In a campground : My transmission is dead need rebuilt

[CJ7365]

Originally Posted by peterson

[moderator edit]

Reading is fundamental

It is quite obvious that you did not read the entire thread.

cbilodeau was told to wait the 48hrs and then call for a tow by the company selling the roadside service.

I wish people would read and comprehend better.

[CJ7365]

Originally Posted by cbilodeau

On the last day the temperature went to 257F. I drove like this a few hours. Then at the campground I let the engine run at idle at that temperature for 15 minutes and that killed the transmission. The gauge never went down at idle in this 15 minutes and my floor became very hot like I never had before. Could not keep my foot on the wooden floor near the gas pedal.
I had read that morning on the internet that a good way to cool the transmission was to let it run at idle. But with the experience I had in that week I feel that the best way to cool down that transmission was to shut the engine and the transmission would cool quite rapidly. In about 20 minutes it was down to 130F or 71C.

I must explain also what happened in previous long trip. In december I went from Montreal in the north to the south in the Keys in Florida. That is 28 hours drive. In the keys when I was just to arrive, the engine temperature climbed and I had to stop the AC. Half an hour later, the transmission went in reset and after I had restart the engine my transmission could only do 1 and 2. I had to replace the solenoid block since I had an error code.

I had no gauge for the transmission so I did not know the temperature. I came back to Montreal without problem but my transmission went in reset (the light flashing) twice.

Since I had these reset problems, I changed my cooler for a 6.0 cooler and replace the original engine radiator for a 2003 radiator that has a bottom section for the transmission fluid. I also added the external ford transmission inline filter and changed my internal deep filter and flush all the fluid Mercon V.

Ok, yes driving for hours with the trans temp at 257 will cause problems.

I hope you get your transmission fixed quickly and have a good rest of the trip

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by mel s

wildtoad

While I sympathize with the OP, (re: his transmission problem), I also wonder if the problem was caused when he "fixed" his coach.... (by changing the transmission cooler and/or adding the transmission temperature gauge).
I learned long ago if it ain't broke don't fix it.



BTW IMO nobody should leave home without a payed ERS membership.... (unless they have money to burn).

1 - My transmission was going in reset mode and this is why I tried to improve the cooling. We are heavy with 5 kids, 7 bikes, full of water and figure out the trans was overheating. I made a mistake, I should have changed the transmission before I left. I wanted to save money but I won't.

2 - I will always purchase a CAA membership from now on.

I made many mistakes. I need a few more years of learning rving.

But I should never buy a DP because I am accumulating a F53 expertise and lots of documentations.

[subford]

Originally Posted by cbilodeau

1 - My transmission was going in reset mode and this is why I tried to improve the cooling.

OK what is this "reset mode" you keep talking about and how are you reading it?
Are you talking about limp mode?

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by CJ7365

Ok, yes driving for hours with the trans temp at 257 will cause problems.

I hope you get your transmission fixed quickly and have a good rest of the trip

Mark once wrote: During testing I've had transmissions as high as 320°F (160°C) (yes, that says three hundred twenty degrees F.) After testing a tear down showed no damage. I read this sentence once more in my notes before I left that morning.

Since I thought my sensor was bad and a beef thermometer on the exit port showed only 180F, I figure out that if the sensor was good, the transmission could make it. After all 257 is below Mark's 320F. I think it is the idle 20 minutes in the campground to cooldown that killed definitly the transmission. Yes it should cool down at idle but not if the fluid can not circulate normally.

But a beef thermometer is no good for me. I would have needed an infrared thermometer.

N.B.: Don't overheat like I did.
Mark does not recommend going at 320F. He says: You can go to 250°F (121°C), but don't stay above 220°F (104°C) for more than 1/2 hour at a time. He says also: Ford's limits are 220°F (104°C) all day long with no problems. Finally he also says: 180°F (82°C) is normal. That's where the trans was designed to run

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by subford

OK what is this "reset mode" you keep talking about and how are you reading it?
Are you talking about limp mode?

Yes. The light was flashing at the shift arm. I don't know why it comes like "reset mode" from my brain. It is limp mode and I need to reset it by restarting the engine.

I get no error code on my Android BAFX scanner.



I know how to read the Pxxxx error codes and I get none. But I bought this BAFX scanner hoping it could give me the transmission temperature and some transmission errors. Maybe I would need another android app to be able to read the transmission messages? I am using the TORQUE Android app.

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by peterson

[moderator edit]

After wildtoad said it was illegal, I read on CAA website that it is illegal. In fact what they say over the phone is not in phase with what they say on the website. But to find the information you have to do some click.

I needed wildtoad comment to understand this thing.

Maybe the employees over the phone are making a fee for each new signature so they don't care about the rules. Maybe also they simply don't know that waiting 48 hours for a known problem is not legal.

Guess what, I did it many years ago for an older car after CAA told me to do it. The car was sitting for two months and I had no time to fix it. After the winter I called CAA and they told me to wait 48 hours and it worked. I feel some guilt now but I had none at that time.

[cbilodeau]

If ever someone else has a transmission problem here near Rapid City South Dakota, there is a second garage that can fix/change your transmission.

I-90 Rv & Auto Super Center - Rapid City
4505 South Interstate 90 Service R
Rapid City, SD 57703
Phone: (605) 342-7304
Web: I90Rvandauto.com

It is a RV repair shop. Over the phone they said they replaced 5 other transmission on RV this summer for tourists like me. They would charge 3200 to 3500$ but they did not offer to buy the transmission until they had the motorhome in their hands. They could not work on mine before a week and would require another week to get the transmission and replace it.

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by subford

/

For the E350 6.8l 4R100 1998, rockauto still propose the torque converter I had ordered at autozone (Dacco HD369692). Same for 1997 and 1999.
Does it means this torque converter can replace also my model?

See this link.

I should try a way to write to Dacco and ask them if the HD369692 can replace the Ford XC3Z-7902-AARM.

[subford]

I just looked through the Dacco catalog and they do not list any application for the F53.

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by subford

I just looked through the Dacco catalog and they do not list any application for the F53.

Since my Vin decoder gives a F550, could we look under F550?

But the catalog gives only for the F550 from 1999 to 2004 and my version is more 1997-1999 so they have none for my vehicule.

Primary Features
Build Date: 26.04.1999
Vehicle Line: F53 Stripped Chassis
Body Style: Recreational Stripped Chassis
Version: Ford 550 Series
Engine: 6.8L SOHC EFI NA V10 Gas
Transmission: E4OD(4R100)
Drive: LHD RWD

I sent a message to DACCO on their website. I will post the result.

[subford]

I do not have your VIN but I would not buy parts for a F550 as they use some of the same parts but not all.

Below is the VIN decode From the Ford shop manual:

• F56 — F-550, Regular Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x2
• W56 — F-550, Crew Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x2
• F57 — F-550, Regular Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x4
• W57 — F-550, Crew Cab, (Chassis Cab), 4x4
• F53 — Recreational Stripped Chassis (Motorhome)

[cbilodeau]

Originally Posted by subford

I do not have your VIN but I would not buy parts for a F550 as they use some of the same parts but not all.

Below is the VIN decode From the Ford shop manual:

• F56 — F-550, Regular Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x2
• W56 — F-550, Crew Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x2
• F57 — F-550, Regular Cab (Chassis Cab), 4x4
• W57 — F-550, Crew Cab, (Chassis Cab), 4x4
• F53 — Recreational Stripped Chassis (Motorhome)

It is 3FCNF53S8XJA31939.

I have to be ready for the war to come this week.

1. If ever Aamco does not have a torque converter near and not before another 4 days.
2. If ever Ford can not get anymore my Torque converter XC3Z-7902-AARM. After all, it took them two months to get a transmission this summer for another RV.

Then if I had another product compatible availlable at a local Autozone or Oreilly or Advanced Auto I would be more than happy. And if it was more heavy-duty than the OEM this would be even better. Better for me and better for the next one in need for a Torque Converter on a early 1999.

But so far the part number XC3Z-7902-AARM does not give much interesting results on google. I see an oem on eBay.

Dacco on the description of the HD3696-6-2 says: For additional application information call DACCO at 1-800-443-2226 Ext 4100

[Tiny Dog]

If Aamco is supplying the transmission get the converter from Aamco. If there is ever a problem later and you supplied any of the parts there will be a problem as to which part caused the problem.