I bought my late grandfathers truck from the family because there was a need for cash. It is a 1990 f-150 standard cab long bed 4X4 with a 5.8, and an E40D and has 62,000 miles on it. From the time I bought it the transmission starts shifting hard in all gears once it is warmed up based on the coolant temperature gage showing the engine is at temp. I have read several posts, which are opinions in every direction, and talked to transmission shops. I first tried changing the fluid and filter. Was talked into trying the Lucas magical transmission oil additive, guaranteed to stop hard shifts, which did nothing as I figure it wouldn't. My local transmission shop checked for codes and there were none. They changed the switch at the linkage on the drivers side, did not fix it. I was told it is in limp mode causing the hard shifting and was told to try the speed sensor on the rear axle and the TPS, changed both and no change. Checked wiring connections and found transmission fluid on the connector for the solenoid pack, could this be my problem? Getting tired of spending money on a truck guessing what's wrong as I am probably upside down in it already.

 

Welcome to FTE. Unfortunate that you couldn't have found the site sooner. If you consider yourself upside down, then it would be best to go ahead & dump it now. Particularly if you must rely on paying others to work on it.

There is a lot of specific info that would/will be needed to address your problem. Foremost is the "No codes" bit. If the computer doesn't spit out at least pass code of 11 or at least some other non trans related code, then the first order is to pull the computer & check for leaking capacitors as this is a growing trend (and a frequent cause of your particular maladies) in this generation of trucks that are 20-30 years old.

Another quick question is, does the speedometer work smoothly or does it bounce?

Welcome again & good luck.

 

i am under the impression that there is a shift sensor on the e40d (i personally avoid these transmissions) look into that, and you need to exact units of fluid but i honestly think your valve body wearing down

most ford trucks with aod /e4od's up here in alberta canada go to retirement cuz of these trans. the main fact is back in the day most folks would just put it in overdrive and leave it there from the time they left there driveway till they get back i.e passing big hills low speeds hauling stuff these transmissions are not designed for that hence why the **** the bed

i just had an aod rebuilt a few months ago i sunk a hundred or 2 into it on fluid, filters, flush, and additives but in the end still died

$2500 to rebuild it but it now has some beefed up goodies inside and runs stronger then ever but i never use o.d till im up to highway speeds then big hills it comes out of o.d i find sometimes kicking it down is harder down shift compared to a lever shift

 

Start by checking for codes yourself. They are very easy to check, and you only need a paper clip and your eyes. Alternatively, a code-reader to read them costs about $25.

The E4OD is completely electronically controlled, and hard-shifts are almost always and electronics problem.

 

When you changed the fluid and filter, what was the condition inside? Was color was the fluid? Was there dark or metallic debris in the bottom? Any chunks of metal? Knowing these things will determine if you need a full rebuild versus a simple fix.

 

Thank you all for the replies. I did get the pass code but nothing related to the transmission. The speedometer works with no problems. The fluid was a little dark but did not smell burnt and no major metal in the pan. The trans works fine until it warms up.

 

So you don't have any check engine light or blinking O/D light when the weird behavior starts?

 

So did you get System Pass Code 11/11 for KOEO and CM? Or did you get other codes?

Your reply contradicts itself.

 

No check engine or blinking OD light. I do not remember the two codes the reader came up with exactly but I remember 11 and the other code the book said was an air flow issue on one side of the intake, which I'm guessing is the cracked flex pipe between the EGR and the manifold. But no code mentioned anything about the transmission. The truck is not doing anything unusual except the hard shifting when warm, all gages work fine.

 

The same computer controls the engine and transmission. A faulty engine sensor can trigger the transmission to work in limp mode. You really need to re-run the Key On Engine Off (KOEO) tests and stored code (Continuous Memory) display. List the code(s) by number and when they were displayed.

 

Judging from the orig post, you've changed:

Fluid/filter
MLPS
VSS
TPS

And been told its in limp mode because of hard shift, but only when warm.

I dealt with off & on hard shifts and the occasional 6** code for ten years, before I did a full on rebuild only to find all my problems were electrical. And even then I had zero trans codes.

But when that sucker went into full limp mode, a fellow FTE'r described the shifts like "getting hit in the *** by a dump truck".

 

In most cases, base engine concerns and codes WILL affect transmission operation, especially with the E4OD. You need to resolve anything wrong with the engine first before focusing on the transmission. To diagnose the transmission by symptom with no codes, you MUST get the 11/111 pass code in KOEO and KOER tests.

 

An airflow issue can cause low engine power, which will make the transmission shifts very hard. Fix this and see if it fixes the shifting problems.

 

that's actually not a main fact but rather a false statement.
the E4OD is in fact designed to operate just as all auto trans,in that all the driver needs to do,is place the shift lever in the D position and the trans will work..........automatically.

 

The E4OD can tow just fine in overdrive, and is strong enough to do it. What is not good for the E4OD is constant hunting between 3rd and 4th, which can happen on rolling hills while towing.

The E4OD is a tough transmission, but it's let down by some design flaws that weren't fixed until the '95 model year and an undersized oil cooler.