I have another post here asking possible damage from overfill. I have seen mention of a couple zip files, rebuilding E4OD and another?? on sensor testing. I would appreciate if the originator of those files might send them my way. Thanks!

Also, on my son's truck, last month we discovered the oil pump had spun in the transfer case. Found site indicating that is a common problem, and the usual fix is to weld the 'groove' that gets eaten out by the "skinny" oil pump "dog-foot". In lieu of buying a new pump/dog at 180 bucks and welding the case, I made my own dog plate with a .5x.5x1" key-stock welded to a shaped 1/8" steel plate, secured as the original at the pump screws. The load-bearing surface of the dog is now 1" long and "bridges over" the damaged area of the case wall. I have a .dxf CAD file I would be happy to send to anyone with this same problem.

And thanks again for any hints in getting his E4OD problem licked. All my automatic experience is from the 60's in Pontiac Hydro-matics....

Thanks, all!

 

Ok, more info now. Had code 66 TOT short, and stored EGR code 33. Copied Mitchell Manual on E4OD at Library, and made some headway. Disconnected the tranny, and got TOT OPEN (as well as all the solenoid and pressure fail codes), cleaned the connector and got code 11 All Clear. After drive test, the EGR 33 still sets, but that is the only code stored now.

Line pressure tests all agree with the manual in all modes except D-range WOT Stall is 125psi and the manual states 156-174.

If you recall, this started when he overfilled the tranny several quarts, after changing the filter. It was driven a mile or so, with shift problems as noted, until he could make it back to home base to correct the overfill.

Symptom: in D, will not shift out of 1st. If you let off gas at 30, it drops to idle, and coasts w/o engine braking. If back on gas, nothing picks up, as if now in neutral.

Symptom: From L start, can go to 2, RPM drops and I think it is really in 2nd, but there is some slipage, I think. Not a really good lockup. If then go to D, it seems to be in neutral.

Any suggestions? I intend to inspect the valve body tomorrow, unless someone chimes in with a magic potion...

Thanks!

 

Need help identify the solenoid block here. The connector (grey) appears to have had only one lock tab, but unlike picture in the famous "ZIP File" (excellent, by the way), all 12 pins are in the male (tranny conn) half. All solenoids read the same either polarity of the meter, so I don't think there are "blocking diodes" in the solenoid block.
My son bought this truck in Guam while in the Navy. There appears to be a repair tag of some sort on the tranny, and I am now worried that the SolBlock might be the newer kind without the diodes. Why worry? He just replaced the computer (from Ford), so they probably sold him the original type ECC which ALSO does not have the blocking diodes... thus it could cause the NEW computer to go south from back-EMF surges of the solenoids.

Any way to id the solenoid block from the connector I described?

Are the older units WITH diodes really in series with the solenoid, or are they in parallel (the more common way to absorb EMF) with the coil, and therefore not detectable with the ohm meter... ???


Thanks!

 

Very interesting, and confirms that I should be worried! Thanks. I'm thinking one solution might be simply to add diodes into the harness to ensure I protect the ECC. I think I will fab a breakout connector to scope the lines and see what's there, and confirm the ECC is firing the solenoids.
At this point, I don't think I have an electronic problem, though...

 

Hi Tom,

Sorry I didn't reply to you earlier. I am the one who did the 96 into a 93 E4OD mod in the DieselStop post referenced above.

A few things to consider. If you are going to drop the pan again, you can add the diodes to the solenoid block, right where they are supposed to go. This way you don't have to cut up your harness. When you drop the pan, pull the wire harness off the solenoid pack and remove ALL the torx bolts from the solenoid block, plus the little 10mm nut holding it in place. Make sure you get the hidden bolts before you start beating on it. :-) It should come off easliy once all the bolts are out. Get ready for it to dump about another half litre of oil. Once you get the pack out, rinse it well with brake clean or something similar to get rid of the oil film. You will then see in the middle of the circuit board, 4 rows of holes where the diodes originally went. You can solder them right in there and that will make a nice neat installation. I will try to remember to take a pic for you tonight of my old pack so that you can see which way they go in.

Chances are that they wouldn't have put in a newer solenoid pack though as they are different connectors. the wiring is all different as well. Unless they cut the harness somewhere and spliced in a new connector?? Also, the new computers won't work with the older trucks. They are completely different connectors at the firewall, where the computer plugs in. There is no way to plug in a .....wait wait...I'm talking Diesel truck here and you have gas. I can't comment on the gas computer plug. Sorry. Ignore last sentance.

Anyway, I hope I have helped a bit. I'll get back to you on the diodes.

cheers!

Paul

 

Thanks, I figured reading between the lines of your post what courses I might take, if they are not there, but the circuit for them is, then that's what I'll do.
I was just ready to drop it, and saw a dust storm heading my way, so I slapped the pan back on for the duration! Durn thunderstorms all around, all I get are the wind and the dust!
Hope to be able to speak more intelligently about it in a few hours...<};-)
(that's me in a cowboy hat...)

 

Okay Tom good luck. I'd trade your wind and dust anyday for our mold and mildew. :-)

Did you know Mold is our Municipal flower?

Cheers!

Paul in Vancouver

 

Oh, I can relate. Spent 20 odd years in N. Fla oiling and cleaning tools, guns, everything every Sunday afternoon! I think even I was rusting down there...
Wind has died down, time to fire up the grill and crawl under the truck...
Enjoyed your posts on Dieslestop, BTW. Sounds like you had a lot of worthwhile fun...

 

Richard, Paul, et al....
Evening...
Well, I have the old style solenoid body, the diodes are on the board. They are in parallel with the coils, cathode to v+ and anode to the apply pin (v-). They are working to shunt the high negative spike generated when the coil shuts off. They are NOT in series, which is why I did not read their presence with the ohm meter. Checking them with a "curve tracer" and Oscope, I see both the coil impedance and the diode shunt, so everything there is fine. Whew!

What I DO find odd, maybe one of you can confirm this...
This may be hard to visualize. The connector mount (pipe with O-ring) is not fully seated against the solenoid block body. The bore in the body is smaller than the bore in the tranny case, and the pipe has two diameters. The sholder of this transition is 1/16" off of the solenoid body.
I wouldn't have thought this strange, except that is not why I noticed it. The Circuit board is NOT FLAT... The corner where the connector mounts is also 1/16" higher than the plane of all the solenoid pins.
It appears that the connector/mount pipe slipped out of the solenoid body some, either when I or a previous tech removed the body. It will not move by hand, so if your ckt board is flat, I will have to make a spanner (to miss the connector) and press it back down to the body. It probably is fine as is, all the connector pins are at equal height, but it bugs me.

Thanks...again!

 

Hi Tom,

Glad you found it to be the correct solenoid pack. Yes, I forgot to mention in my last post, they are in parallel with the coils to reduce the back EMF spikes on shut off. Sounds like you are a techy type too if your testing with an Oscope.

When I took my cct brd off the solenoids, I did this to wire in my own circuitry to control shifts, I had to cut about an 1/8" off the black plastic surrounding the pins. That whole piece of black plastic slides (with effort) up and down the pins so maybe that is what is dislodged. Actually, I'll run upstairs and have a look at my spare. Stand by. Mmm. Now my Nachos taste like ATF. Not too bad. :-)

My '93 grey plastic pin housing is the same diameter all the way from the machined surface of the body right up past the O-Ring. You should be okay to push down right on the top of the connector to get the cct brd back to being flat. BTW, remove the little plastic protective cover over the cct brd and blow out with brake clean or similar, any gunk stuck on the cct brd..

Again, good luck and let me know what else is up with your tranny. I will search back to see your original post.

Cheers!

Paul

 

Tom, Paul,
Forgive a guy who's high tech. tool is the multimeter but I'd like to clarify some things in my own mind.
Tom, you say you have the new style harness connector (only one locking tab).
But you have the old style solenoid block with the diodes in it.
What is the pin-out? Is it the old style pin-out, or the new?
Thanks, R.A.

 

All -- Good morning,

As it sits in the tranny, connector up, my grey plastic shell sits on a turned aluminum sleeve 1.367" OD, with O-ring for the tranny case. Below the O-ring 0.32", the sleeve necks down to 1.213" to press into the control body. This shoulder is 1/16" off of the body, and I believe the sleeve has slipped up out of the body. All the pins of the connector are identical height, and all the solder is good, no traces are cracked, nor is the fiberglass board. The board followed the connector, thus is now warped on that corner.

Since Paul sees one diameter all the way down, I will press mine back down into position to remove the stress on the ckt board, if I can jig something safe to do it on my press.

As to the connector, as I said, it is fully populated all 12 pins. Now that it is in my hand, I see a broken tab on the outer (passenger) side. The harness shell had only a lock tab on the inner (driver) side. The outer latch on the harness also looks to be missing. I'm no great fan of these ford connector locks, but maybe when this is all over I'll be an old hand! If I have a hand left, that is...

Also, now that it is clean and dry, there is some corrosion on the body pins. Perhaps this is part of my problem, I wish I had used a current probe to see if the relays were actually firing during the drive test, not just by using a jumper wire! I expect I can clean them, and if the harness can be cleaned up, I will safety-wire it when I'm done. Not going to replace it for a broken plastic latch!!!

Have to rig an air-test I guess to check the valve action of the solenoids, I'll post what I get. That surprised me, I expected the solenoids to be actuating some spool valve or something in the tranny case. Kinda neat, I guess, how it actually is. Not very servicable tho, eh?


Sorry for the long description, but maybe it will help someone in the future...

Thanks, guys, big help! Onward to the control valve body...<};-)

 

BTW, the solenoids all read proper ohms FROM the fender-well connector (C129), so I don't think the corrosion is a factor, unless it is intermittent. Hope to find some trash in the other control valve bodies...eh?

 

Tom,

Excellent description and diagnosis. Yes, you should be able to just push that grey housing back into the body. My connector pins are actually soldered onto metal circular tabs that attach to the cct brd, thus providing some flex and strain relief.

While you are into it this deep, (I assume it is still in the truck) and you are dropping the valve body for cleaning, may I suggest the Trans-go E4OD-SK kit be installed. It changes the springs and has you drill out a few holes in the plate, and it makes a world of difference in the shift. Mind you, I had my tranny out and did the pump mod as well which ups line pressure and helps with the shifts as well. One thing to remember when you drop the valve body, the little ***** (6 or 7) are going to drop out on you, out of their little pockets in the tranny housing so watch for them. When you put them back in, you can use a little wheel bearing grease to hold them in position in the tranny. When you are trying to get the spool valves out, they will probably be stuck in the bore, rather than trying to pry/push/damage the aluminum, I pushed the valves back against the spring and let them "snap" their way out of the bore. Don't push them too far or they will really get stuck, just enough to get a little momentum. Maybe 1/8". We can cover more detail as you get into it. I will try to monitor the posts over the weekend and help out as best I can. I would also suggest, if you have time, to do a search on the Dieselstop posts for "E4OD shift problems" or something to that effect. There is a LOT of info on that board.

Good luck Tom.

Paul in Vancouver

 

Tom,
I gotta say that I've had direct experience with a bad harness connector causing problems because the lock tabs were broken off. Granted, you live in New Mexico, and perhaps don't get a lot of rain, and therefore, puddles. One of the two probs. I had to fix was because water would splash up onto the sol. block connector and enter the connection. The water in the pin block would short out the pins so that I only had first gear. This could happen any time I went through a puddle, not just flash flooding type storms. I replaced the harness connector with good locking tabs and I've not experienced the problem again. You can buy a new harness connector at a local tranny shop. Mine was made by Autotrans and it was around $30. Good luck with the rest of the operation, R.A.