tranny advice needed
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Junior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 65
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From: Greenwood Wisconsin
tranny advice needed
I have an early 99 F250 with auto tranny. It has 240,000 miles with no problems. I have that rattling torque converter. It was always noisy but seems to be getting worse maybe. I have had a lot of comments about it not sounding good lately including from the Ford dealer when my oil was last changed. My question is should I do anything to the tranny while replacing the torque converter? I am toying with buying a new truck at the end of next year. I dont want to spend alot of money on it unless I keep it. I just pulled my 10,000 pound travel trailer 800 miles and the tranny worked good. What do you think I should do? Alan
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 699
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From: northern Michigan
When torque convertors fail they can put metal into the oil small enough to pass through your filter and this will flow through the entire system with the potential to cause problems. Also your clutches are probaly worn and due to fail soon with that many miles. If you drop the oil pan you would find a mud in the bottom that is from the clutches. I would at this point go with a new convertor(up grade to a billet type) and overhaul the tranny or replace it with a new rebuildt with the upgrades that come with the aftermarket tranny's.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,425
Likes: 9
I agree with stormyrider 100%.
I'm no tranny tech, but I've done my tranny 3-times. If theres is anything I can say about this is too find a reputable tranny builder. BTS and John Wood seem to be the best out there for our PS's. Save yourself a huge headache. DONOT let your local shop build you a tranny!! They have no clue how these tranny's and torque converters function. Please call BTS or John Wood, who I have talked to personaly. John is a very nice guy and willing to hlep. As is Brian at BTS, form what the guys here have said. They will make the suggestions of the proper tranny build you require, based on the intended usage of your truck. Mine was built by Jimmy Galant here in S.CA. He is another repuitable tranny builder, available to us here.. I truely hope you call them for the proper advice on your Rigg. You won't be sorry. OH, and there customer service is matched by none from what I here. Maybe some of the other will chime in here as well that actually have a BTS or John Wood tranny. Take Care Now. 
Country
I'm no tranny tech, but I've done my tranny 3-times. If theres is anything I can say about this is too find a reputable tranny builder. BTS and John Wood seem to be the best out there for our PS's. Save yourself a huge headache. DONOT let your local shop build you a tranny!! They have no clue how these tranny's and torque converters function. Please call BTS or John Wood, who I have talked to personaly. John is a very nice guy and willing to hlep. As is Brian at BTS, form what the guys here have said. They will make the suggestions of the proper tranny build you require, based on the intended usage of your truck. Mine was built by Jimmy Galant here in S.CA. He is another repuitable tranny builder, available to us here.. I truely hope you call them for the proper advice on your Rigg. You won't be sorry. OH, and there customer service is matched by none from what I here. Maybe some of the other will chime in here as well that actually have a BTS or John Wood tranny. Take Care Now. Country
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 14,582
Likes: 12
From: 21791
It seems a good upgrade for our trucks is switching to the torque converter in 6.0 trucks, or the new 6.4 trucks. I'm not sure if there is any difference between the two, but either is better than the stock 7.3 converter which ford really dropped the ball on. John Wood specializes in those. If you are mechanically inclined you can pull the transmission, it looks tough but i've heard it's really easy to rebuild a transmission- Just make sure things go back in the same order they came out. 
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,308
Likes: 250
From: Hartford, WI
I'm a BTS fan so I would recommend the BTS trans for the most part. NOT IN THIS CASE. You see, you are thinking of dumping it. So, why not get the cheapest thing that works? Now if you planned to keep it, I'd say go BTS.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage
I'm just going to throw this out to you, if you do take out your trans, make sure that the torque converter is fully seated, past the flywheel and into the block. I didn't and fubar the trans. That's before the chain slipped and the motor took a quick fall and broke the upper oil pan. Oh with the trans just put a small dent into, I want to say around the ring gear that the pump connects with. I didn't take it apart, just heard about it. Pump was still good. Input shaft and little nickered. That's after putting it in 3 more time trying to figure out why the motor wouldn't bar over. Thank god there was another trans around. Lesson learned.
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Sorry my friend no disrespect, but that is a funny one. Thanks for that. Take care now. Country
Senior User
Joined: May 2006
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From: Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage
Now that it is in I'm waiting on some trans fluid because we have no mercon. Just cheap dex III and they want mercon in it. Fine by me. Hoping I won't have to worry about it. Come on 2 more months.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2006
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Originally Posted by ALF1999
I have an early 99 F250 with auto tranny. It has 240,000 miles with no problems. I have that rattling torque converter. It was always noisy but seems to be getting worse maybe. I have had a lot of comments about it not sounding good lately including from the Ford dealer when my oil was last changed. My question is should I do anything to the tranny while replacing the torque converter? I am toying with buying a new truck at the end of next year. I dont want to spend alot of money on it unless I keep it. I just pulled my 10,000 pound travel trailer 800 miles and the tranny worked good. What do you think I should do? Alan
Just $.02 worth.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 278
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I'm an early 99er also and replaced my trans last June for $2300 including a heavy duty TC. I plan on keeping my truck because I like the 7.3 and upgrading as failures occur, or before. I believe in the old saying "Its cheaper to keep her", even with repairs. But then mine is mainly a ranch truck. I might be a little more nervous about failures if I was hundreds of miles away from home on a regular basis.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 278
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A mechanic just down the road from me did the removal and installation but he took the tranny to a rebuild shop on Harry Hines Blvd that did the actual work. I think they charged about $1400 for the rebuild. However, it went back to them 2 more times within a month before they got it right.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: East Peoria, IL
alan-what did you end up doing
i was just thinking, i read this thread when you first posted it and i saw it up there again when someone dug it up a little bit from a month ago
i would buy another 7.3, but until then buy the BTS and switch your new trucks tranny into your old truck and the BTS into your new truck
i was just thinking, i read this thread when you first posted it and i saw it up there again when someone dug it up a little bit from a month ago
i would buy another 7.3, but until then buy the BTS and switch your new trucks tranny into your old truck and the BTS into your new truck
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