kcinga Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Fluid. Pan 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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! http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/uploads/6/5/8/7/65879365/face-with-open-mouth-vomiting-23x23_orig.png 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcinga Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcinga Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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