purchased a 1997 F350 Centurion conversion drw with the 7.3 powerstroke and E4OD. My boss pulled 35000 lb machine tool (VTL)
from Texas to here in Ohio, when the next day the tranny went out. He had it built by a good builder and it just shifted all over the place and burned the forward clutches out of it. He built it 3 more times trying to chase the problem, when finally he bought a computer for the truck which was a reprogrammed one from Ford. Still didn't fix it. He even took the entire valvebody assembly off another tranny that was in good condition and was a deisel tranny. Still not fixed. Bought Superchips Ford MaxTuner just for sheyahts and giggles and fried the intermediate clutches. He gave up and it sat for awhile.
Since then I bought it and pulled it to build it carefully paying attention do detail. I found the forward 6pinion planetary didn't have the inner needle bearing that sits against the sunshell gear, all the regulator valves in th accum. valvebody were stuck, and it had a ninth checkball in the case about an inch to the left of the manual valve far rear. I built it to spec with the addition to Superiors shift correction kit which is replacement of springs in the acc. Body and pump mods. Put it back in the truck and it worked great for about 20 miles and then my coolant guage to the engine flickered then I lost all forward gears all at once. I had to pull it down
Into low 1 to get it back to my shop and it barely made it. Mind you there were no codes during or before the last builds. After 4 builds and 3 grand I'm at wits end.

 

WELCOME TO FTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

could always find a whole different tranny to start with.. LOL. seems like yours is doomed and just refuses to stay working. i would start with a different tranny, order a performance rebuild kit from racerx and either build it yourself again very carefully or allow a reputable shop do it with your parts from racerx. oh and get rid of the superchit, its junk...

 

The stock tune doesn't bother me. LOL

 

I don't think its the case because this last build worked perfect fresh.
I want to think that I am losing line pressure or something. Since the
truck has been down the batteries were disconnected and I had a little
Trouble with the alarm and thought that was why it wouldn't start with
The key but turns out I fixed the sensor connector up front on top of the
Motor and now the key works to start the engine. I ve never heard such
Thing. Anybody?

 

I agree with Strokin......I think there has to something with the journals in that tranny that is causing the problem.....I would start with a different tranny.

 

If you ask in the transmission, driveline forum there are some real good tranny guys on there. I'd ask there first for more info.

 

im bot sure 100% if BTS makes the E40D but i know for sure they do 4R100 so it might be worth calling them ... if u talk to them about just what u wanna do with it theyll probably hok u up w/ a pretty reasonable price and theyre trannys are the best from what ive heard

 

BTS makes good trannys from what I read on here but are quite spendy. Racer X is the valve body I just put in mine and will do stick with them for anything. Prices are better and seem to be good quality.

 

yeah BTS is a little pricey but they can build you a lightly built one that wouldnt cost as much and it would be pretty bulletproof ... but a good VB will do

 

Check the flatness of the core with a straight edge.(bottom)
My wag is the area around the center support has fallen
towards the center of the core. This will happen from
a improper build.
Did you install the added brace for the center support?(spacer)
Correct main body gasket? Gasket used depends on trans core id.

Mark_A
You cannot get a BTS in different levels of a build.
Everyone gets the same build and converter.

Bill

 

As well as I checked the fluid in park and through all ranges
and found no change in fluid level. I guess the pump is the
cause it hasn't been replaced yet. I performed some relief mods to it
and replaced the boost valve and sleeve with a steel one but also
The steel one had no orings and the sonnax one that the other builder
put in did. But that wouldn't stop the pump from working completely.
My first post was intended for the former Ford tranny engineer. I saw some
Of his posts and was hoping to pick his brain.

 

Say I do buy one from bts or something and put it in then 2 days later it goes out.
What then? They won't warrantee it if there's something else wrong. I don't want to
Spend the rest of my life r&ring an E4OD. This thing ha got to be over 400 lbs or something.

 

if u break a bts after 2 days u have major issues lol ... but if u have some mech know how swap the tranny for a zf6 ... or a nice manual ... its not to tough and if u get a zf6 and a south bend clutch the odds of u killing it are pretty slim

 

Clutch,Transmission, Differential, Axle and Transfer Case - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
That is the link if it worked for the tranny forum. I'm not real computer savvy.

 

Will it manually upshift? (1,2,D)
What is the line pressure at idle in P,R,N,D,2,1?

Bill