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Shift kit or not?

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Old Jun 5, 2010 | 06:34 PM
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Shift kit or not?

I have an 02 F350 7.3, automatic tranny. Had it for 2 years now, since day 1 it's always seemed to shift "hard". Never any probs with it but I know it pulled a 5th wheel. How do I know it this truck has a shft kit in it?
 
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Old Jun 5, 2010 | 07:22 PM
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I have a 01 f350 V10 does the same thing.....anybody?
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 04:10 PM
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pulled codes P0781 0782 0783 and i notice the O.D button wont turn off overdrive.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 04:44 PM
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Welcome to FTE. If you are not familiar with the VB's in these trans there is no way to know, because they use a stock VB to modify.
Does the truck have a power tuner/chip in it? If not, I doubt there is a custom VB in the trans.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 04:53 PM
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I have to wonder about that. How many FACTORY firm shifting ford automatics have you EVER SEEN???? Me, I've only been around for 40+ years, and I have YET to see one. Ford seems to take great pride in having what to me are unacceptable shifts. Just the fact that it shifts firm says to me it's probably not factory.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 05:15 PM
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I never drove a Ford with firm shifts from the factory. I attribute the slow sloppy shifts to whiners who want every vehicle as smooth as your grandmas Lincoln. Anyone who spends a lot of time around transmissions should be able to tell you if the trans has a "Shift Kit" installed. Most guys swap the accumulator and you can usually tell if the accumulator is stock or not. I compared the FTVB to the my stock accumulator and there was a noticable difference visually. If the truck was used to tow a lot the PO could have gotten the VB upgraded. If the trans was rebuilt the rebuilder could have put a "shift kit" in during the rebuild. I know my local trans rebuilder installs shift kits and upgrades in every trans he rebuilds.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 09:02 PM
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Originally Posted by dkf
I never drove a Ford with firm shifts from the factory. I attribute the slow sloppy shifts to whiners who want every vehicle as smooth as your grandmas Lincoln. Anyone who spends a lot of time around transmissions should be able to tell you if the trans has a "Shift Kit" installed. Most guys swap the accumulator and you can usually tell if the accumulator is stock or not. I compared the FTVB to the my stock accumulator and there was a noticable difference visually. If the truck was used to tow a lot the PO could have gotten the VB upgraded. If the trans was rebuilt the rebuilder could have put a "shift kit" in during the rebuild. I know my local trans rebuilder installs shift kits and upgrades in every trans he rebuilds.
Yeah, and I am one of those old gray haired Lincoln owners... and it shifts crappy, until you get on it...

Far as servo's go, you got any idea how many different servo's ford makes for the same tranny??? Even the ford guys get them mixed up. I KNOW the 4r70w has so many that without a specific part # there's no telling what you'll get.

With the electronic controls now, shifts can be played with without opening the tranny. On mine, the solenoids have to be the same year as the computer....
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 10:37 PM
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Great!! LOL. Im tending toward a malfunctioning tranny because it shifts normally for a short time after I clear the code, then the code reappears along with the hard shift. I do notice the tranny is stamped that it was made in 2004 and the truck is a 2001 model.....I bought the truck for $5700 so I expected I would have some work to do to it.......
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by ECK100
Great!! LOL. Im tending toward a malfunctioning tranny because it shifts normally for a short time after I clear the code, then the code reappears along with the hard shift. I do notice the tranny is stamped that it was made in 2004 and the truck is a 2001 model.....I bought the truck for $5700 so I expected I would have some work to do to it.......
Generally, I'd say your probably on the right track there. To me, things that crop up after working for awhile are not usually electronic controls, trans fluid changes temp, and power passages get changed, and many things can crop up in those processes. Aside from sticking relays, electronic stuff tends to not be sensitive to temp and use time.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 11:47 PM
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I don't care if my transmission shifts neck snapping hard or pillow soft, as long as it handles whatever I tow..
 
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Old Jun 8, 2010 | 11:12 AM
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Thanks everybody! This site has already saved me a few hundred dollars......
 
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