Fluid caught fire
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8th Gear
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8
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Fluid caught fire
HELP!
My 2000 Ford Excursion caught fire just to the right of the tranny bell housing on the Y exhaust pipe where the two sides come together.
I came through some sand and just a little mud in 2WD, started to bog, put her in 4WL and tried to pull forward, forgot to lock in the hubs, locked in the hubs, she was still in 4WL and had to back a few times before pulling out. As soon as I got out, there was fire the size of a basketball on the Y exhaust pipe and fluid on the bell housing of the tranny. Threw a bunch of sand on the fire to put it out. It was then too dirty to tell what type of fluid it was, but I think it was tranny fluid because it was dripping off the bell housing.
After unlocking the hubs and putting her in 2WD, I drove it home 30 miles on the hard top and checked it many times on the way. Had no leaks in a couple of days with very light driving. What in the heck caused it to leak and catch on fire?
My 2000 Ford Excursion caught fire just to the right of the tranny bell housing on the Y exhaust pipe where the two sides come together.
I came through some sand and just a little mud in 2WD, started to bog, put her in 4WL and tried to pull forward, forgot to lock in the hubs, locked in the hubs, she was still in 4WL and had to back a few times before pulling out. As soon as I got out, there was fire the size of a basketball on the Y exhaust pipe and fluid on the bell housing of the tranny. Threw a bunch of sand on the fire to put it out. It was then too dirty to tell what type of fluid it was, but I think it was tranny fluid because it was dripping off the bell housing.
After unlocking the hubs and putting her in 2WD, I drove it home 30 miles on the hard top and checked it many times on the way. Had no leaks in a couple of days with very light driving. What in the heck caused it to leak and catch on fire?
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 15,014
Likes: 35
From: Semper Fi tell I die!
i knwo my old ford with the c6 automatic trans, when it would overheat it would puke fluid out the front seal, maybe this is what happened to yours.. i cured it by adding a 2nd trans cooler.. and then it never overheated offroad.
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8th Gear
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8
Likes: 1
Sounds like you boys are on to something. I'll look into getting an additional cooler.
Odd thing is that I've had that sucker a heck of a lot hotter than that day under much heavier loads with no spitting fluid and no fires. Even though fluid still looks good, I'll probably look at a fluid flush and filter replacement as well.
I sure didn't know trans fluid would ignite on the manifold, but it sure as heck does.
Thanks for the suggestions fellows.
Papa John
Odd thing is that I've had that sucker a heck of a lot hotter than that day under much heavier loads with no spitting fluid and no fires. Even though fluid still looks good, I'll probably look at a fluid flush and filter replacement as well.
I sure didn't know trans fluid would ignite on the manifold, but it sure as heck does.
Thanks for the suggestions fellows.
Papa John
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 12,269
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From: Houston, Texas
It's bigger than the 7.3 and V10 trans cooler put together and the best part is that it's a direct bolt in. The only difference is the lines, the ones on the Torqshift are slightly bigger than the lines on the 4R100, so you'll have to re-work some of the plumbing. I did it on mine and even in the hot Texas heat, my trans never really gets hotter than 150* at most, on average it's about 130*.
Talk to partsguyed, he'll get you squared away...
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