical problem. Good thing you got a spare ready to go in.

 

[79jasper]

Kind of sounds like something electrical might be malfunctioning.

I would tend to agree. But aren't these still fairly mechanical?
I mean, they'll still move forward and reverse with no confuser power?

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[Hydro-idi]

E40d's are anything but mechanical lol. Having said that, I know nothing about those transmissions. But his scenario does sound a little oddball. Curious to know what the actually problem is.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

Yeah,even without any electrical hooked up,your supposed to always have Reverse and 2nd gear in the manual 1 & 2 positions.

 

[snicklas]

Something electrical in the MPLS or solenoid pack? MPLS can cause it to "drop out" of gear while driving. Could something cause the solenoid pack to go into a state allowing fluid to bypass, somehow? Removing power the goto their "relaxed" state and all is good again.

I even had the thought of a "liquified" TECA but that would be an all the time issue.

Is it a consistent elapsed time, every time, could you drive to Canada and it would be fine as long as it stayed in drive, or if you drove to the end of the driveway and stopped to get the mail it would act up because it left "drive"? Or it does it 10 minutes into your trip every time?

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

I don't know because the thing is so large,I don't dare take it anywhere to find out lol.I can only imagine the tow bill.Right in the driveway though if I shift into D and then to park,then she has no gears instantly.Sometimes it will shift back and forth a time or two at most.I have to shut it down and restart the engine to go back it up.

I've removed the TECA relay (the od light goes dim and I have high gear start in D as normal) and the same thing.No R or 2 in manual 1/2 like there still should be,even without power to the trans.It's a mechanical issue no doubt.Nothing electrical can stop R or manual 2 (in 1/2 positions) from working.

I'm just curious as all get out as to what can cause this and why restarting the engine makes the trans work again.I did take it down the road a little ways like a mile and a half.She didn't go into OD either (with the teca relay back in,all systems normal) I forgot about that part too.

 

[79jasper]

Do you have the gear to check line pressure?

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[FORDF250HDXLT]

No I don't.I'm suspecting that used front pump I modified to be the issue but it looked great when I tore it down.I wonder if something else in the trans is causing it to eat pumps? I've had that SOB out so many times,I don't dare to keep limping it along anymore though lol.I think it's safe to say I got my moneys worth out the old gal and then some anyway.I dunno if it's the original trans to this truck or not but I suspect it is.She almost made it to 200k if she is.The engine didn't make it for whatever reason,as there is clearly a reman in it.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

The more I get looking at the symptoms,the more I suspect just loose feed bolts though.Could you imagine? I could go drop the pan,the valve body and check.Snug them up and have the thing work like new again lmao! This wouldn't surprise me.I just don't know first hand if the restart of the engine making the trans work is an indicator for this or not.I'm starting to suspect this now,the more I read the ATSG pdf.

@trackspeeder

 

[OLDBULL8]

You would have to have little or no pump pressure to act like that. 1st and reverse is hydraulic, a complete electrical failure couldn't cause what your experiencing.

The clutches need hydraulic pressure to grab.

What modification did you do to the pump?

Could be a broken spring, sticking valve in the pump pressure control regulator or pressure boost regulator.

Could be wrong about that. Don't think so tho.

First I'd do is install a gauge in the pressure test port. Use a hose to extend it into the cab.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

Pump mods were Transgo's boost valve along with superior's KO62 kit (along with an old TCI mod for adding a couple stake pockets on the other side of the converter bushing,but this one doesn't effect flow volume or shifts,just helps ensure the bushing can't walk.)

Worked great for I think a couple work seasons now.Well,minus the tail end of last year when she started puking ATF out the dipstick tube in reverse.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Don't know what else to say until you verify pump pressure when it happens.

Edit: 130 psi at idle, up to 250 PSI in gear.

 

[trackspeeder]

Toss out all the electrical stuff. 0 movement is mechanical. Take a good look at the boost valve, it could be hanging up.