Diesel Newbie needs some advice.

[saburai]

Hello all,

I'm a life long motor head but new to diesels. I posted a bit in a intro thread:
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/sh...-and-hello-from-Bokeelia!&p=899149#post899149
Anyway, I'm the new owner of a well maintained 190,*** mile 1990 F250 RWD 7.3 IDI E4OD XLT. I would have much preferred a manual transmission, but sometimes you take what you can get. I spent the evening reading the tech section, reading and searching in this section as well.
I've got a few new guy questions that hopefully someone will answer. In about a month, I'll be towing a 8500# 30ft travel trailer from Florida to the Catskill Mountains in NY it's around 1800 miles for the trip. I want to do everything that's feasible given my time constraints and complete lack of a proper work space to ensure a trouble free trip. I'm concerned about the E4OD, I'm thinking that a good tranny cooler would help a lot. I'd like to install transgo's 4R100-HD2 "Tugger or if recommended the E40D-HD2-D The "Tugger" is out - no way I've got the time, I don't have a shop and I don't have the money to pay someone to do it. Is the E40D-HD2-D a viable alternative? If it were, I'd be working outside in the dirt, which is not a good combination for precision work - I don't even have a solid bench other than the tailgate of the truck. If I were to have a shop install the kit, what would be a ballpark figure for the work? I've been thinking hard about the Banks TransCommand. I read all the threads I could find here and the reviews are mixed. I called Banks and spoke with one of their tech guys and told him what I'm looking to do. He stated that by firming up the shifts, the TransCommand would help the slush box run cooler. That makes sense to me. The Banks unit can be had from Amazon for $267 delivered. I can easily install the Transcommand and a cooler in the dirt. So to my unknowing self, this seems to be the easy way out, not optimal, but nominal. what do you guys think? Will the Banks unit help? Is it worth it? Please feel free to add other suggestions that I might be overlooking for my trip preparation. The oil has been recently changed, coolant serviced with the proper SCA, recent Motorcraft glow plugs, brakes, tires and other stuff I don't remember. I go back (3.5 hrs.) on Saturday to pick it up. When I told the guy I bought it from about my planned trip, he took it to the shop that he uses for maintenance for them to give it a once over and grease job, telling them about my upcoming and trip asking them to let me know if they found any issues, good guy. What are your minimum recommendations for gauges? Remember, I'm on a tight budget! Also, I've got a decent OBDII scan tool, is there a adapter so I can use it to read OBDI? Coolant filter? Also, if down the road, I wanted to swap in a 5spd, is it a bolt in? Many thanks for reading my long first post in this forum and TIA for you answers and advice!

Best,
Rich

 

[riotwarrior]

Hi Rich

Welcome to OB.

I wont say much about auto as One thing I am lacking is exp there.

A good amd I mean decent add on cooler is well worth while as is a decemt remote moumt filter IMHO.

Others more familiar with autos will chime in for sure.

YES a ZF is a bolt in...albeit a common and fairly simple one but still requires a lot of parts and time.

Trans temp, coolant temp along with engime oil pressure would be my 3 top guages for you. Toss on a pyro if...IF u plan on messing with IP.

Coolamt filter is nice....but other more important stuff first..trams filter/cooler amd guages.

you qre on a good road with your plans.

Since GRAVITY happens to be ON your side....amd a sheet of plywood umder truck keeps most dirt away....PERSONALLY I MYSELF WOULD NOT HESITATE..to toss a shift kit in as it is a fairly basic upgrade. Tailgates worldwide have been used for much finer work btw.

Thanks for reading up front and asking edumacated ?'s

Good luck!

Al

 

[saburai]

Thanks Al!
Yeah, not much of an auto guy either. Last one I had was a '69 POS Nova with a powerglide.
The last time I did anything to a autotrans was in tech school when I was 17. The transgo website recommends the Tugger kit for towing. Even if I had a shop, with all of the other things I've got going on, I don't have time to drop a tranny. If a valve body kit would be better than the Banks box, I could probably go for it. I'll wait and see what the tranny guru's have to offer...

 

[saburai]

Are there a pdf files of the various service manuals? Namely the engine and transmission?

 

[icanfixall]

As already mentioned. Welcome to the forum. The Banks trans command is a good idea and very easy to install. I recall you just plug it in to the harness under the truck. A large trans cooler is a MUST for towing too. A 40,000 lbs cooler will work fine. You can run it before or after the radiator cooler or bypass the radiator. I have an aluminum radiator so I bypassed my radiator. Now as a suggestion you might check the tps on the drivers side of the injection pump. It is connected to the throttle shaft and has 3 wires to it. the center green with is the signal. What you do is warm up the engine first. Then with the key on but engine off test the volts on the middle green wire. Factory setting is for a soft shift its .96 volts. For a firmer shift set it at 1.2 volts. Maybe as much as 1.25 volts. And this is the throttle at the idle position. When you find what you want now hold the throttle wide open. You must never see 5.0 volts. If you do the computer will open a circuit breaker and the trans will be in limp home mode. You will have horrible hard neck breaking shifts and probably only have 2nd and reverse. It is a design to get you home or off the roads to safety. Not to be driven to the store or any type of daily driving

 

[pafixitman]

Just my opinion...

I put a Factory Tech brand valve body in mine along with a 4R100 pan. The pan is factory Ford, steel and no fins, but is 1 qt larger with drain plug. Add a cooler. I prefer the plate style. As for gauges I would not tow without a pyro and trans temp. If budget allows get oil pressure and water temp. As mentioned a tarp and or plywood. I had a gravel driveway for many years. Make sure the electrical connections at the trans are clean, dry and tight.

Engine or auto trans heat is your worst enemy.

 

[saburai]

Years in the dirt...

...and gravel, snow, rain and mud. Anyone mention bugs? Except when I've worked at or owned a shop and a brief period when I owned a house with a garage, I've worked outdoors out of necessity, I'm no stranger to "field repairs" and improvisation! There's quite a bit of wind where I'm located now, right next to a pretty little pond. The wind picks up the sand and does a good job of blowing it around. Having not done any real automatic transmission work but, assuming that any contaminants could really foul things up, I didn't think it prudent to open it up and chance it. I suppose I could find a barn or some other covered space to work on the VB once it's out. However, I'm pressed for time and not having auto experience I wouldn't want to be hasty. How much time would you allow for a first time shift kit install? Is there a good kit for towing application that doesn't require dropping the tranny? What brand gauges do you recommend? Are there any how to threads or write ups that come to mind for the trans cooler and gauge install?

It can be windy and sandy, buggy and rustic too. However, it's quite nice where we're at

You must be registered for see images attach

Best,
Rich

 

[OLDBULL8]

I had the exact truck you have. I went to Greenville SC and with a 25' gooseneck trailer loaded a F350 (see pic) and hauled it home 800 miles with a lot of mountains. No problems at all with the tranny, had a Trucool 40K aux trans cooler. 92 truck 7800# - trailer 2700# - 90 truck 7200#. gross weight 17700#, weights might not be exact, but close as I can remember.

I also pulled a 30 ft 5er 8500# with the 90 many miles, never had any gauges, just relied on the coolant temp for reference, but gauges as said above would have been nice.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321995823346?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

 

[saburai]

I had the exact truck you have. I went to Greenville SC and with a 25' gooseneck trailer loaded a F350 (see pic) and hauled it home 800 miles with a lot of mountains. No problems at all with the tranny, had a Trucool 40K aux trans cooler. 92 truck 7800# - trailer 2700# - 90 truck 7200#. gross weight 17700#, weights might not be exact, but close as I can remember.

I also pulled a 30 ft 5er 8500# with the 90 many miles, never had any gauges, just relied on the coolant temp for reference, but gauges as said above would have been nice.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321995823346?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

Good to know, thanks for the reply!
BTW I didn't see a picture of your rig...

 

[saburai]

Pictures showing up now. Nice truck!

 

[saburai]

I suppose I could find a barn or some other covered space to work on the VB once it's out. However, I'm pressed for time and not having auto experience I wouldn't want to be hasty. How much time would you allow for a first time shift kit install? Is there a good kit for towing application that doesn't require dropping the tranny?
Best,
Rich

Just bumping this looking for answers.

I also read on the diesel site that chips (is the Banks TransCommand considered a chip?) "Chips that raise and maintain Line Pressure, do so at the expense of either the Lubrication circuit or overworking the pump assembly." Of course they sell Factory Tech VBs. Poking around the net I've seen both good and bad reviews of the Factory Tech VB. Any help would be much appreciated, I'm such a newbee I don't even pick up my truck until Saturday Seriously though, I've got limited time (and budget, and no shop - I need a crying towel) and I've gotta get this rig ready to roll...

 

[saburai]

Just bumping this looking for answers.

I also read on the diesel site that chips (is the Banks TransCommand considered a chip?) "Chips that raise and maintain Line Pressure, do so at the expense of either the Lubrication circuit or overworking the pump assembly." Of course they sell Factory Tech VBs. Poking around the net I've seen both good and bad reviews of the Factory Tech VB. Any help would be much appreciated, I'm such a newbee I don't even pick up my truck until Saturday Seriously though, I've got limited time (and budget, and no shop - I need a crying towel) and I've gotta get this rig ready to roll...

Bumping it back up looking for input from guys who are knowledgeable about the E4OD. In poking around the 'net I've found others who also say that raising the line pressure via the transcommand is a bad idea. Please provide me with some insight into this if you can. As I said I've also read a few negative reviews of the factory tech VB. I find the factory tech attractive, since they offer a VB with the work already done with a core charge. This would cut my install time down as well as help eliminate the "new to autos" factor. I've also read that it sometimes takes a few tries to get a shift kit like the Transgo shifting where and how you want it to.

Thanks guys...