First the short version: 1995 F250 Powerstroke with E4OD - has symptoms of too little transmission fluid when the dipstick reads over-full. This afternoon, I discovered that the dipstick, with the tranny pan removed, hangs down more than a foot below the transmission/pan flange. That flange should be about where the correct fluid level is, right?

The rest of the story, for those who like the details: The truck has been sitting since I bought it - a couple years. I just got it going, and the transmission acted odd - first thing I noticed was reverse engaging slowly. Checked the transmission oil (correctly, I might add), and it was overfilled. Way overfilled. My pulled-out-of-air theory was that either coolant or just condensation had gotten in, so I changed the oil & filter. It didn't occur to me at the time, but the pan was nowhere near full up to the flange when I dumped it. Put it back together, added about two quarts (in a 19 quart system) before I checked it, and it was over full again. Putting it in gear like that, it would only engage a gear when revved - and then only intermittently.
Thought I had to have screwed something up, so I changed the fluid again, checking to make sure that it was the right filter, plugged in right. All looked well, but again, it would only take a couple quarts, read over-full, and not really engage F or R.
I found a leaking tranny cooler line, and thought that might have something to do with it (fluid not flowing to the cooler?) I fixed that today, and was trying to flush out the cooler by running the engine with the return line disconnected, keeping the transmission topped-up. A little would spurt out, then gurgle, then a little more spurt, more gurgle - again, all with the dipstick showing just above full.
Not knowing what else to do, I opened the case again and drained the fluid - and again, the pan only had a couple of inches of fluid in the bottom of it. Somewhere last night, I read that the correct level was at about the pan/flange joint - apparently I had the dipstick out the last two times I was in there. So, this time I stuck the dipstick in - and with the pan off, it hangs down at least a foot below the transmission flange. With the pan in, it must hit the pan and slide along the side and bottom to the deepest point of the pan. So, it would read full with 1/2" of oil in the pan.
This ain't right, right? Now I can't find the thread on FTE that said the top of the pan was the right level - what I did find was someone saying that from the cap on top of the dipstick to the top of the "full" mark was 24 1/2" - mine is 43"! Can someone with the same truck as mine check this measurement for me? Some idiot just stuck a dipstick in it that was out of a school bus or something, right? I'm optimistic that the transmission is OK because it drove fine before I "fixed it", and the old fluid looked and smelled good.

I appreciate your help - this all seems pretty easy and obvious now, but it's been driving me nuts!

 

24 1/2" sounds about right. I will have to measure tomorrow and let you know. But, what is right is the pan will hold about 6 1/2-7 quarts for the 4WD auto, pan is deeper. If 2WD only 5 qts. when you start to drop a corner of the pan fluid should start to pour out. hope this helps.
Dip stick sounds like one for the E250 Van. Those are about 4 feet long

 

Oh yeah - forgot to mention: 4X4 - deep pan. You've already helped - just confirming what I thought. Like I said, this dipstick is about 45" overall - it's top is a yellow finger loop, the body is a round steel wire, and the bottom end is a round white molded plastic doodad with the "hot" range on one side, and "cold" on the other. It HAS to be from van.