I have been down for 2 weeks diagnosing trans problems. Read many articles on here and other sites on this transmission. I recently was cruising down highway when I changed lanes to pass,and tranny decided to quit pulling in any gear. Towed it home and started looking here and other sites for possible cause or fix. In weeks prior to breakdown it was hard shifting occaisonally, and it was (just before total failure) acting like it couldn't make up which gear it needed to be in after letting off pedal, overdrive or drive, it would shudder,and sound like tranny gears were rattling. I would either manually downshift or floor it to kick it down. I was told to check line pressures, I did so by building a pressure gauge. Line pressures were all above 105-120 in all positions on shifter.I was told by mechanic it sounded like torque converter since it appeared pump was working. SoI pulled it out and and found minimal trash in pan. I had tranny rebuilt 3 yrs ago. After pulling pan I decided to pull pump since while I was turning shaft it sounded,and felt like stripped gears. I discovered Planetary gears housing was cracked where shaft went through. So I went and picked up new 3 clutch billet torque, and steel planetary's. I was told pump and valve body had upgrades installed from prior build. After putting it back together it seemed the torque converter wasn't seating properly even though I got the 2 clicks everyone says when it is installed properly. I attempteed to install tranny and had the 2 top bolts in swung around to driver side and installed those bolts rolling over on creeper (yes no lift for me just a driveway) to passenger side I noticed trans was lackin 1" from mating to block. I stuck in bolts and hand tightened tried tighting with wrench and heard popping sound. I backed all bolts out then and tried to align trans with block better, Needless to say it wouldn't bolt up,it lacked 1/2" from being mounted to block. I removed transmission and set on stand and measured everything I was lacking the 1/2" I needed for it to mount. Torque converter bolts were flush with bellhousing instead of being inside. So I pulled the pump to see if I done something wrong, no everything there was fine renistalled pump and tried to measure again same results. So I removed pump again called local parts shop where I bought torque converter and asked could you have sold me the wrong one? They didn't think so. I pulled out new steel planetary and put it next to old one and it was shorter on the shaft side than the old one. I stuck old one back in just for to check, walla ithe torque converter fit. Pulled the old planetarys back out an after a little closer inspection the old aluminium gears had a longer shaft seat and an area where the teeth were 1/2" inch recessed from the top where shaft went through thus allowing the shaft to seat further inside, the steels however caused the shaft to bottom out as soon as it was inside the gears no recessed area for shaft there. So I took it back to the parts house and was told there by tech I would need the new drum,shaft, and center support to use the new steel planetarys. After reading all the sites nowhere did it state this, just replace gears with steel, although a steel center support is another upgrade they suggested, but never saying I would need all to install the new steels. My question is can this be true or does anyone make steel gears with the recessed area like the aluminium one has? I really want to bullit proof this part since I don't have the funds or the proper tools to completely tear this tranny down to install all the upgrades. Billiet 3 clutch torque $325 Planetarys $65 and rest of parts topped out to a total of$477.

 

You need to update the forward hub when changing the planets from aluminum to steel. Usually you can find this as an update kit. Gearset, hub, and bearing.

There is no steel center support for the E4. Just aluminum. But there are bearing updates for it.

 

I went yesterday to another supply house got a set of new steel planetarys and a shorter shaft came with it. Now Torque converter sits in pump exactly the amount needed. So do I still need the new hub? I was told by supplier I didn't.

 

Not sure but you can go over to Oil Burners and you'll find Trackspeeder and also Oldbull knows trannys too, You might get a faster answer.

 

Well put her together and slapped it in, now she at least moves. Holds first longer then shifts nice into 2nd then when it shifts to 3rd falls flat on her nose like overdrive and 3rd are coming in together. It's got to be electrical. Any ideas, going to check Fipl, I hope not Ford guys had a very hard time setting that. Could it be mlps? I also have a problem with overdrive switch, I replaced button and light still doesn't work but it will engage and disengage overdrive. Anything else to check?

 

The E4OD shifts 1.........2.........3..LU.......OD I hate how fast it goes into lock up too, But its normal if thats what your meaning? The OD light has a separate power source for the light.

P/O is the power to light 15amp
LB/R is the power to the gauge light (dash lights on)

 

it could be worse.you could have a zf5,and it would feel just like lockup right off the line.

 

hahahahaha. that is great!

 

How hard my converter locks it feels like a ZF5!

 

The overdrive light has not come on whether it's in or out of overdrive, in a long time. So I get no flashing. I replaced it with a part from ford still no light, thinking short in lever wire, but strange it will disengage and engage od. When it shifts it holds 1st for a long time then shifts nicely to second, but when it shifts to 3rd it acts like its shifting into 4th together power falls out and acts like she's going to stop, wont go any faster than the speed I'm doing at the shift.

 

You can play with the TPS. It might help your problem.

What you're experiencing is converter lock up.

 

here ya go truckin:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ions-only.html

like speeder is saying,the tps setting really makes a major difference in shift timing.
engine tune makes a major difference as well.without the help of the higher rpms/open converter the engine then is doing everything directly to the wheels like a manual trans at this point.so if engine timing is too far off,she'll feel real doggy when lockup occurs.with proper tps and idi heath,she'll still pull nice and strong through lockup for ya.
you want to feel your second shift (the trans entering 3rd gear) "about" 5 mph before lockup happens,followed by 4th/OD after.with proper tps setting,the trans should feel like shes well good and ready to shift before it does it without any slipping.you'll feel in the seat of your pants that's she's "asking" for the next gears slightly before it does it,rather than up shifting a bit on the early side and feeling like a slug.sounds as if your tps is set,so that lockup is happening at the same time it enters 3rd,or worse,you have the tps so far off,she's heading into OD at around 35mphish while the converter is locking.either way,that must feel.........disappointing lol.you'll get 'er.

 

Crawled underneath and noticed mlps plug is not locking on. I did spray it out with electrical contact cleaner and added lithium grease but plug won't lock on switch. pulled switch off and it looked like moisture inside. cleaned it again then blew it out with compressed air,kept seeing moisture. Wiped it out with rag. The base of the switch where pins are looks a little curved(not laying flat unless my glasses are doing that, hell to get old). It is a F5TP-7F293AA Ford switch. Is this the updated switch?

 

thats how trannys are suposta feal. I was gunna say a good upgrade forn an E4OD was a zf5..lol

 

wanna line 'em up?