A few years ago while 10 hours from home (I'm in Indy) I over-heated my trans, and puked fluid out the front seal. I took it to a dealer on a Friday and they were able to drop the trans and replace the seal for me. The tech said the converter appeared it was heated up pretty good too and he recommended replacing it. He didn't have one in stock and I couldn't leave the truck as I had to get back home. He told me then a year or less is all he would chance it, and I would need to spend ~$1,400 to have it replaced. So I drove home (with trailer & Mustang in tow) with no issues.

The past three years I have towed my car hauler with the truck to Charlotte, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and several local events. A few weeks ago while leaving a state park, I felt the first of what I would call stuttering while climbing up hill in 1st gear. I have felt it no other time....not in 2nd gear, not on flat ground, and not under any condition with just an empty truck.

So...have I lived on as much borrowed time as I can with the converter? I have a long haul to Charlotte coming up in October...should I bite the bullet and get it replaced? I have a local trans shop that will diagnose for me at no charge...but can they really tell anything about the converter without removing the trans?

I can get an HD upgrade converter for $200, and have a local shop I like to use that will do the labor and fluid for $600.

Any thoughts appreciated. I don't want to **** away $$, but also don't want to risk being stranded on my next haul.

 

Just what kinda of HD upgrade converter be had for $200? I bought one from BD Diese, back in maybe 1999....I seem to recall it was at least $700.

 

Thats a good question....I don't have any reference other than Autozone has an OEM equivalent for $299 and a HD upgrade for $499. The place I am using is called Transtar in Indy...best I can tell they refurb them and sell direct to the Trans Shops, as well as the public. An OEM equivalent from them is $165, and HD is $200 and an HD with Billet cover is $400.

https://www.transtar1.com/products/torque-converters

I don't tow all too often and when I do it is ~6000lbs. I figure I would be fine with an OEM but for $35 more, why not get an triple disc upgrade.

Thoughts and opinions welcome.

 

I have never seen a torque converter shudder in first gear. I can't see how a torque converter could make a shudder in first gear.

 

So any thoughts on what it is I was feeling? You think the dealer tech was feeding me a line and I should leave it be?

 

Most likely is a failing u-joint.

The converter either worked or it didn't. Unless the tech cut the converter open and inspected it, he doesn't know. He didn't do that. I guarantee that.

 

Interesting. Sounds like I should not **** away the $$ then. I have the truck into a local, reputable trans shop and have talked to them thoroughly about all this....they are going to do a full diagnostic and let me know if they find anything.

They even said they can do the Hutch & Harpoon mod for me as I have read in some other threads that the possible air bubbling in the fuel could cause a studder?

 

Diagnosis is in...I'm screwed. TQ Converter is fried as is my flywheel and trans needs to be completely overhauled. Curious what some have had to pay for a complete overhaul? I'm looking at $3,400 and not the least bit happy :-(

 

Usually a bad TC will cause the fluid to overheat (slippage). A really good TC is Precision out of Iowa. Get a Billet TC if you upped the engine HP. So the question is why did your trans overheat?

 

If it's drives get it out of there. Most all trans shops will tell you that. If you have a broken flywheel, then you have to replace that. Hopefully they didn't take your trans apart. For that, get a Ford HD4r100 trans with the best warranty around.

 

I think you should get a second opinion unless you are 110% confident that this shop is both honest and competent. I have seen dozens of threads on this forum over the years where someone said a shop said it needed a full rebuild and it ended up being a $10 sensor or a wiring fault or something trivial.

I would insist on a much more detailed explanation than "the TC is fried". What failed exactly? And what happened to the flywheel? I'm not saying that none of this is possible... just that it's very vague.

Also I think the first dealer might have taken advantage of you. Most of the time when these overheat, they leak fluid out of the front seal, and after it cools down it doesn't leak anymore. There is no way that anyone can look at a converter from the outside and tell you it has X hours or miles remaining. That's just plain absurd.

This next thing is a very important piece of advice! When you take your vehicle to a shop, never tell them ANYTHING about what any other shop has diagnosed or told you. If they're dishonest, you're just making it easy for them to rip you off because all they need to do is confirm your worst fears, which is VERY easy to do. All you need to tell them is what the truck is doing wrong.

 

That 'flywheel' one gets me. 1) It's not a flywheel it's a flexplate and 2) it would unlikely that it would go at the same time as a TC or Tranny, though not impossible.

 

Appreciate all the advice, but it is out of my hands unfortunately as it has already been pulled and disassembled for a "soft rebuild"...that is when they discovered the other stuff. So now it is getting a full rebuild.

*The reason the trans overheated 3 years ago was my fault. I was in the last 15 minutes of a long haul, up a mountain to a buddies house. I was not paying attention to my gauge at that point and it got hot. His driveway is uphill and dummy me backed the truck/trailer in. That is when the fluid puked out the front seal.

*What was said about the original dealer may or may not be true...but I was a long way from home and felt it was the right thing to have it fixed. The service manager was a friend of my buddies that I stayed with....so don't feel I was taken advantage of by him, other than maybe the seal may or may not have been fine after cooling down.

*The trans shop that my truck is at now is one of the best in the Indy area. They may or may not be taking advantage of me....I don't have any control over that now unfortunately, but I lean toward believing them based on their history/reputation here in town.

*The flywheel/flexplate has several areas where the teeth are chewed up. This I believe, as I have had several instances of the starter not engaging when I try to start it.

 

How much are they charging you? What aftermarket upgrades are you going with? Upgraded center support? Billet torque converter?

 

Just fyi tousley Ford sells Ford remanufactured 4r100's for $2800. Pretty sure they can get the HD4r100. For what you've been quoted to rebuild the one time got.