the transmission problems where not all due to having a 6lt. Our 01 5.4 4r100 gernated but Ford replaced it, the 03 was OK
Than our 05 v10 5r100 was recalled and updated at about 7,000 miles. That snap ring problem..
Really like this 5r100 in tow haul behine the v10 with 4:10's. My buddy has an ex with a 6lt 3:73's and it is real hard on fuel in tow haul. So much that he bought a programer, big exh. and intake and does not use tow haul.

 

Ours doesn't shift smoothly and it holds the rps way higher than need be in tow/haul mode. I'm not too impressed with it. I wonder what will let loose first the 6.0 or the trans? All I know is my 4r100 in my personal truck is way smoother with over twice the miles and I'm happy with it along with the V10 that is in front of it.

 

To all there own, but I prefer the firmer, quicker shift of the 5R100 over the slower smoother shift of the 4R100. The problem is I really don't NEED a new truck yet so I guess I'll live with the old 4 speeder (4R100), lol!

 

That is the thing, "ours isn't quicker". It doesn't shift till almost red line and slams into the next gear while moderately accelerating with the tow/haul mode engaged. Totally blows any mileage potential. With out the tow/haul mode engaged it shifts very firm. Too firm for my liking, but at least it isn't going to put you in the ditch as fast as the tow/haul mode will on slippery roads. I think there is major issue with it, but it isn't my call it is my dads. He is just takes it as it is and doesn't know any better. If you like to dump the clutch every time you shift in a manual then this tranny is for you. Honestly I miss having a C6. Now that was smooth.

 

Ok, now that we have laid the motor to rest (I've decided that the V10 is the choice) are there any concerns with the 5R100 transmission. Obviously our 2004 PSD transmission torqshifted itself right into the parts bin at 6,000 miles and there are quite a few others that have deja vu sounding stories on it.

Was this a direct relationship to the torque of the 6.0PSD or just first year teething issues? Has the reliability improved greatly? It sounds like it has but then I'm just now performing my due diligence on this before I drop big bucks (again!!!) on a FORD SD product so I may not know.

Thanks for all of the great responses.

 

on these trucks it's not the engines causing the failures...its the quality of the assemblies
I've had a 5'4 gernade a 4r100, I've have a v10 with a 5r100 that was recalled at 6k for a complete teardown
yet our 2000 ex 7.3 4r100 with 100hp tune went 150k with no grief along with a buddies 03 ex 6lt 5r100 with a 100hp tune at 120k

 

Isn't it "5r110"? As I said earlier I like the 4r100 so far, but I need to drive another torqueshift trans to compare. I think ours at work is way off...

 

The early years of the 5R110w had a few issues..one was a rolled pin shear and the other common problem was a retaining clip not properly seated...most of the broken trans issues surfaced the first snow plow season where constant forward to reverse shifting made the internal faults surface...Ford recalled a large section of serial numbers and made internal repairs

Since late 2004 to early 2005 there has been no more significant breakages tied directly to that early issue so it seems Ford Quality control stepped up and "cured: the original issue... There are still the normal faults with American manufacturing and from what I read and my local repair shop experiences it seems that the 5R110w is turning out to be relatively reliable unit.

Some here are not too happy that the aftermarket has not stepped in with upgrades for the timing computer or internals but I wonder if this is just a function of no significant repair history suggesting the trans needs to have money spent on it to make it beefier...

If you have a Ford 4R100 there are several upgrades for internals and shift control that are now standard install items during any rebuild,,,in fact there is no longer a source for the original weak plastic or cheesy "stamped" low quality parts. There are dozens of re-builders for the 4R100 that cater to the PSD on steroids market that pay extra attention to the torque converter and shift bodies making what they call a bullet proof auto trans capable of very high torque loads and they even warranty them to take the higher input power...no such market exists for the 5R100w....makes you wonder if the 5R110w is already strong enough or it is just too new yet to get into the aftermarkets profitability zone....

Comparing my three previous 4R100s to this current 5R110w... I personally think the tow haul feature that locks the torque converter during down hill sections for providing engine braking through compression is the single greatest reason to deliberately get this trany for heavy tow haul usage... this is a damned good auto trans in my opinion.... But is I was going to snow plow I would opt for the manual and wear out my clutch foot/leg.....grin