I just got a 95 with the powerstroke and the E4OD. The thing skips 3rd gear (jumps from 2nd right to 4th) unless I really baby it. Then it will shift through all 4 gears.

Also there is no lockup if the van is in Overdrive. If I let off the Accelerator the RPMs drop to Idle. My shifter has OD - 2 - 1 and I notice if I keep it in 2nd gear the engine's RPMs are consistent with the wheel speed like it is locking up there.

Third, the trans
-will downshift if I floor it while in second or third gear but it
-will not downshift if I floor it while in Overdrive.

Any ideas where to start?
thanks!
Nick

 

bumped to today

 

I really don't know... sorry.

 

I second brown Falcon. But I'm sure someone here will come to the rescue soon with a wealth of questions and thoughts.

 

Mine acts similarly and it is a new Ford reman. I currently suspect low cooler flow as my temps slowly increase with no decline until shut down. I have other issues like early upshifts and upshifts when it really should be downshifting. I am currently babying it and not towing until I can get it figured out. I intended to flow check it last week but ended up working most of my off-days.

Aaron

 

Some of that might be the funky programming done by the Ford engineers. In an effort to help meet emissions rules, they try to keep RPMs down. So based on your throttle position, speed, and RPM, they can skip gears. I thought my older F250 was a 4-speed for the first few weeks that I owned it because it always went from 2nd straight to 4th. There are other times when I give it more power and it shifts almost immediately from 1st to 3rd (goes into 2nd for a split second). The only way to change that is an internal shift kit or change the PCM.

As far as the torque converter, it's my understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) that not all E4ODs come with the locking torque converter. However, it may be gas powered vans and trucks that don't come with the locking converter. If you're sure it does have the locker, it could be a problem that needs to be fixed.

One thing that's important for the E4OD is fluid and filter maintenance. You might try a filter/fluid change and see if the problem clears up. I do a complete drain of my system (torque converter included) and replace the filter every 2 years. That's on my old truck, which has 270,000 miles on it now. I just picked up a 95 F350, so I'll be doing that for the first time in the next week or so. Hopefully, my '95 has the torque converter drain plug like my '93. Anyway, when you drain the fluid, there's a magnet in the bottom of the pan. Look for metal chips or small chunks on that magnet. That's a sure sign of a transmission that needs serviced. If there's a layer of gunk on it that is metallic but has the consistency of grease, that's pretty much normal wear. Thoroughly clean off the magnet before you put it back together.

 

Is your trans doing this when its cold or all the time? If its cold, it will do what your saying until warmed up. I think they call it the cold shift symdom (sp) or something like that.

 

It does it all the time, but more often when it's warmed up. My '93 has 33" tires and a 3.55 rear, so the magic number on the speedo is 35. Basically, if 2nd gear takes it up to 35, it will skip 3rd and go straight into 4th. At speeds less than 35, it will shift into 3rd, but as soon it hits 35 mph, it goes into 4th. At 40 mph, the torque converter locks if the engine is warmed up enough.

I imagine tire size and gear ratio has a huge impact on where it shifts. Then again, perhaps it goes by speed only. I'm not sure.

 

My 95 was acting basically the same. I just put a re-manufacture in it. I guess I will keep a eye on it very closely.

 

My 95 has a Reman in it less than 2,000 miles on it and havn't had any of these shifting issues.

 

Some remanufacturing companies alter the shift points in their transmissions as one of their improvements over factory transmissions. Another improvement that many of them do is to replace the hydraulic pump with a beefier one, and replace the torque converter with a reinforced unit.

 

All right, I'll correct you.

EVERY E4OD ever built had a locking torque converter. Without exception.

This is being discussed in another forum, too. I don't want to continue the conversation in two places, so I'll just leave my answer over there.

 

How would they do that? The shift points are controlled by the PCM. There is nothing that can be changed in the transmission to change when it shifts.

 

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Have you done any mods? Tuner etc?
When you checked the fluid did you see any discoloration, and I mean any at all?
Ditto on the filter change and if there is not alot of metal as mentioned earlier. Install a heavy duty cooler coil if you dont have one. When I rebuilt mine I installed new planetaries and a heavy duty Torque Converter and a muti disk clutch. Wish I had knew about Hunter Joes mod on the tranny before I slapped it back together. If you dont have gauges get it to a shop to monitor it and see if there are any codes tripping. My change ran right at 4G $$$. Best of luck.
Rocky

 

In another place I read where his trans connector is filled with ATF. That can cause all sorts of problems.