Hello everyone. My name is Nathan and have a 2004 F350 6.0. She has about 200k on her and she's a very well cared for truck. I could use some help trying to figure out what just happened. I went over to my buddies house to pick up a skid steer. Backed up his driveway and loaded it up and pulled out going forward. While driving home going up a hill at about 15mph the truck started shuttering (not slow bucking but a real fast shuttering) that was coming from the transmission. I pulled over let it idle for 5 min and then put it back in gear and drove home (up a pretty big hill and it did just fine shifting through all the gears etc. Once home I find out I have no reverse. I have park or forward that's it. The tow/haul button is blinking but no engine codes. I can drive forward in Drive (with good shifting) or manually start at 1st gear and shift all the way up through D and they all seem to work normal. When its in neutral it goes forward and when its in reverse it also goes forward. Prior to the problem I was noticing that the shifting on the column felt a little rough and not like it had felt before. The transmission has never had any hints of slipping. In past few days in hindsight I noticed that when I put it in reverse it would take a second to shift into the gear (almost a pause)but once in the gear everything seemed fine. The truck does have a transmission temp gage and it's never gotten hot. I would take it to a transmission shop but they auto default to "you need a new transmission". I can work on just about anything and want to poke around a bit myself before taking it anywhere. Any ideas on what to check would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

 

That means there are transmission codes, not engine codes. If you couldn't read them it means you have the wrong scan tool. Forscan is a great way to read ALL of the codes. It's free at www.forscan.org. You'll also need an ELM327 adapter. I bought mine from Amazon for less than $30.

That usually means the forward clutch has failed and welded itself together.

I agree, they often do. This time they would be right.

Does the ATF have a burnt odor? Is it red, pink, brown, or black?

 

I know it's a very old program, and not likely very helpful to the OP at this point. If you Google Search Ford Satisfaction Program 04B24 and read the details of that program perhaps the repair outlined may pertain to the problem at hand. Keeping in mind, I'm not a transmission technician, so my expertise on subject matters related to such are limited.

 

1) I get it on not being able to pull trans codes with my scanner. Will look into Forscan
2) I'm going reset through battery in the morning and see when it's cold if it does anything different.
3) Debating a dealer trip to diagnosis.
4) I have not looked ar ATF but definitely has burnt smell when it was still hot. I will look at it in the morning.

I am looking at re-man's online and they aren't horribly expensive. I'm thinking I might do it myself. Is there anything extremely difficult about dropping it (for example super hard access to the upper bell housing bolts or anything like that?

Thanks for the help.
Nate

 

NOPE.

If it's a 4x4, I would rather remove the transfer case first. Other than that, it's seven long 13mm bolts and two short 13mm bolts for the bellhousing itself. There are six torque converter nuts to remove. You can access it from either the six o'clock position or driver side engine block rubber grommets. Either a 15mm or 9/16" socket will work. But I prefer the 9/16" for a tighter fit. The starter does not need to be removed, except for the one 13mm bolt through the bellhousing. Other than being a fairly heavy transmission, it's not difficult at to remove. Being a 6.0L diesel makes it even easier in that you don't have the exhaust in your way like you would on the trucks with the gas engines. Good luck.

 

Perfect, using a normal transmission jack how high would you guess I need to get the tires off the ground to roll the trans in and out.

 

Hey guys,

I got the rebuilt transmission and went about taking out the old one and installing it. The new one seems to match the old one in every way (bolt holes everything). I transferred over all the sensors and brackets but when putting it in, it gets to about 1/4" from the bell housing being tight and then it is hitting something in the shaft area. I can tighten down one side of the bell housing tight but the other side opens up to 1/2" plus. When I try to tighten down that side is binds up. (yes I have tried to tighten them up simultaneously) It's basically rocking on something in the middle that is 1/4" ish to long. After the first time I took it back out and looked everything over, made sure the alignment pins were the correct size to go into the bell, made sure nothing was in the way etc... Put it up again and same problem. This time I took it out and started to measure everything on the new one compared to the old one. Everything measures out the same, the shaft differences between the face of the bell and the start of the shaft are the same as the old one. The length of the torque converter female shafts, the distance to the flute on the bigger shaft ect. I can't find anything that is different. But something is stopping it from going the last 1/4 inch. And whatever it is is in the middle shaft area because I can rock on it by tightening up each side individually.

Full disclosure is that I am leaving the existing torque converter in (which is OEM)

I'm at a complete loss and after 5 hours under the truck yesterday taking the tranny in and out 3 separate times I need some help.

Attached is a picture of the tag on the OEM transmission I took out as well as some pictures of it. The transmission Detroit axel sent me is I believe a 5R110W (they looked it up under the truck SN). I can't tell from the tag on the OEM trans if it's the same (you will be able to). The tag on the replacement is painted over so I can't compare them. The SN for the truck is 1FDSX35P33ED60071. I have emailed Detroit Axel but its Sunday so I won't hear from them.

 

did you unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate? If not, you need to remove the torque converter from the flex plate, then seat the torque converter fully into the new trans, then install the new transmission with the torque converter already installed in the transmission.

also inspect the dowel pin holes in the new transmission and in the block. clean out any rust or debris and make sure the dowel pins are seated in the block fully.

 

Not that this is of much help, but the pictures of the transmission tag along with the VIN posted indicate both a transmission from a 2003 model year truck as well as the truck itself being a 2003 model year truck.

I agree with the poster above, about installing the new transmission into the truck with the torque converter PROPERLY SEATED into the new transmission. Failing to ensure the torque converter is fully seated into the new transmission and attempting installation can and will result in damage to the transmission fluid pump. Along with verifying the location dowels on the rear engine cover are present, along with both the bellhousing and holes are aligned properly are not enough. You also need to ensure the torque converter studs are aligned dead on to the holes in the flexplate as you attempt to bolt up the bellhousing. If either A) the torque converter studs are binding on the flexplate due to not being aligned perfectly to the holes, and/or B) the torque converter isn't properly seated onto the splines of the input shaft AND FULLY engaged to the pump, you will encounter exactly the problems you describe, attempting to secure the bellhousing to the rear engine cover.

Hope this helps.

 

Yep, ETIS verified VIN you posted is a 2003 superduty.