Hello folks
I've had this truck ~10 years. It had 235K miles on it when I got it. It was always smokey and hard to start when hot. Transmission was always a little funky too - clunks into gears, thoughtful (maybe I'll shift... now) upshifts, reverse requiring some revs.

A few years ago a 'friend' got T-boned in my truck by an Accord right under the A-pillar. At that time he was putting most of the miles I've put on this truck. Insurance totalled the truck, but I hadn't even started to do what I wanted to do with it.

I have since straightened the front springs, jacked out the external body frame, refurbed the on-block oil cooler and turbo, replaced a couple injectors, changed tranny fluid and filter, replaced driver's fender and door. New batteries and starter. Was starting and running reliably and shifting in the forward gears seemingly to spec, but reverse was still iffy. Sometimes not really engaging, but would go. Othertimes work just fine. Can't really say if temperature was a factor.

This summer I failed emission test for Colorado so I decided to take it off the road to address the smoke. I just ordered rings and some other stuff last night. Before that, however, I was messing around on my property and got stuck in my yard/swamp. I buried both axels and got pulled out by a neighbor with his Chreokee. I couldn't get reverse to engage in 4x4 Low, then, it did, with, first, a buzzing/gear grinding whiiirrzzz, CLUNK. I was spinning all 4 slinging mud in reverse and he was doing a 4 wheel burnout up on the road. That was the last time I got reverse to engage.

After powerwash I moved it to it's spot, not knowing it didn't have reverse at that time. It sat for a while until I wanted to move it so I could shuffle another vehicle around and now I'm here.

I thought it might be electrical, as I cleaned and checked the gear selector connector, twice. It is CLEAN.

So, I've removed the tranny pan and filter.

And the solenoid block, accumulator and control block.


And now the gaskets and plate and springs and *****.


So, as I'm doing this I'm still thinking this might still be electrical. However, the fluid has a powerful burnt odor, and is pretty dark. It also looks like there's engine oil in there, aka black oil. There are definite iron filings around the magnet and in fact what can only be described as 'sludge' as I've only ever seen in an oil pan before, not in a tranny oil pan, ever. I didn't see any sludge and hardly any iron filings in this very trans pan when I changed the oil and filter ~ 2 years ago.

When I pulled the solenoid block I (finally) had a close inspection of that connector. Dang, if it isn't burned up!


What moron didn't put that heat shield back... I being said moron didn't put that heat shield back on after I had the rad and exhaust out replacing the oil pan gasket and engine mounts. I've had this truck in various states of repair ever since the accident.

Anyhow, is it possible that maybe just that connector was my problem? That I fried my tranny fluid running unshielded in the cooler lines right next to the exhaust? Could someone please point me to diagnostics for that connector on the right (passenger) side of the '93 diesel version of the E4OD.

I did measure fluid pressures on the tranny before starting this. Was showing 200psi in reverse at idle. Stall test, well, didn't go.

I've never rebuilt a tranny, although I've done clutches on manuals and pulled and replaced heads, motors and transmissions on various vehicles. The question is, is my tranny actually fried? I see reverse is hard to get to. Is the sludge in the tranny pan from the friction plates or is engine oil getting in there? Is that even possible?

My next step is either verify my wiring is faulty and put it back together and voila, reverse is good??? OR, drop the tranny for repair, rebuild, replace.

Thanks all for reading and your input.

Jeff

 

The picture of the pan tells me there is damage to the internal components, at this time I would remove it and dismantle it and rebuild it.

I am not thinking this was caused by the heat from the exhaust, but you definitely need to get a shield up because the heat is not doing it any good for sure. You can get the harness end separately.

 

Thanks JK.
I decided yes, it is broken and has to come out. I've got the front driveshaft off and came in from the dark looking at the rear.

I have the Ford factory service manuals for my truck. It looks like I'm dropping the trans and the transfer case together? It actually looks like the torque converter comes out with the tranny too, yes? Gravity working with me to get this out.

Do I have that sequence correct, or do I separate the trans and transfer case before disconnecting the trans from the engine?

I'll have more transmission-specific questions when I get that beast down. I did test the solenoid resistances and all were within spec. However, the resistance on the TOT sensor was, like, open at ~65F. I'm not sure if it was fried open or just too cold to register.

I was just reading scary stories about 'cavitation' in my motor in the diesel forum. Got me thinking about other work. I had what I thought was seriously low compression before and I know I had coolant in my engine oil and visa versa after the accident but that was remedied when I r&rd the oil cooler. I think I'll post my questions about that over there.

I think this is the right place for my trans issues though.

Thanks again JK.

Jeff

 

We separate them before we pull the transmission out, but I am sure there are other ways to do the same thing but thats how we do it.

You should remove the converter with the transmission, don't try to leave it on the flywheel it way more difficult and very messy.

 

Well, I'm back to messing with this after this motor action.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-and-more.html


I found among the documents from the previous owner that in '01 he paid a local shop $4824 for: "1 Rebuild Transmission w/exchange remanufactured torque converter with all hard pards needed to include missing bolts and transfer case w/all necessary wiring."

Then in 3/03 he shelled out another $1160 to the same shop for: "1 T-case rebuild under partial warranty".

And finally, in 10/03 another $295, same shop, "1 transmission Front pump reseal to Include T/Case reseal. N/C, Transmission R&R (or is that R$R) Labor."

So I called this shop today. Couldn't hurt, right? They have a message on their answering machine that they are closed 'til next Monday as all their techs are at at a training seminar. That's cool, I guess. I left a message for them to call me. Who knows what they might do?

Meanwhile, I'm going to start taking this thing apart. Saw a utube or two. looks like you kind of want to stand the thing on it's tail as you pull stuff off/out towards the engine side.

I don't really have any kind of stand to hold this that way. Any tips on how to proceed? I'm kind of an 'get er done', improvise guy. I'll take more pics as I move forward.

 

Hmmm. Not pretty at the bottom. Was looking pretty good until I got down to reverse.

Even the tail bushings look ok. I guess I'm making a replacement parts list.

Some assembly required.

 

Here's some pics of parts Reverse was clearly toasted. I picked up a reverse hub locally for $25.
I found that the FM36 kit from Rock Auto was all I really needed. I did get separate bushing and bearing kits but only used one thrust bearing out of both of those kits.

It took a few weeks but I believe I have it back together correctly and last week my new friend Ron happened by in timely fashion and helped me get the big bugger up and almost in. One bolt connecting the torque plate to the torque converter, 3 others in their holes. 3 bolts between the case and block. Bye Ron.

I guess it was all good as I kept rocking and jockeying and tweaking and then finally snugging and torquing down the case to block bolts.

I didn't truly appreciate the help getting the trans in until I put the transfer case in alone.

At this point (last weekend) I'd been unable to turn the motor over by hand to get to the other flywheel/torque plate bolts. Focus back to engine. Install starter. No start, nasty fuel leak identified, but able to get all TC bolts torqued on.

Today, engine starts and runs and idles. Woo Hoo Happy Dance Notice!

But, No gears are engaging. And i've got a very small leak out the hole where you're supposed to check trans fluid pressure. I had schraeder valve thing in there hooked up to a pressure gauge and have misplaced the actual plug that is supposed to be there. Right now I have a glow plug threaded in there but I don't think that is the right size. Does anyone know what size/thread that hole is offhand? As I may be needing to still be in diagnostic mode for a while I might just put the gauge on there until I find a proper plug.

I also think I may not have added enough fluid yet. I see it wants something like 16 quarts! More with a cooler? More yet, with the HD transfer case with the PTO? Did I read that correctly, that it's more like 20 quarts of ATF with the E4OD 4x4 with the F350?

If that is true, then I actually haven't put enough fluid in yet, and she'll just slip into gear when I get that right?

The big news though, is my truck is all back together and fires up.

 

It is a 1/8" pipe thread. A common 1/8" pipe plug will work fine.

Maybe a bit more, not a lot more.

Neither the transfer case nor the PTO share fluid with the transmission, so no more for either of those.

If you haven't run it long enough without fluid to ruin the pump it should work once you have enough fluid in it. Running many quarts low is not a good thing to do.

 

Thank-you Mark; 1/8" NPT? I can do that.

I must say I don't fully understand automatic transmissions.

I took this out of my truck. I disassembled it all the way down to the bottom and replaced all the steels and frictions and most of the seals. And the band. That didn't seem quite right, how that hooks on that big solenoid from the bottom? That is all loose until the main body and solenoid block and accumulator stuff goes on (?) - I put it all back together, but it isn't like I'm sure and confident I got it right.

I did not do anything to the pump. I replaced the two litlle orange split seals on the outside of the pump shaft. That's it.

After I got the trans back in the truck and before I got the truck started, I poured in about 3 gallons down the dipstick tube and before I had actually put the transfer case on about, oh, I'd say a quart, quart and a half poured out the tail housing.

Well, fast forward to today, I'm still not sure about that fluid level. There's the DO NOT ADD area on the dipstick. It says to check with the engine running in PARK. I can do that, but I can't get any temperature into the fluid. As best as I can tell I've got about 16 quarts in there now.

I have a pressure gauge on that little port right now and have started the motor and let it idle for about 1/2 hour. I'm showing ~190-200 psi in PARK. You've got me paranoid about doing anything at this point, but I tried RNO21 also, with nothing happening still.

I never 'flushed' my TC but I did drain it. I also flushed all the lines and the little aux rad but just drained the cooler. I don't like the sounds of me destroying my pump. How would I have done that again?

Is my seeing ~190 psi (hopefully) indicative that the pump is ok? Or is that just what you get with the engine turning over at 600rpm?

I guess I'm now doubling back to where I was before I did the rebuild but at least now I know I have good parts in there.

Its kind of behaving like it was before I took it out, except that was just no Reverse, now it's no Gear.

Any hints, quick checks, positive thoughts... I sure don't want to have to take it out and open it up again but I know that might be.

 

Well, I have driven the truck ~20 miles now and it felt very good but I believe I had over-filled the trans so I drained off a couple quarts in anticipation of bringing it back up.

After installing the exhaust and other under hood stuff, and the hood itself, etc., now the truck starts and runs fine but trans won't engage again. The difference this time is that my reverse lights also don't come on and the parking brake light also doesn't come on when I engage it.

I also don't see my check engine light ever light and I'm having trouble understanding how to invoke the KOEO or other OBD1 tests.

I think I need to investigate the Manual Lever Position Switch? and probably also the Fuel Injection Pump Lever Position Sensor aka Throttle Position Sensor ? This is a 7.3 IDIT, by the way. I think the FIPL is ok though, as the engine is running swell.

Any thoughts on what is common with reverse lights/no gear engagement/parking brake light ? Any direct points to a specific fuse or fuse group or wiring circuit?

I'm going to try disconnecting the negative battery grounds as this cleared a problem I encountered earlier with the Chapman alarm system on the truck. I'm also looking at the ABS stuff in the back. And I'm not sure about the VSS? Also, I can't seem to keep the cruise control cable attached to the throttle cable.

I'd really like to see if I can get some codes out of it.

Fumbling forward.

Jeff.

 

Nothing electrical will cause a no engagement situation, make sure its full of fluid, engine running in park on level ground. You have the correct filter installed?

 

I am quite sure I installed the correct filter - the one with the slightly longer neck for the deeper pan. It was the same as the one that came off.

I thought the E in E4OD is for electric, as in the solenoids are kicked with electrical signals from the ... TCM or PCM? In either case, if the signal from the shift lever position isn't getting communicated won't that be a (the) problem?

Or, are you suggesting that if I can select a gear with the lever it should engage the solenoids as apprpriate for that mechnical gear lever postion?

Does a reading on the trans fluid level dipstick when the engine/trans is cold and not running have any meaning?

There are all new frictions in there and I didn't do a bona-fide flush of the entire system so any residual crud would clog up the filter/reduce flow and possibly behave like this? Should I go back to the beginning and start with pressure tests?

I'm going out now to monkey.

 

The computer controls the solenoids, and the solenoids control the shifting, converter control, and regulate line pressure. The solenoids do not control forward and reverse engagement, with all electrical connections disconnected, even the MLPS switch, it should still engage in reverse and a forward gear. It wont shift and it will start off in the wrong gear but it will move.

Fluid level with the engine off means nothing, it has to be running, so make sure the fluid level is within range on the dipstick only with the engine running.

With the amount of debris the transmission created when it failed, it did contaminate the cooling system. It wont be enough to clog the filter but it definitely didn't do it any good. I would get it running and driving and change the fluid and filter again. Clean hot transmission fluid will clean out the cooler, it just puts it back into the freshly rebuilt transmission.

Good Luck