When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Have a 97-f250, 7.3 with e4od, @210.000 miles. Purchased truck 7 years prior with 195,000m. Towed race car on open trailer every year for total 200-300 miles/ yr. Truck well maintained, never towing issue till last wk. Noticed slight hesitation when shifting into reverse after 200 mile tow on very hot day. Upon maneuvering trailer lost transmission. Power. Fluid check revealed 7qts low with very slight burned smell. Transmission wet on the bottom from converter back. Replaced fluid after cool down,transmission was able to shift and truck drove without trailer hook up. Power washed underneath nxt day and drove for 5miles, including up steep hills. No problem, trans shifted fine with very slight hesitation into revers. No indication of leak except around bellhousing converter shield. Rest of trans dry. What gives? Did trans cooler give or cooler line blocked?. Can I save tranmission
? Should I install auxiliary trans cooler? Need your help fellas. I'm new to this
The problem is the torque converter hub seal. When it gets too hot it softens and leaks. Once it cools down it seals again. It can do this several times before failing.
More transmission cooling will help a lot. Replacing the air to oil cooler with a cooler from a 6.0L truck will help quite a bit. If it keeps leaking you'll need to drop the trans to replace the seal. There is an aftermarket seal available made from Viton that is far superior to the stock seal. A new seal, bushing, and pump gasket needed to fix this will cost well under $20, but it does take dropping the trans.
Mark, thank you so much. Is this an inherent problem with the converter on these trucks? Also is Voting the manufacture? And what year 6.0 should I get the cooler from. I love this truck, but it's a money pit.thanks again
It isn't a problem with the converter, it is a problem with the seal. I don't know who Voting is that you are asking about. Voting is something I will be doing in November...
You need a seal made from a material called Viton. I don't know who the manufacturer is, I buy them at trans parts houses. Transmission Parts - Transtar Industries Inc. is one. A good auto parts store would have it, too. Autozone probably would not.
You can get a cooler from any 6.0L truck. They were made from 2003 through 2007. There are two different sizes, either one will work fine.