Tranny failed

[Ken 77]

have 96 MA with 47,000 miles.. Transmission just failed..drive started to rev but was fine when shifted down 2nd.. Thought might have shift lever issue.. Left Austin for Ft Worth @ stopped for gas 10mi north of Georgetown at flying J .. Went to move in for gas & nothing but reves in all gears..managed to park & call coach net,, odd thing was when cooled down tranny would engage & move coach.. towed to Crastview RV in Georgetown.. Very tense towing.. I was insisting to coach net that had tag axle & needed flatbed hauler..none available so had to take real heavy duty tow truck..raised front so about 5" off ground, & rear bumper was down to about same. No problem with tag, tires not flattened so not carrying all weight. Biggest worry was rear jacks because they hanging so low..... RV mech smelled & looked at dip stick for color.. Smelled & dark..says its toast & prob the clutch plates failed.. I had been been having troubles after driving an hour or so with hills ect when I hit the foot feed hard.. Though plugs or fuel filter but mech said the tranny could cause that same action.. Am confident previous owners maintained bus & I had had the fluid & filter changed to synthetic about 2000 miles ago.. Putting in Jasper reman. & nationwide 3 yr warranty.. Sitting in ft worth at sons waiting for repair before going home Wisconsin.. 47,000 miles??? Ford??

[Knightab]

Tow truck was supporting the weight the front wheels normally would with just a five inch lift. Hope it is an easy fix.

[John Hilley]

I am a firm believer in using the Ford recommended fluid in the transmission.

[jason1029]

Hey There. Sorry about the tranny! He we kind of have the same issue on our 1994 Tioga with the Ford E350 chassis and the 460 engine. It randomly seems to come our of gear and revs up when you try to give it gas. It will eventually catch if you let it calm down a a bit, but it will continue off and on until we either get where we are going or stop and let it sit for an hour or so.

It does it at random times, on hills, just cruising down the highway, in city traffic, taking off from stop signs. Then occasionally it does not do it at all.

We stopped at a Ford Dealer when we were on our cross country trip and they saw no leaks, the fluids were fine and not burnt and no other exterior indications of an issue. We got it at just about 21,000 miles and it's now at 31,000 or so and it's mind boggling.

We had the fluids changed and the filter. The guy checked the transmission cooler and said it was working so we really have no clue. Our plan is to take it to Ford soon and spend a couple hundred bucks to let them test and diagnose it.

Not to hijack the thread but anyone else have any idea what may be going on??

Thanks
Good Luck with the repair!

[rjsupersonic]

I just use Motorcraft fluids and whatever ford recommends/filter etc . They may cost a little more but I know its good quality.

[twinboat]

Jason 1029;

Since you put 10,000 miles on it, it's highly unlikely the transmission is slipping. It should have failed by now.

If it's a AOD transmission, you could just be hearing it dropping in and out of overdrive.

The engine fan, on mine, is LOUD when it engages. It cuts in and out all the time, especially going up hills.

[subford]

Originally Posted by jason1029

Not to hijack the thread but anyone else have any idea what may be going on??

This is for Jason.

Sounds like someone put the wrong filter in the transmission if it has a deep pan like the F53 RVs & 4X4 trucks have.

I know the parts look up is wrong and give the wrong filter even at a Ford dealer.

If you have the deep pan then you need a 4X4 filter.
The other thing that can cause this is a TR sensor on the drivers side of the transmission. You will have to move some pins when installing the updated TR sensor. Make sure you are in neutral when you align the marks on the TR sensor.

[HeapBigEngin]

Dark trans fluid that smells burnt is a sign of internal overheating and slippage, with subsequent transmission failure the usual result. Clutch plates don't usually fail by themselves....they are the result of another condition, not the cause of it. Heat, combined with slippage, is death to an automatic transmission. And that is typically what takes out a transmission, especially in a heavily-loaded vehicle. All kinds of things can cause excessive internal heat and slippage.....inadequate cooling, overload conditions, low fluid, etc., etc....just to name a couple. And improper/incorrect/incompatible transmission fluids and filters can also do this in quick order. I noted that you had transmission service done just 2,000 miles prior to this issue.

When changing from one type of trans fluid to another (as you indicated), it is absolutely imperative to completely flush the transmission, the cooler lines and cooler and the transmission converter before replinishing same. It amazes me how many so-called transmission places don't have the know how or the correct equipment to do this. If you have a mixture of imcompatible fluids in there, this can and will easily cause the conditions you described. Did you have the proper flushing done? Did you use Ford synthetic fluid or a brand that meets OEM specs. IMO, it is important for you to determine the real cause of what happened here so that you might avoid it in the future. Not lecturing....just trying to help, OK?

Please let us know what you find out here....it will prove helpful to many of us. Thanks!

[mpaton]

Originally Posted by Ken 77

have 96 MA with 47,000 miles.. Transmission just failed.Putting in Jasper reman. & nationwide 3 yr warranty.. Sitting in ft worth at sons waiting for repair before going home Wisconsin.. 47,000 miles??? Ford??

The basic Jasper will likely be another of the same spec that you have. Obviously with your heavier chassis, you would benefit from a better one.

I'm in Austin, and had my 94 Ford F53 transmission rebuilt a few years ago by a shop in Austin with all available strength and reliability upgrades, several of which come from the Diesel version of the 4R100. As you fluid was burnt, you should have a transmission temperature gauge fitted, and make sure that enough air is flowing through your transmission cooler, and if not, fit an auxiliary one.

The Ford one would be big enough if the motorhome manufacturer paid attention to airflow. You can easily cook a transmission in way less than 47,000 miles if you let it get too hot.

PM me if you want details.

Michael

[jason1029]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Jason 1029;

Since you put 10,000 miles on it, it's highly unlikely the transmission is slipping. It should have failed by now.

If it's a AOD transmission, you could just be hearing it dropping in and out of overdrive.

The engine fan, on mine, is LOUD when it engages. It cuts in and out all the time, especially going up hills.

Thanks for the info. My other half and I thought the same thing about it failing if it was a bad tranny. I am not sure which transmission is in there right now. Is there a easy way to find out which one it is? I don't believe it's AOD since there is a tow/haul button on the shifter. ( i need to confirm that though)

It does sometime thump into gear while revving up.

[jason1029]

Originally Posted by subford

This is for Jason.

Sounds like someone put the wrong filter in the transmission if it has a deep pan like the F53 RVs & 4X4 trucks have.

I know the parts look up is wrong and give the wrong filter even at a Ford dealer.

If you have the deep pan then you need a 4X4 filter.
The other thing that can cause this is a TR sensor on the drivers side of the transmission. You will have to move some pins when installing the updated TR sensor. Make sure you are in neutral when you align the marks on the TR sensor.

Subford:

We took the rig to Camping World towards the end of last season for their free inspection and we did talk to the guy about this issue and he also stated that the filter may be too small in the pan. So we put it on our list for changing this spring. That's something I think I can do pretty easily when the snow is gone and I can get her out of the backyard.

I am going to have to look up the TR sensor now as I don't really know what that is.

If this issue can be resolved without a new tranny or rebuilding the current one it would be AWESOME!

I have to say that I was surprised we were able to complete our road trip and long weekends last year. It was quite annoying and I had to have my better half drive since I was getting aggravated with the whole thing. I think when I can I will change to a longer filter and drain/flush and fill the fluid and use Ford brand fluid.

Thanks Again I will update later when I get to work on her.

[twinboat]

Not sure about yours, but I have an OD "on / off" button on the end of my 1999 E Superduty shifter.

[subford]

Originally Posted by jason1029

Subford:
I am going to have to look up the TR sensor now as I don't really know what that is.

Note that the updated TR sensor may only come from a Ford dealer.
Some auto part stores may call the TR sensor a Neutral Safety Switch / Range Sensor or MLPS (Manual Lever Position Sensor).

Make sure you are in neutral when you align the marks on the TR sensor if you replace it. My F53 was doing the same as yours and I replace the TR sensor and I have had no more problems with the E4OD after replacing it.

The TR (Transmission Range) sensor:




/

[Mark Kovalsky]

Originally Posted by jason1029

Is there a easy way to find out which one it is? I don't believe it's AOD since there is a tow/haul button on the shifter. ( i need to confirm that though)

The easiest way to tell what transmission you have is that in 1994 EVERY F-53 chassis had an E4OD transmission.

But none of them had a tow/haul button until 2005. There is an OD OFF button, but no tow/haul.