How good or bad is the E4OD?

[david85]

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

Not that I know of. Your only options are to use the OEM electronics, or retrofit an aftermarket controller and wiring harness.

Shift kits are good up to a point. Soft shifts can wear or burn up clutches, but hard shifts damage mechanical parts, which cost much more to replace.

I'll second the Sonnax kit, or frankly just about anything else from sonnax. I really liked their one-piece tailshaft bushing. Probably overkill, but it sure is nice.

 

[Greenie]

Mine lasted over 220,000 miles - many hard miles towing a 3 ton travel trailer in very rugged mountains in the US and Mexico. With the 4.10 axle I usually towed in OD and there was little hunting. I towed fast, too - 80mph grades and headwinds permitting.
When towing it's good practice to shift into 4 Low (hubs not locked) whenever backing up - especially in gravel or soft ground. Auxiliary trans cooling with the thermostatic shunts bypassed. I doubt these transmissions can be run too cool.

 

[ISPKI]

Ive owned both ZF5 and E4OD 7.3s and I dont prefer either one. The E4OD seems to be tougher and I have seen people put way more power in front of a stock E4OD than a stock IDI ZF5 without damaging it. The only real problem I have had with an E4OD is that the stock cooler is kind of small if you tow long and heavy. Upgrading that is fairly cheap and easy and can preserve the transmission far beyond what people would expect.

The biggest issues I have seen with it is when people dont maintain them at all. People tend to think you just run it till it dies and dont realize that you do actually have to perform some minor maintenance on them over the years. Checking and Adjusting the TPS makes a monumental difference. Changing out the fluid and filter and replacing the Torque converter when youre supposed to are both very important. Just like a clutch, they dont last forever and if they go, they tend to take the whole unit with them.

My Superduty has had an ATS triple-lock TC in it since 2014. Stock TC seems to have been replaced around 150k and it now has 228k on it being worked in a quarry and now hauling logs and landscaping materials. It does an excellent job but I also keep up on routine maintenance. When I got it, the TPS was pretty far out of range and it was causing issues with shifting, the OD light would occasionally blip on for some seconds and then blip off. New sensors adjusted into range solved that and it hasnt come back in ~10k miles of hauling.

These are tough transmissions, superior to most other brand offerings at the time. They have no inherent weaknesses (except, maybe the cooler size) and they will last a long time as long as they are maintained properly.

 

[captain720]

I have one that was built by a local shop in my powersmoke and I quite like it, the new cooler the shop put with it is physically larger than my house, and the shift kit gives it a good firmness. I do use the OD lockup quite frequently just because it likes to lug the motor out but that’s the only reason. Overal it’s fine and good but not as fun as a “normal” transmission.

 

[ISPKI]

I have one that was built by a local shop in my powersmoke and I quite like it, the new cooler the shop put with it is physically larger than my house, and the shift kit gives it a good firmness. I do use the OD lockup quite frequently just because it likes to lug the motor out but that’s the only reason. Overal it’s fine and good but not as fun as a “normal” transmission.

What do you mean by "OD lockup"? Is that just turning OD off or is that a feature of the shift controller?

 

[captain720]

I said the wrong word and I just meant pushing the button on the end of the shifter.

 

[ISPKI]

Ahh I gotcha. I have seen controllers for these that allow you to control the transmission semi-manually. The inputs used by the TCM to control shift points and TC lockup are extremely simplistic. There are ways to have a controller that sends a signal to lockup the TC and/or force it to shift up or down with the flick of a switch.

A guy I used to work with had a conversion van with a 7.3idi and E4OD and he rigged up his own shift controller for it. basically had a tiny shifter on the dash that functioned similar to a manual shifter that allowed him to drive it like a zf5 without the clutch pedal.

 

[david85]

Supposedly my controller is able to take signals from the cruise control buttons to manually shift up and down. I tried to get it to work once, many years ago but couldn't figure it out.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

A guy I used to work with had a conversion van with a 7.3idi and E4OD and he rigged up his own shift controller for it. basically had a tiny shifter on the dash that functioned similar to a manual shifter that allowed him to drive it like a zf5 without the clutch pedal.

And, thus, the current paddle shifter fad was born.

 

[XOLATEM]

I used to build E4OD's years ago and always upgraded them with what was available at the time. They had a higher volume pump starting in '95 and revised TCM shift strategy was offered from the Dealer for certain models.
Although my preference is manual units for trucks, if I fell into a good deal on one with an E4OD and needed another truck I would build the unit with all of the latest mods and give it a whirl.
I would run two large coolers in front of the radiator and synthetic fluid if I had to haul loads and/or depend on it for work or cross country.
The E4OD is like a C-6 in the back with better gear ratios and a fairly tough OD unit in the front. Second gear is applied similar to a THM-400.
If you keep your electrical system in good order it will stay reliable for a long time.

 

[XOLATEM]

OOPS....all that was bold sorry for that I am new here and also new to forums....I have been lurking around as a guest for a while and decided to take the plunge...

I want to thank all you people for the info I gleaned that helped me get more comfortable with my new (to me) truck that I hope will help me get used to living better than I used to.

Thanks again, Y'all...

 

[DaveBen]

Welcome to Oil Burners!

 

[ISPKI]

Theres some good info.

What do people use for additional radiators to improve the capacity on these transmissions?

 

[Nero]

More capacity and more cooling capability. A cooler transmission is a happy transmission.

 

[XOLATEM]

Thank you Y'all...

I used Trucool and Derale auxillary coolers that I got from transmission parts vendors. they came with installation kits but I kept a stock of cooler hose and double clamped the junctions.
If I could fab up some metal line and just use hose for connections I felt better about the reliability. The hose needs to handle up to and in excess of 300-400 PSI in case the unit goes to failsafe.
Just make sure you have adequate airflow through the coolers.

What Ford did with the early models ('89-'94) on the shift strategy was counter intuitive at the time...the line pressure would ramp up with added load but just before the shift, drop drastically and then ramp up again right after the shift. It felt strange when you drove one for the first time. You did not expect the response and thought that something could be wrong...but what they were probably trying to accomplish is smoother shifting and less shock to the geartrain.

Made for a very active pressure guage on the road test...

Over time, we had to get familiar with this animal and figure out how to make it reliable.

I would not have a problem using this transmission behind any Ford engine that it would bolt to, but I would put in every upgrade that it needed for the intended use.