Hello everyone. I'm looking for some advice on a trans poroblem I have brewing. Last week I hooked up my 2002 7.3L PSD 4X4 crew cab (120K miles) up to my 14000LB fifth wheel trailer. I took it down to the car wash and washed up the trailer in preparation for our big camping trip. When I came back home, I had to back the trailer up hill into the driveway (about 50-70 feet). I discovered that I was blowing trans fluid when backing up under the load of the heavy trailer. Once I got back onto level ground, the leak stopped.

I looked, and the fluid is coming from a hole that was designed into the inspection plate under the fly wheel. This is in the same general area as the torque converter.

I called three different mechanics and got three different theories.

The fluid was topped off, and the temps were well within normal ranges.

We went on our camping trip, (after following the advice of all three mechanics).. No problems all weekend. Then, when we came home and I had to back up the heavy trailer up the hill, I blew out about another quart of fluid from the same hole.

I'm thinking the fluid is coming from the torque converter, or maybe the seal behind the fly wheel...

Any ideas?

I plan on taking the inspection plate off tomorrow and taking a look at what I can see..

I have a Banks Six Gun tuner installed, and I know that with heavy towing, I'm going to have to upgrade my TC to a heavy duty one.

I just hope its not a fatal transmission problem....

PS.. This was the first time I have towed with this truck.... I just bought it in Feb or this year...

Thanks for any advice you may have!

-13

 

I've heard of this happening to people on here, when backing up with a heavy load. They put fluid back into it and it's all better. That seems like an odd thing to happen but maybe someone else knows what causes it.

 

welcome to FTE

reverse has a taller gear then 1st gear..backing up a heavy load up hill is hard on it.it puts a strain on the trans...use 4x4 low range any time backing up a heavy load up hill..

 

Since it is coming from the drain hole there in the inspection plate, I would venture to say it is the cup seal on the shaft of the tranny to torque convertor, I had this happen, when it happend to me though, it was a week and half later I lost the pump to my tranny..

I wish you Luck!!

 

Redboat may be having the same issue in another thread.

 

Most likely the pump seal behind the TC. The "improved" version seal is supposed to eliminate this problem. That is what I have now.
I have had similar problems backing up my 5ver into a camping spot. I worked the trans pretty hard in reverse, but no fluid leaked out. I use low range now to avoid this.

 

I had the same problem, but I have to back up hill about 200 yards to my driveway. I was told that backing heavy loads up hill is the problem. The tranny can't cool itself, the fluid overheats & spits it out. My fluid smelled a lil burnt after this all happened. Like Ron said, use the 4wd low trick, it has worked for me & since that day I have not had a problem.. IIRC,I was told the seal will go back to normal once cooled, but I can't remember for sure.. I know I have towed the camper at least 1/2 dozen times since this incident & backed it up to my house & have not had another problem.

 

And to add to Ron's point, if you swapped your auto hubs to manual aftermarket ones, you can shift into low range but stay in 2WD. This works real well.

 

Or use Rick's (miller_feed) little trick of unplugging the vacuum hub solenoid, if you have ESOF.

 

That's cheaper than swapping hubs...

 

I like "cheap/free".

 

Thats right Roland, I simply unplug the solenoid on the passenger firewall next to the battery. Do my backing, then plug it back up. I don't use this often because I am a flatlander.

 

Simple, but effective.

 

As others have stated, it will heat up that seal and puke fluid. I read from Mark Kovalsky (our resident tranny expert, he was one of the Ford engineers that work on the E40D/4R100 that our trucks use) that if you do it once the seal should be okay, but if it has happened more than just a few, the seal may deform permanently and need to be replaced.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys! I'm new to the PSD (my first)!
I bought the truck in Feb. As a result, I have no idea when the tranny was last serviced. I'm going to change the fluid and filter, then try the 4WD Low trick next time I back the 5ver up the hill. I'm not sure I understand the vac hub solenoid trick though...

And when I put it in 4X Low, do I have to jump out and lock the hubs manually or is that only if the on-the-fly doesn't work? Do I switch to 4wd low while moving or at a stop? Sorry if the questions sound dub... Like I said, I'm about as green as a newbie can get!