Hi, and thanks for the help.

I have a 92 F-150 4X4 extended cab long bed w/E40D and 351. It has 178k and tranny was serviced last summer along with complete tune-up. Rolling 31X10.50's. Has 4.10 running gear (didn't cost that much for parts and I have knowledgable friends that where a life saver by helping me on the rear end).

Anyway, the problem I'm haveing is at any constant speed if I give the slitest amount of gas it will shudder the whole truck. I can back pedal a little and give more gas and it will accelerate just fine. I can take off at stop lights hard and no problem. Doesn't seem to ever slip just shudder alot and hard. Seems to be a little better when pulling a trailer (2 place snow machine), maybe becuase it is under constant/more load, but will still do it. If not in traffic or have the room I can be more aggresive on the gas and not have as much of a problem.

O.K. now for the other thing that has been driving me crazy. Sometimes it acts like I lost a couple cylinders or threw a boat anchor out the back. It takes alot of gas to hold speed or gosh forbid speed up. I can be doing 55 and it seems to take half throttle to maintain speed (usually I barely have to have my foot on the gas, like just above idle pressure). I thought maybe a brake sticking or something but I can put it in nuetral and the drag will go away. This seems to rule out the engine and running gear except for the tranny. This doesn't happen alot but when it does it uses alot of gas and you can figure out what it does for my temper. I was pulling a trailer last summer on a camping trip (3,100 lbs.loaded, I weighed it at the truck station). The truck would pull it all day long with no problems but at one point when acting up I could hardly hold 55 down hill. I would floor it out of desperation and could barely get it to 60, so I put it in nuetral and was doing 70 plus at the bottom of the hill. This will happen at different times and for different lenghts and haven't figure out how to make it stop.

I have had it into a couple local tranny shops for a test drive and estimate and they are quick to say "Oh ya, you need a rebuild, it's the torque converter or pressure problem. we suggest complete rebuild". I want to make sure I'm not spending up to a couple thousand when maybe I could fix it myself cheaper. Maybe I just have a torque converter or computer problem?

Really would appreciate any info or suggestions.
Thanks in advance
Brian

 

That sounds just like an intermittent engine miss to me.

 

Brian, I agree with Mark! I've been down this path before. Now, you say it was tuned last summer but, it could still be causing the shudder problem. Was it a complete tune up with plugs, wires, cap, rotor and fuel filter? What type of part were used for the tune up? Where they autolite plugs, wires and bronze tipped (not aluminum) cap & rotor. The aluminum cap & rotor will break down quickly and electrolysis will form which will cause a miss! I would suggest you check the cap and rotor to see what type ..aluminum or bronze tipped? This is one quick & easy way to eliminate this as possible problem to determine if you have a transmission problem. Good luck!

 

Dukernc,
I did the tune-up myself. New wires, cap, rotor, Autolite plugs, fuel filter, egr, air filter. I got all the parts at Napa. The cap and rotor may have been the aluminum type as I don't think I purchased the "premium" ones. Actually I was amazed that it ran at all by the amount of corrosion in the boots of the coil wire. The timing wasn't checked due to no timing light. Since I have owned the truck (about 116k) it has always had a little miss at idle. The shudder has only started the last 10-15k, and seems to be getting worse. I will change the cap and rotor next week when I get home from work. Also, I'm going to take it into a local shop that I trust and have them check it out. They brought up the engine missing idea but I wanted to check here also as there is so much experience available.

If it is an engine problem, what would be causing the drag in gear sometimes? It is like pulling the Jake brake without the noise or the desiel engine. Maybe because everything is electronically controlled something is happening in the engine that the computer is effecting the trans?

Thank you for any help I get.

 

O.K. one more question. If this turns out to be a tranny issue I'm thinking of getting a used one from wrecking yard. What years will fit and have the most upgrades stock from Ford? The tranny shops I've talked to talk about all the upgrades they will do for me if they rebuild it. Just don't know if this is blowing smoke or what. Fact is, the one I have has been ticking along for a 178k.

Thanks

 

Did you ever find out what was causing it? I just bought a 92 and it does what you describe. The guy that had it before me changed the whole fuel system out, plugs and distributor. When I bought it he said that a mechanic told him it was the computer. I changed it and it's still doing the same thing. But only wants to start when it wants to. The truck when shutter when i tap the gas in neutral but if i slowing rev up its fine. I cant get over 25 then it starts to bog down its self now.