Horsepower Thru E4OD
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Horsepower Thru E4OD
My 1990 F250 4x4 is carrying a 460 EFI engine, and E4OD and 4.11 gears.
I have recently acquired a Ragen trailer that is used to haul 4 dirtbikes, 36 gallons of gas and 100 gallons of water up and down the Sierras. Truck, people and all this rig tips the scale at 15,000 pounds.
The E4OD had problems pulling a much smaller rig. Two rebuilds in 50,000 miles. The last time the E40D puked a local repair shop did some internal upgrades. Rear bearing support or some such.
I have since installed a huge forced air transmission cooler and a temp gauge to keep an eye on things.
So far so good.
I really would like to get more power out of the engine, as the pulls over the mountains are slow going.
My question is;
How much power will an E40D handle without cratering?
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Crooked River Ranch, OR
Horsepower Thru E4OD
You need all the upgrades Ford came out with for the E4OD. I'd go back to your tranny shop and see if they installed all the upgrades that Ford introduced up through the 1996 E4OD's. Once you have that done you can then pump up the power in your 460 without worry too much the tranny will give out. You already have the 4:10 gears so you won't have to incur the expense of a gear change over. Next install a K&N filter, headers and dual exhaust. If that isn't enough for you then install a towing RV cam. I did all the above with my 89 F250 (although I have a C-6) and increased my mountain climbing ability by over 15 MPH. What used to be a 35-38 MPH climb in second gear is now a 50-53 MPH climb in high gear (my loaded truck/trailer also tips the scales at 15,000 lbs.).
Deen
Deen
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Horsepower Thru E4OD
I actually took the transmission pan down and drilled and tapped the side for the temperature sender.
The sender was meant to go in one of the transmission cooling lines, but I thought that the pan was a much better location to monitor the temperature.
The gauge has three zones. Green below 220, yellow from 220 to 260 and red above 260.
My transmission cooler, a thermostatically controlled system from a Cummings Diesel, kicks on right around 250 degrees.
Towing the trailer on the highway runs in the green zone always. On a cool night I see about 150 degrees. Pulling hills on a hot day runs in the yellow, right around 240.
The really scary part starts when I'm pulling the trailer in stop and go traffic. The torque converter doesn't lock until 25 mph, so things heat up quickly. The fans kick on and run non-stop. Even with the fans, on the rare ocassion when I'm pulling the trailer through San Francisco I wind up in the red zone, around 265.
The sender was meant to go in one of the transmission cooling lines, but I thought that the pan was a much better location to monitor the temperature.
The gauge has three zones. Green below 220, yellow from 220 to 260 and red above 260.
My transmission cooler, a thermostatically controlled system from a Cummings Diesel, kicks on right around 250 degrees.
Towing the trailer on the highway runs in the green zone always. On a cool night I see about 150 degrees. Pulling hills on a hot day runs in the yellow, right around 240.
The really scary part starts when I'm pulling the trailer in stop and go traffic. The torque converter doesn't lock until 25 mph, so things heat up quickly. The fans kick on and run non-stop. Even with the fans, on the rare ocassion when I'm pulling the trailer through San Francisco I wind up in the red zone, around 265.
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Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Gibsons Canada
Horsepower Thru E4OD
At 15,000lbs, you're fairly heavy allright, but I'm a bit surprised at how warm things get. Sounds like you've done all the right things with the cooler and all. I use 2 senders to a common guage, through a SPDT switch. I have one sender in the sump, like you have, and the other in the cooler line leaving the transmission. The one in the cooler line senses fluid leaving the torque converter, which is maximum fluid temperature. One advantage of having senders in both locations is that you can calculate the temperature drop across your coolers. Like yourself, I see maximum temperatures in city driving, on hot days, but I don't recall ever seeing sump temps over 180, or torque converter temps over 200. On the highway, torque converter temps are usually less than 180, and sump at about 165, depending on road conditions and ambient temperatures. Is your auxiliary cooler in series with the stock cooler in the radiator?
Robert
Robert
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Chandler United States
Horsepower Thru E4OD
I don't profess to be an expert but it seems that 250f is too hot for that transmission. I am told by trans guru's that the cooler the better. They were speaking of keeping them below the 200 mark I would think you want that cooler kicking on alot sooner than 250. I think you may be rebuilding again with those temps. Where is the cooler mounted and the question about being in line with the radiator trans cooler is a valid question asked in the last reply. I would like to here from some of you if I am misinformed.
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Horsepower Thru E4OD
Yeah, it's in line with the stock radiator transmission cooler.
As I said, the cooler is quite large, so it's located in that hollow in front of the passenger side rear wheel.
The temperature numbers that I have are from the truck carrying 3.55s. The 4.11s are a recent addition. I'm still breaking them in and I've yet to haul anything heavy yet.
I can't decide if the 4.11s are going to affect the transmission temperature. The torque at the transmission will drop, the rpm goes up for any given speed.
Still, power through the transmission is power through the transmission. Guess it depends if torque or horsepower causes the temperature rise.
The later E4ODs seem pretty reliable. I suspect they run quite a bit cooler than mine.
As I said, the cooler is quite large, so it's located in that hollow in front of the passenger side rear wheel.
The temperature numbers that I have are from the truck carrying 3.55s. The 4.11s are a recent addition. I'm still breaking them in and I've yet to haul anything heavy yet.
I can't decide if the 4.11s are going to affect the transmission temperature. The torque at the transmission will drop, the rpm goes up for any given speed.
Still, power through the transmission is power through the transmission. Guess it depends if torque or horsepower causes the temperature rise.
The later E4ODs seem pretty reliable. I suspect they run quite a bit cooler than mine.
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Chandler United States
Horsepower Thru E4OD
What engine temps are you getting under heavy loads? If the mods you have done doesn't bring the trans temp down you might want to consider blocking the radiator trans cooler off and only running the aftermarket cooler. Also get a lower temp sensor, I would think you want to start cooling it at about 185 or even cooler.I am not sure what temp sensors are available I think you may be fighting the radiator cooling . If your pulling hills with heavy loads the engine must be getting alittle warm too. You won't be able to cool the trans any cooler than you can the engine if the source is the same.
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Horsepower Thru E4OD
I could see this going either way.
The transmission temperature and the engine temperature do seem to track.
The transmission is the hottest when the engine is the hottest. Pulling at slow speeds, up hill, in stop and go traffic.
The transmission temperature and the engine temperature do seem to track.
The transmission is the hottest when the engine is the hottest. Pulling at slow speeds, up hill, in stop and go traffic.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 807
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From: -
Horsepower Thru E4OD
Give the banks transcommand module a try. I have it for my truck and love it. It firms up shift points and bumps up line pressure. Banks claims this makes for better towing and can double the life of the tranny. I don't have a tranny temp guage but love the way it shifts when I tow my ranger on a flat tandem trailer (about 9000 lbs). It doesn't slip through the shift but engages firmly. Would have to be one of my top 5 mods to do to F250's. At the least give Banks a call...
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Kings Island (north of Cincinnati)
Horsepower Thru E4OD
I don't know if you have heard of it or tried it, but Ford makes a syn. trans fluid. They came out with it after all the problems with the E40D. The syn. fluid is SUSPOSED to drop your temps. I do not know if tests have been done for towing though. I have a 97 Merc. Cougar 30th Anniv. special edition and it states in the owners manual not to use reg. ATF. If you switch to the syn. make sure you have the the trans, coolers, and lines flushed completely. Just my 2 cents worth
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