E4OD - no forward gears only reverse

I bought a 1986 6.9l diesel that has E4OD transmission installed. Previous owner couldn’t get it to shift. I then purchased a stand alone shifter from US Shift company. After installation, it had forward gears a couple of days. Day 3 it only barely moved forward at higher rpm’s in driveway. Reverse worked fine. Went back and forth a few times and then it stopped moving forward. I just pulled transmission pan today. Fluid appears very dirty and slimy. Some metal shavings around magnet. Not much, tho. Or should there not be any at all? Not sure. Anyway, is it worth my while to change out filter and transmission fluid or is this a lost cause? I’ve seen some recommendations online about needing a full rebuild when forward gears are lost. Couple pics of transmission pan and fluid included. Let me know your thoughts. Pan. IMG_0549.jpeg Fluid. IMG_0548.jpeg Pan 2. IMG_0547.jpeg

first of all, that fluid should be red! I don't even see a hint of red. either it is cooked or contaminated. neither is good. I don't see any real shavings yet there does seem to be fine debris, possibly from clutch material.  consider this, 100 dollars' worth of fluid and a filter will tell you one way or another for sure. less than the tow to trans shop for sure. rebuilding an e4od is a little time consuming as it's a simple 389 steps not including removal or installation. with the pan removed you should be looking at the solenoid bank that is what the trans controller is controlling and communicating with. carefully inspect the wiring for any loose or damaged wires both inside and outside the case. any cause of a loss of pressure would cause fried clutches and be cause for reman. it may not save it yet if you can find a known cause before risking a second that would be the best case.

To add to Mat's good description, I had I think 3 solenoid packs he mentioned go bad on an E4OD I had in a 94 F250 I used to own.

I was not fond of that transmission. But the E4OD in my Bronco has been great and trouble free.

You need to use the big size button on the insert image drop-down.
The forum software can't handle jpg's over a Mb....







That is no bueno!  

I remember you saying someone  had tried to install an electronically controlled transmission without a controller.
Sometimes I can't grasp how these people manage to survive long enough to breed.

I'm guessing I missed a couple shavings into glare. I did not pick up on the point of previous owner tried to run it without a tcm. that is a killer!!! to anyone reading DONT DO THAT! at the very least you will cook clutches and fluid.
my son destroyed an e4od a few years back. as kids do, he was a bit of a hotrodder and I must take blame for that. he watched a few friends slap shifting c6's and doing the aod shuffle and started trying it. I'm saying NO but what does dad know? I get a call one day hours after he left home headed back to base saying he was in Knoxville towed off the highway and come help. that became a long day or three. when I pulled the pan of that e4od there were LARGE pieces of previously rotating parts in the pan and I still don't know how they got where they did. "grenaded" is my term.
however, if it was run without power to and from the tcm then regulated fluid pressure was not available and therefore burned the clutches at least and only moving by "high revs " only finished them. this alone is cause for a reman.

I'm that weirdo who remembers details and minutiae but wouldn't see a gorilla in the room.  😂

Yeah, in another thread the OP talked about how he got the truck and wanted to know what to do.
Get a US Shift (nee Baumann) stand alone shift controller with TPS and speed sensor...

After posting these photos my unexpert opinion is "Stick a fork in it, It's done"
But I definitely don't know auto's.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Based on your responses, I found this link about solenoid pack issues and diy solutions:

 https://automotiveex.com/e4od-bad-shift-solenoid-pack-symptoms-diy-fixes/ 

It sounds like my first and simplest course of action is to drain E4OD fluid, flush, and refill. Not entirely sure about flushing step, but will make a go of it.

From what article says, most E4OD issues (shifting, staying in neutral, etc) can be resolved by doing this. If it doesn’t resolve it, then it suggests the solenoid pack replacement.

I will try soon and report back.

Given the condition of that fluid and the amount of friction material I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Your intuition is confirmed. I stopped at a transmission shop for a second opinion. The guy there noticed bigger metal shavings away from magnet in the pan. Also, the fluid smelled burnt to him. He advised to “stick a fork in it” as you stated earlier. Sigh.

He’ll look into guys he knows that rebuild E4OD transmissions. His shop has no interest in taking on a transmission project that is mismatched, so to speak (i.e. E4OD instead of C6). He’s seen issues with standalone controllers. IDK, I’ve heard positive reports, whenever I’ve asked around about it.

So, I have to uninstall the transmission, get it to a guy, and reinstall myself. We’ll see how this plays out. I’ve already thrown 2k at the transmission controller and wiring issue. It appears to be a Jasper transmission.

Wish I had better news to report.

this does not come as a surprise. I have had nothing but good experience with jasper units. but that says nothing for any unit installed incorrectly. sans tcm is incorrect.  I hope you find a good "individual " to do the build. large or small, companies can be hit or miss. I would not do one for a customer yet since I have not done one and I don't "learn at the customers expense". I think some do. I stick with aod and aode primarily. as they are best suited for resto mods.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news .  😔

I've heard nothing but good about US Shift controllers.
I've heard stories of people who screw up the installation and blame the unit.  🤥

Good luck!  

kcinga wrote

So, I have to uninstall the transmission, get it to a guy, and reinstall myself. We’ll see how this plays out. I’ve already thrown 2k at the transmission controller and wiring issue. It appears to be a Jasper transmission.

BTW, if you're a Horrid Fate member their big transmission jack is 'on sale' (like everything in the store, all the time! 😉)

The E4OD is a beast.
You could probably buy this for one time use and flip it on marketplace when your done.
At least there would be no pressure to get it back like a rental...

 a trans jack is almost a must. some men are able to bench press one out, but I cannot. and getting one in and aligned is yet another challenge. however, the e4od does not have a flat place on it. the pan does not fit any lift. fill the voids on each side with 2x4 or 2x2, whichever fits best so the unit sits still.

I would NOT suggest the wibbly wobbly little trans jacks most people think of when dealing with an E4OD.

Again I'm no "expert" but I choose my battles wisely.

Looks like a cheap copy of my Walker one.

At least they're ripping off the best?

I bought a 3' pipe wrench for 29.95 the other day to hold my destroyed pinion yoke for 15 seconds while I drove the nut off.
If it's cheap and it works once,  it's done the job and can become yard art for all I care.

If it takes this guy a month to get his trans back from the shop, how does he pick up a rental without a truck?
Do you use it for an hour. Return it. Wait for the call that the trans is ready and go pick up the rental again?

mat in tn wrote

a trans jack is almost a must. some men are able to bench press one out, but I cannot. and getting one in and aligned is yet another challenge. however, the e4od does not have a flat place on it. the pan does not fit any lift. fill the voids on each side with 2x4 or 2x2, whichever fits best so the unit sits still.

Truth. I was able to get mine in using a cradle I built, a floor jack, and some RV leveling jackstand things. By the time it was all over, I said "never again without a lift and a good transmission jack". Pics to document the ugliness near the bottom of this link.

https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/The-Deuce-Build-Thread-td106643i20.html#a107747

now Pete, that is the git r done spirit. wow.

Agreed. Great job, Pete! I don’t suppose you’d recommend for anyone else to go down the same crazy road, would you? I did find a site that sells kits for ford E4OD with videos for $600… http://transmissionbench.com/E4OD4R100parts.html But, after seeing your misadventure, I have to admit that it looks pretty overwhelming.

kcinga wrote

Agreed. Great job, Pete! I don’t suppose you’d recommend for anyone else to go down the same crazy road, would you?

I did find a site that sells kits for ford E4OD with videos for $600…

http://transmissionbench.com/E4OD4R100parts.html

But, after seeing your misadventure, I have to admit that it looks pretty overwhelming.

Thanks! The transmission bench road was the one I travelled. If you look back earlier in that page, I go through the process of rebuilding the trans and the tools I used, made or modified. The total cost of that road is more than $600 though. They strongly recommend you replace the solenoid pack and that was another 5-600.

All those transmission bench videos are on youtube, you can watch them first to see if it's something you want to attempt. I watched all 16 hours before I tore into it, and then of course watched them again while I was doing it. The videos say they are for the E4OD and the later 4R100, but they are really for the 4R100. Which is fine, they are mostly identical except for the part immediately behind the pump. The E4OD has a different arrangement there, which is not covered in the video. But once you've seen all the videos, you kind of know what to do with that part, even though it's not actually covered. Basically crack it all apart and replace the friction rings and steel rings and put it together.

There's a link to the first YT transmission bench video in that thread somewhere. But review the whole thread and the videos from TB to decide if it's something you want to take on.

I would certainly do it again (with a lift and a trans jack). My goal for my truck is that I can work on any part of it, so I have built everything myself. The only thing I haven't been into yet is the transfer case, and if it should start having problems, I will dig into it.