So my work truck was stolen earlier this week, and recovered a couple days later. This truck was only used on my farm, so rarely got over 30 MPH. Well, they were obviously travelling at higher speeds and a front driveshaft U-joint grenaded. The front shaft/rear U-joint went, and the shaft was flying around and punched two holes in the transfer case, dented the transmission pan, tore up the wiring harness that connects to the tranny, and destroyed the shift linkage that connects the cable to the shaft going into the side of the tranny. When I put vice-grips on the shaft, I can't turn it. This seems really bad. Is there serious damage? Will I learn/see anything if I pull the pan? Am I shopping for another transmission?

1994 Ford F-250 SC 4x4 7.3L NA E40D

 

dented pan could be putting pressure on the internal linkage

 

Sounds like the went off roading hard, hope you get the kids that did it and make them pay for the repairs. Sounds like you going to have to repair everything, I would pull the pan and see if there is anything salvagable, you will probably find a bunch of pieces of metal in the bottom of the pan. I would say with all the other things broken the tranny is probably toast, they probably also bounched the tranny off of rocks and god knows what else causing the pan to colapse.

 

Depending on how the other parts failed, your tranny may or may not be damaged. The E4ODs are tough, so take off the pan -- if there's no obvious damage to it, just refill and try it out. (after fixing all the other things, though)

 

I don't think there was any off-roading involved - the truck went straight to the city where they cleaned out all of my tools and abandoned it. The dented pan was from the driveshaft flying around, still being spun by the front axle. I just hope the linkage inside is being restricted by the dent in the side of the pan.

 

As long as it didnt harm the valve body, you should be ok.

 

So I've made some progress - but it's still not moving.

When the driveshaft was flailing around down there, it smashed off all the linkage (cable end, lever, N-R switch) and drove the shaft about 3/4" into the transmission case, shearing off the roll pin that locates the shaft in the case. Inside the case, the pin on the end of the lever that moves the manual valve in and out of the valve body was driven in so the pin was over the valve instead of just making contact with the side. This was binding it up, and would not let it move. In an attempt to free it, the end broke off.

So I was lucky enough to find someone with an E40D core that he sold me. I have replaced the manual valve, input shaft (shifter, not driveline), N-R switch, and external lever. Still need a new cable. I've installed a new filter, bolted the pan back on, and filled the tranny. Problem is the transmission appears totally dead, and makes no attempt to do anything regardless of the position of the shifter when I climb under the truck and move it. The dipstick reads full, and the pan is cold, like the fluid is not circulating. The new filter was a good, snug fit, so I doubt it has fallen down so the tranny can't suck up any fluid.

When I pulled the pan, fluid looked good, smelled fine, and the pan was very clean. I can't see where the theives did anything else to the truck - all the driveline damage appears to be from the front driveshaft destruction. The wiring harness was beat up, but I spliced it back together pretty well.

Is there anything electronic that would prevent the pump from moving fluid? It's like the pump isn't working, or is starved for ATF. Do I need to overfill it a little initially? Did I screw something up when I swapped the manual valve out of the valve body? I just took the c-clip off, slid the broken one out, and slid the new one back in.

The dent in the pan - that was near the back on the driver's side - can't see where anything could have been damaged by that.

 

Is there anything I'm missing about getting this transmission moving again after draining and refilling? I dumped 6 qts in and the dipstick reads full.

Is my torque converter dry? Do I need to add more fluid/overfill until fluid starts pumping? The truck sat for a few days with the pan off before I refilled.

It has a new filter on it.

 

Is there anything I'm missing about getting this transmission moving again after draining and refilling? I dumped 6 qts in and the dipstick reads full.

Is my torque converter dry? Do I need to add more fluid/overfill until fluid starts pumping? The truck sat for a few days with the pan off before I refilled.

It has a new filter on it.

 

The E4OD's capacity is about 16 qts -- whether you had 10qts in there to start with, or the TC is empty ATM, I can't answer that.

 

Take off the transmission cooler line, and see if its pumping any fluid.

 

Will it pump fluid in P and N?

 

yes it will pump fluid in p

 

Better be quick about this one. I started my truck with the transmission cooler lines not connected to the radiator and by the time I got out and looked under the truck there was at least a quart of tranny fluid running down the driveway---very ugly. I forgot to connect the lines after a radiator job. I admit, I was a bonehead that day!!!