I know another E4OD trans trouble question

[condor74]

ok well the story starts when I aquired this 1990 F250 7.3 IDI 4x4 pick up last winter. I drove it about 50 miles to my house in the middle of a rain storm. The truck had been sitting about 2 years because of expired tags. It is supposed to have had the trans rebuilt shortly before it was parked. There is receipts in the glove box confirming this. I parked it at my house since last year and just now finally got the title situation and tags paid up on it. I drove it today and when it was cold started in the morning it ran and shifted good. It had a delay going in to reverse but I have heard a lot of these do that. After I got to work and the truck was at operating temperature I tried to put it in to reverse and it didnt engage solidly. I was able to back up giving it throttle but it was higher rpm than is normal. I I let it cool off and at lunch time I started it up and reverse was working again. I drove it to my house and reverse was slipping again when I got home. I then drove the truck around to see if all the other gears worked. The did but as I drove it and tested it I started to slip at highway speeds. Usually at 55 miles and hour I am under 2000 rpm. It was slipping up to almost 3 unless i completely back out of the throttle and very lightly held the throttle it would stay at 1900. I turned the over drive off and it caused the rpms to climb instantly and they came back down when I turned it on again. I then drove it strait home and parked it. Lower gears seemed to hold still going through the neighborhood. I let it cool down and drove it agian in the evening. All my gears were back again. It was 104 outside today and was in the 50s when I brought it home last winter..

No flashing od lights Tach doesnt jump or anything. All my brake lights work.

There only about 4000 miles on the overhaul but there is no warrentee as I was not the owner of the truck when it happened it was done back in 2008.

I havent serviced it and the fluid still looks red.

I am hoping I dont have to take the trans out and have it rebuilt again.
Things I am thinking is maybe a loose or leaking valve body, wrong fluid, burnt up transmission.

Any ideas?????

 

[icanfixall]

These E4OD trans need a voltage from .96 to 1.2 volts from the injection throttle positioning switch... TPS for short. The lower the voltage the softer the shifts plus you will have some slippage. These voltages arefound with a digital voltmeter and the ignition key must be turned to the run section but motor not running. When you test this use the center wire to the tps and be at idle position. Then throttle it up to wide open throttle position. You probably will see around 3.8 volts... Maybe just a bit higher. At no time should you see 5 volts. The computer will shut down and the trans will be in limp home mode... Neck breaking shifts and only 2nd and reverse gear. The trans wont last long shifting hard like that either. Its just to get you out of harms way. Not a coast to coast run for giggles... If you have no idea how old the switch is replace it. They are a reostat type rubbing switch and wear out around 50,000 to 75,000 miles. They adjust easily but take care how you remove and install them. Done wrong and you wont be able to move the throttle shaft by hand. All this adjustments are done at the injection pump by moving the shaft by hand. Once you try this its easy the next time. Start by twisting the injection pump to wide open throttle position and watch the action of the tps. The switch costs around $35.00 at Nappa and around $65.00 at Ford...

 

[condor74]

That makes sence and when I get home I will definately check that. How does that effect reverse? I wouldnt imagine there would be any electronics involved with reverse.

 

[icanfixall]

Electronics controll everything in these trans. They tell it how much line pressure to use and how much clutch slippage you need to move.

 

[NJKen]

If the radiator cooler is still hooked up get rid of it and plimb in a decent external one. E4OD is a VERY weird trans when it has a restricted cooler.
Ken

 

[condor74]

ok I will try that. It does have an external cooler but I dont remember if it is also plumbed through the radiator.

 

[Fozz]

That's a tough one, but I'd try the easiest/cheapest things first. If the tranny seems to be shifting at the right point/time, then the TPS is probly ok. If it were me, I'd probly disconnect, clean and reconnect the electical connection to the trans (passenger side of tranny). Then drain the tranny and torque convertor and refill with fresh new clean fluid. Next I would try (although I haven't used it) some Lucas tranny fluid additive. If that didn't work, I'm thinking you have an internal issue. I'm not that knowledgable on trannies, but I would guess the torque convertor, pump or something in the valve body. As to the additive (Lucas) I'm not a big fan of magic fluids or additives, but I did nurse a leaking steering gearbox for 2 years with the Lucas stuff before it finally failed and had to replace it. I bought some Lucas tranny fluid fix years ago to use on my tired tranny, but didn't get to use it because my tranny failed (pulling my 5r no less) before I had a chance to put it in. Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

[condor74]

I was thinking about this. I did notice one thing that may or may not be part of a tps problem. I noticed at times if I put it in neutral and rev the motor up occasionally it hangs around 2000 rpm. Not like it is running away or anything. Just doesnt come back down. 1 little tap on the throttle and it comes right back down and idles. It has never done anything like that in motion. I am going on Vacation tomorrow so it will be a week or so before i can mess with it. I will post what I find when I work on it.

 

[trackspeeder]

That makes sence and when I get home I will definately check that. How does that effect reverse? I wouldnt imagine there would be any electronics involved with reverse.

The electronics will not affect reverse. That is a mechanical control.

Check the line pressure. Check the cooler for blockage.

 

[George D.]

My thaughts are there was still air in it from the rebuild while it was sitting and some of the seals went bad. I would try droping the valve body and checking the line presure modulator the may have put an OEM stly one with orings in there if so get the sonnax one with no oring stick it in and see what happens.

 

[condor74]

Well here is an update. I drove it as my daily driver for about a month and one day it seemed like the trans was having shifting up.. I came to a stop light and it never moved forward again. Ironically I still have reverse.(how i got it off the road and onto a trailer). I thought I might try and wait till morning when everything was cooled off. It didnt move at all cold either. So basically I have diagnosed it as the transmission is internally *****. I will have to have it rebuilt again. I have rebuilt other transmission but this one sounds sketchy even when an experienced techs put them togeather. I thought I might find one in the junk yards. Guess what no diesel transmissions in the junkyards let alone ones for 4x4. I am burnt out on the truck but I have an opportunity. My neighbor just offered me an 85 Ford F250 6.9 diesel 2 wheel drive. It has no wheels on it and he said it drove into his yard about 10 years ago but has not been started since. I guess aparently it has been attempted to be started once. It would not start then. It cranked. It started with starter fluid but would not stay running. So I can try and get it running or I can swap the manual transmission out of the truck and put it in my truck, or I can use the parts from my truck to get this other truck running...

 

[7.3shrk]

If you decide to scrap the 1990 truck, I might be interested in picking up the trans computer for my conversion.....just a thought

 

[OLDBULL8]

Five months later. Did you ever check the fluid level? These E4OD's are fussy on fluid level. Low the pump will aerate. Hi they will run hot, then all hell breaks loose. Check the level only when hot and in idle. The truck setting for so long the fluid could be gunk. It might look red on the stick, but way different when drained.

I would try this before trashing the tranny.

 

[condor74]

I did check the fluid and it was full. It is still full right now and pretty red.. I would think that if I had really smoked something that I would have dark smelly fluid. I dont know. I will check it more and find out.

 

[OnDaRoad]

Mountaintop fluid flush

Five months later. Did you ever check the fluid level? These E4OD's are fussy on fluid level. Low the pump will aerate. Hi they will run hot, then all hell breaks loose. Check the level only when hot and in idle. The truck setting for so long the fluid could be gunk. It might look red on the stick, but way different when drained.

I would try this before trashing the tranny.

Hey Bill,

As I told you on the phone - I got halway on OR - 140 between Grants Pass and Klamath Falls
a couple days ago & ended up having to drop the tranny pan and do
a complete tranny flush in lightly falling snow.

I am in Elko, NV this morning on my way to Salt Lake City, UT
I am gonna bypass the radiator cooling for the tranny and use
the (2) external tranny coolers.

I think there is too much distance for the fluid to push and a
possible restriction in the radiator for the tranny cooler.

I am gonna drop the pan again, change the factory filter
(didn't have one on the mountain pass), add a bottle of
Auto-Rx.

Can you PM me your email so I can send you some pics
of my trip

Stay warm in Delphos & get over that cold


Jim