Hey guys I could really use some help and input on my problems I have been having. About two months ago I put in swamps 200cc injectors in my truck with their tuning. My Ford HD tranny w/115k went out about 3 weeks after the injectors. I installed a stock used tranny with 88k on it and it lasted less than 3 days. I purchased a Heavy duty billet built transmission from one of the highly recommended tranny builders ( I don't want to mention the name because I don't want this to turn into a BTS v.s. Woods v.s. Suncoast v.s. ATS debate) It was a great choice and I know the builder is going to take care of me. Anyways my question is all three of these transmissions went out in the same way and I am wondering if it could be a pcm/ tuning problem causing the failures. Heres how it happens

Tranny #1 115k
The 1st transmission (HD Ford with 115k) went out while I was climbing a fairly steep hill in the middle of a hay field and just started slipping. I started to head back to town and it didn't want to upshift into 2nd gear it just revved out in between 1st and 2nd. I let off of it and it shifted and shuddered really bad I am surprised I still have a rear end.I made it about 3 miles and I lost all forward clutches and had good reverse.

Tranny #2 88k
I borrowed this from a good friend to try and get me by until the builder could get my built tranny built and shipped up north to me. Well this tranny lasted about 3 to 4 days less than 200miles and it went out pretty much the same exact way. While it went to upshift it slipped going up a on ramp I let off and continued about 800yds and it started slipping and shuddering really bad on the highway. I lost all forward gears and had reverse.

Tranny #3
Brand new Billet shafted built to the nuts Tranny 150miles
Well I got my awesome new tranny and it was working great until I hooked up a load of cows and started to haul with it. I didn't feel any shudder while pulling,good firm shifts it was pulling great and I was happy. Until I started up this steep a$$ hill It was in 2nd and as I was pulling the hill it went to downshift to 1st and it SLIPPED in between shifts. I made it probably about 5 more miles to the next big a$$ hill and I put it into 4LOW and made it about 200 yards up the hill and I lost all forward gears. I put a pressure gauge on it and I was getting 190 psi stalled in forward gears and around 300psi in reverse. While I was stalling it and checking pressures The Front clutches seized together giving me forward in N D 2 1 gears and of course no reverse because it was fighting the seized up forward clutches.

Anyways now you know the story

The highest I saw for temps was about 185* to 190* on all three trannys. The builder said the pressures match exactly where he would like to see them but my only concern is I can't replicate the 1 to 2 shifts to see if the pressure is doing anything funny there so that is what has me worried at this point. I am thinking that maybe the tuning is causing the problems just because swamps has a lot of tranny tuning in with their tunes.

How does the computer control the shifts?
What should the psi be doing when it is shifting?

COULD this a Pcm problem,or a tuning problem?
Should I go with a stand alone Tcm like a trans commander or Co pilot?
What are your thoughts as to what this could be?
Sorry for the long post and Thanks for the help in advance.
KYLER
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What did the shop say about the third billet transmission?

 

The computer controls the pressure in the trans and when the shift happens. If the tunes have an error and there isn't enough pressure commanded you will just continue burning up transmissions.

 

well since your swamps tuner has transmission adjustments (shift pressure) it will not work with the Ford HD or your built transmission. I dontlike nor tell someone to use a tuner to make the trans shift in firmness. I like a TRUE shift kit like a TransGo tugger. The combo of the tuner adjustmentsand the fact that BOTH Ford HD and your billet trans have REAL shiftkits installed id start with calling Swamps and telling them to fix the tunes

 

did you throughly clean the transmission cooler and the transmission cooler lines after transmission 1 failed? If not, then bits from #1 also destroyed #2 and #3, and will likely #4... unless you clean out all the mess from the former transmissions.

 

I put in all new lines a 6.0 cooler and a magnafine inline filter and flushed it after it was all together.

Thank you
Kyler

 

That doesn't make any sense to me, can you reference that? How would a shift kit matter to the transmission in regards to the altered line pressure? Furthermore, I was not aware that the Ford HD was any different than the original 4R100.

 

I'm going to have to side with tuning man. That's alot of trannys really quickly.

 

I would dump the tunes. Really no need for them at all and they can screw with things. Get a tugger kit installed on your next tranny and you'll be good to go. IMHO

Dick

 

Hey guys sorry for the absence!!!

Well I got the tranny back from John a few weeks ago.He found a internal leak on the forward drum which explians the reason why it burnt up so quickly.

Anyways I've put about 3000 miles on this trans and It seems to shift good other than one little problem I've been having.

When I first start it and take off I WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 3rd!!! Until it gets warmed up to around 100 degrees. Its demanding 3rd according to my aeroforce gauges. It just stays in second all the way to 48 MPH then it demands 4th and will just slip!!!Once the truck warms up it never has another glitch its only on the first start up or after the truck sits for 12 plus hrs.If I start my truck and let it run for about 20 mins eveything works great.


When it acts up Sometimes I can put it into N then shut the truck down and coast, start it back up and all is good. It will shift like it should. This works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. Keep in mind its demanding 3rd everytime.

John wanted me to take the 2-3 shift valve out and the 2-3 accumulator plunger out then clean everything up really well. He is thinking some junk may have still been in there from the last burn up. I did this today but I didn't find any junk in the bores and the pistons moved smoothly in the bores after I removed and cleaned them. On the test drive I never could get up to a good speed to test it before it warmed up (damn traffic) but it demanded 3rd and it didn't shift when it demanded it.I will try again in the morning when there is less traffic and see what it does when i reach 48 MPH.

I have installed a New PMT2 Pcm, All new tunes From Swamps and from PHP which is what i'm running now. I haven't been able to locate a wiring harness for the transmission but i'm wanting to change it out just to eliminate that from the equation.

I'm seeing good pressure off of the test port. around 75-80psi while cruising and around 200psi at WOT.

Anyways I'm dumbfounded and don't know where to go from here. Maybe its the shift solenoid not carrying through or leaking at the base and not getting fluid to the right port until it warms up and expands. I found a write-up on transgo saying to drill 7 1/8 inch holes in solenoid body where there is a possibility for a cross-leak pressure build up on the voids that are not used causing bowing of the plate. It makes sense has anybody done this??



By the way Swamps found nothing wrong with the original tunes and they are a great tuner but I have a burner for my PHP chip so that's why i'm running their tunes.

Thanks Guys and sorry for not posting lately Its been a busy few weeks.
Kyler