How good or bad is the E4OD?

There is a CCLB dually 93 for sale that I would like to buy. It is an automatic, what does everyone think of the E4OD?

As long as you make sure there are no codes, it does fine. Certain fault codes make it go fill rail pressure, which eventually blows itself apart. Plus, lock up tq converter for better fuel economy.

If you really like the pickup, I wouldn’t let the auto stop your purchase.

My van is my only auto, and honestly I would not wanna clutter up between the front seats with a shifter.

I read finicky and they had growing pains, but I’m also sure many have had trouble free miles.

I hate the sloppy shifters.

I would have voted “I own one, and it’s ok” vs I like it. The lockup TC is nice

If you're going to have an automatic, e4od isn't terrible. The one behind my Powersmoke lasted many hard miles. Turn off the OD while towing.

I owned one about 5yrs and didn't didn't like it; never failed but made me nervous.

Honestly though, is the 4l80e or the 74RE any better or worse than the E4?

@u2slow face it, you’re frightened by anything electronic and that you can’t hold in gear it need be... JUST KIDDING!!

I once had to hold my NP241 in 4-hi for 26 miles. It would pop out at the slightest throttle application. After that, I never had a problem. I think 4x was barely ever used till I got it....

Ok thanks for all the feedback. I wouldn’t pull all that often with it, I have a Dodge for that. I might would pull smaller stuff with it infrequently. It would be a crew hauler. I don’t need a dually, I would prefer 4WD over a dually for a crew cab, the way I would use it. Auto for something like this isn’t a disadvantage in my mind. It will spend plenty of time in traffic, or being driven by incompetent people. If I get the truck, I plan to use it for work, and so other people would wind up driving it, and half the crew I work with, I wouldn’t trust in anything with a clutch pedal.

i seen alot of e4ods in small blocks and they have all been great but the 2 ive seen behind idis have been junk

E4od isn inherently bad, it was fords first go at a HD pickup OD automatic. The ECU that was used with them in the idi trucks gives them strange shift feel and timing, contributing to why most people say they shift weird. Also having a tps on the diesels that had a huge adjustment range, that a lot of people didnt understand or bother to adjust correctly after pump replacement or other work, I feel contributed to a lot of failures over time. The same transmission used behind the gassers, including the 460, led a happier life.......

I rate the 4L80E on par with the e4OD. The gear-hunting they do with a diesel is maddening, IMHO.

That excellent off-the-line torque a diesel produces is lost with any 3-4 spd auto I have tried; electronic or not.

@Cant Write the irony is I support most of the electrical and electronics at work

The basic mechanical design of the E4OD is sound. Some of the internal components of the earlier variants were weak, but not as weak as some would have you believe. One of the biggest flaws to this day, is the mechanical complexity. If you watch a teardown video of the E4OD and compare it to the modern 6 and 10 speed RWD autos, the E4 seems more complicated. The electronics on the newer ones take up the difference because software and ECUs were not up to the task of friction to friction shifting in the late 80s. Although, because there are no friction to friction shifts in the E4OD, it's also a bit more fail-safe when electronics go wrong.

And yes, I use the OD lockout. Not to save spare the transmission, but to prevent hunting and lugging the engine under some conditions. As I've said many times before, the Overdrive planetary of the E4OD is physically larger than the main forward planetary. All power that enters the transmission first comes in through the Overdrive section, so locking out overdrive will not spare any torque from going through there. Lower RPM can lug the engine and reduce flow to the trans cooler, but if the converter is locked, there isn't much heat generated anyway, even under heavy load. Bottom line, just use whatever gear makes sense.

I can climb a 5% grade at 55 MPH in overdrive with 850 EGTs, or hit the lockout and climb the same hill in 3rd gear with 650 EGTs. I do run 3/8" cooler lines and an aftermarket cooler. So far, this seems to actually overcool the transmission under most conditions.

My only gripe right now, is the shift logic use to manage the converter lockup. Apparently it's a limitation of the older aftermarket controller I'm using. I'll upgrade some day to the newer US Shift unit that others on here are using.

So are there manual shift conversions (PowerShift) available for the E4OD? I wouldn’t be too worried about having other people drive that.

Or just a shift kit?

KansasIDI said:

Or just a shift kit?

Click to expand...

A shift kit is a must have. Trans Go Tugger or Sonnax Sure Cure are very good. Add a better tranny cooler if it does not have one.

Will need a additional trans cooler and larger cooler lines if your going to tow heavy, expensive to fix at times and really could use a shift kit once you have all the TPS adjusted and other components as well