Transmission struggles

[Andrew Anderson]

So in low gears the truck shifts fine. After it get past second trying to go over 45 it tends to take a second or too to engage in all the gears after that. It's not a hard shift but it is enough to where it's been noticed. Anybody got an idea what could cause that?

 

[saburai]

Hi Andrew! Welcome to the forum. People can't help you with your truck if they don't know what model it is. You can include a description in your signature line. Did you buy the F350 from Wes's customer?

 

[nelstomlinson]

It's an automatic? Is this new, or has it always done it? On my stock e4od transmissions, shifting feels like a process.

 

[BlackNoma]

Andrew is a buddy of mine.
He has a 91 f250 auto 4wd 7.3 NA
He just got it, no prior history, we are chasing down fuel leaks/air intrusion.

 

[saburai]

Andrew is a buddy of mine.
He has a 91 f250 auto 4wd 7.3 NA
He just got it, no prior history, we are chasing down fuel leaks/air intrusion.

Glad that you're on it!

 

[BlackNoma]

I've never driven an e4od truck. The fuel leaks are narrowed down to return cap o-rings now for the most part.
Think that could cause the trans to shift weird?
It also has a very hard time starting. Has electric lift pump.

 

[Cubey]

I've never driven an e4od truck. The fuel leaks are narrowed down to return cap o-rings now for the most part.
Think that could cause the trans to shift weird?
It also has a very hard time starting. Has electric lift pump.

I had a leaky (rotten) hose at the lift pump from the fuel tank side to the pump. It caused occasional air intrusion, not to mention was a mess maker down there.

 

[saburai]

I've never driven an e4od truck. The fuel leaks are narrowed down to return cap o-rings now for the most part.
Think that could cause the trans to shift weird?
It also has a very hard time starting. Has electric lift pump.

You mean the fuel delivery problem affecting the shifts? Stranger things have happened, but I doubt it.
I'm no e4od expert, but I hate to say it, but sounds like the torque converter might be going **** up. Is the OD light flashing?

 

[nelstomlinson]

I have two e4ods that I believe are stock. On both, shifting takes a while, and it feels as if the transmission starts to shift, pauses, then completes the shift. It takes several seconds. It's a process rather than an event.

I have a third e4od with a Banks transmission controller. On that one, the shifts feel like a kick in the back of the seat.

 

[saburai]

I have two e4ods that I believe are stock. On both, shifting takes a while, and it feels as if the transmission starts to shift, pauses, then completes the shift. It takes several seconds. It's a process rather than an event.

I have a third e4od with a Banks transmission controller. On that one, the shifts feel like a kick in the back of the seat.

On the one with the banks trans command, how long have you had it and have you had experience doing any heavy towing with it?

 

[nelstomlinson]

Saburai, I've never even put that one on insurance. Other than a test drive around town, I haven't run it since I bought it. It has engine issues. It's the '91 supercab.

The other two are a '97 powersmoke that isn't in my sig, and the '94.

 

[rewbrooks50]

I just returned from a 480 miles trip, towing my 32’ 10,000 lbs RV. Half way home today my E4OD started not shifting smoothly and the code light started flashing. Stopped and added a qt of trans fluid and back in business.

I have had to do this before when towing the RV. I have the 6.0 trans cooler, no leaks and trans temps 130 to 152. So, I guess it’s 206k miles normal wear.
1994 IDIT

 

[saburai]

I just returned from a 480 miles trip, towing my 32’ 10,000 lbs RV. Half way home today my E4OD started not shifting smoothly and the code light started flashing. Stopped and added a qt of trans fluid and back in business.

I have had to do this before when towing the RV. I have the 6.0 trans cooler, no leaks and trans temps 130 to 152. So, I guess it’s 206k miles normal wear.
1994 IDIT

Where's the temperature probe and what brand of guage do you have?

 

[rewbrooks50]

I have the highly “Not” recommended Glow Shift TowMax digital gauge. The probe in the test port on the driver side of the trans.

 

[saburai]

I have the highly “Not” recommended Glow Shift TowMax digital gauge. The probe in the test port on the driver side of the trans.

Thanks for the quick reply!
IMHO, your gauge may be inaccurate. Other than your hybrid turbo iirc, our trucks are pretty similar. I'm running the same transmission cooler sandwiched between the condenser and the radiator. I'm pulling a 10k 30ft tow behind trailer and two weeks ago I pulled it from upstate N.Y. to South West Florida. Once it got to temp (it took a while), it held pretty consistently at 180*. A little lower up north in the cold and a bit higher on the big 2nd gear climb through the gap. I've got 4.10 gears. Same turbo, pump, injectors and exhaust on my (I think) 3.73 geared 2wd '90 with the same 6.0 cooler but mounted first in the stack in front of the condenser running the very same AutoMeter gauge and sender (same sender location as you) on the same trip and it ran around 165*-170*...