Let me begin by thanking everyone for all the great help I have received over the years I have owned my truck. If not for the fine folks here, there is no way I could have kept my truck going as it has for close to 100K since I bought it. [/suck-up]

Now, for the problem....

Back before Christmas, I was pulling a loaded 24-foot Pace American cargo trailer that belongs to my son's high school band. We were headed to a marching band contest and I was almost to the top of a 6% grade on U.S.421 in Deep Gap, NC. I had the overdrive locked out, but I was still in D, and I was traveling probably 45-50mph following several activity buses full of band students. Suddenly, the engine revved and the truck stopped pulling and I found myself on the shoulder. Most of the tranny fluid puked out and the truck would not move itself at all. I had it towed to a shop up there and the mechanic who worked on it replaced some small part, a seal or something, and applied new fluid and a generous portion of Lucas anti-slip. He advised me to have the transmission serviced and to use more of the Lucas when the fluid was changed. I was able to drive the truck home and I even pulled the trailer back down the mountain. A couple weeks later, I took the truck to a service center here in town and they changed the fluid, added more Lucas, and put in a new filter. The technician there told me the old filter was laying in the pan when he removed it. Since all that, I have driven the truck to work and various other places. It seems to drive fine, however there are a couple things it does that aren't right. After I start it up in the morning, I have to wait a minute or two before the truck will move, or if it has been setting for a while, the same thing. Seems like warmer temps make this condition a little better. Also, most of the time, the truck growls and lunges when I put it in reverse, and it does it more often, and even sometimes going forward, if I am towing a load (which I haven't done much of since the incident). I have deferred my opportunities to travel with the band since this happened, and I'd love to be able to volunteer with them again in the upcoming band season which will begin around August. I hope that a total rebuild isn't in my future, but it is what it is. I just want to understand what needs to be done and have a chance to figure out the best way to do it.

THANKS again....

 

What happened is you overheated your transmission. Your truck has a 4R100. It's Achilles Heel is heat.

At this point, I recommend you take the truck to a trusted transmission shop and have it checked and probably rebuilt. Having it torn down and rebuilt now instead of waiting for a catastrophic failure may save you some money.

If you wish to tow more, then install additional cooling capacity for your transmission to help with longevity. Also, a trans temp gauge is a good addition to your cab.

As an option, there are a few companies that make bulletproof 4R100s. You'll see names like ATS or BTS, all of which are very good. As an example, an ATS Stage IV 4R100 is warrantied for 500,00 miles of use. Yes, it is expensive, but if you consider it will outlast 5 rebuilds at your current rate the price does not seem out of line.

4r100 Stage Iv Package - ATS Diesel