bad torque converter?????? - Diesel Forum

dieselturbo · 12-27-2008, 07:45 PM

shifts through all gears but i seem to have to step down harder to get this beast moving.. used to be 2000 rpm now 23-2500. once it locks up in overdrive i have more power and better acceleration. also milage stinks. this is my first winter with this truck. starts at 16 degrees- no problem. but no power . i had a diesel suburban before this -stock - and it had much better acceleration. does this sound like a bad converter or trans. it pulls good in overdrive when locked. thanks andy. yes i know diesels have no power until warm. but this happens warm too. i expected this to be much quicker than suburban.

SmokeyWren · 12-28-2008, 09:45 AM

Quote:

i expected this to be much quicker than suburban.

It is, but only after about 10 miles of getting up to operating temp.

Your engine includes a computer program subroutine called the "cold ambient pkg" (CAP), that's designed to idiot-proof your engine - from folks that want to romp on the engine and transmission when it's still cold. Count on having to baby the engine for a few miles when the temps are below freezing, then be nice to it for a few more miles until the engine coolant temp gets up to normal operating temp.

That subroutine in the powertrain control module (PCM) closes the exhaust back pressure valve (EBPV) when the oil temp is below about 150º and the intake air temp is less than about 50º. So power is restricted until that EBPV opens up. Also, the CAP won't allow the tranny to shift into overdrive, and it won't allow the torque converter to lock until the tranny warms up some.

But after a few miles of warming up, mine will run off an leave any diesel-engine Suburban.

dieselturbo · 01-01-2009, 09:24 PM

even after warmed up it shifts better but still has less power and is slower than my old 95 suburban with 150k on it. i need to get this sorted out. the wife wants to pull our 32 ft tt to maine next summer. and penn mountains. thanks. send replies

dieselturbo · 01-19-2009, 04:33 PM

anyone have some input on this.. trans shifts ok but less power than my old suburban. i am also still paying for the truck- dont have $$ for a bts.. does this sound like a converter?? whats a good one thats not a million$$. how hardto pull trans myself in garage-- no lift. i have pulled car trans- never 4wd truck. thanks

dieselturbo · 02-08-2009, 05:23 PM

i would appreciate any advice/input on this. thanks andy

dieselturbo · 03-28-2009, 03:08 PM

common guys . give me some of your experience... i cant afford a transmission.. thanks

dieselturbo · 04-10-2009, 09:57 PM

please send some experience...tanks -- slow excursion

md18 · 04-10-2009, 11:46 PM

Since nobody else helped you out on this,
I don't think theres actually anything in the converter to make it "accelerate slower" the stall speed of it is set by the blade pitch and other factors that wouldn't change. Now the only thing i can think of off the top of my head is maybe if the oil is really old the viscosity could have broken down enough to cause what your describing. I would start by dropping the pan so you can see how the oil looks and if theres any metal in the pan.

blizzardwarrior7 · 04-11-2009, 01:32 AM

As suggested, when was the last time you changed your oil?

woodnthings8 · 04-11-2009, 01:05 PM

You don't list the mileage in the EX, You could be experiencing trans slip in some of the gears. Mine went out last year at around 70k, needless to say I was not happy, and like most didn't have the cash to fork out for a new trans, However I looked at the options and determined it to be much better to suck up and replace it before I was sitting on the side of the road somewhere. You might be lucky that the truck is giving you some warning. You can replae the trans with a stocker (doing the labor yourself) for around $2500, you can put in the HD4R100 from the dealer for about $3500, you can order a JW or a BTS for around $4200 (not exactly sure on price, but close for a base unit) or you can check into the BD or ATS. Personnelly I would go with the JW or BTS for the extra money if you can. When mine went out I had a trip planned in two weeks and JW told me it would take at least that to get one unless I payed overnight shipping for a trans......obviously that was not feasable. I ended up going to the dealer based on a conversation with John as he told me his Towmaster is similar to the HD4R100 from the dealer. I put it in and have run it for a year with no problem (which it shouldn't have), You can replace your fluid and do some checks but the end might be inevidable. One other thing to consider is a chip or tuner that also tunes the trans. DP-Tuner and BTS make a chip that you caninstall to give a bit of power these also adjust the shifts and increase line pressure helping the trans grab and go. You can get these for around $300 and up, depending on what you get. If you have never had a chip/tuner you will be amazed at the potential your truck has, one word of caution though is to get a set of gauges to keep and eye on Trans temps, EGT, and Boost. That would be another $400 so not a cheap set-up but definetly worth it when towing.

Changing the trans yourself is not that bad of a deal. Invite some strong backed friends over, rent a good trans jack and work it like a car. You can seperate the transfer case or pull it as a whole unit. Removing the transfer case is much easier I think, but to each there own. To give you an example if you take your truck to JW trans, he removes your trans, rebuilds it, and installs the rebuild unit in a 8 hour day. So if you get everything ready and have what you need a weekend to swap the trans is all you really need. You can save yourself about a $1000 doing this.

Make sure you flush the trans cooler or replace it also. Often times it can have junk in it that will take out the new trans, Look at installing a in-line filter also when doing this to help keep any bad stuff from getting back into the new trans, These filters are anywhere from $30 for a throw away to $200 for a spin on replaceabe kind, Take a look at Dieselsite Transmission Filter System Ford 1999-2003 7.3L for one option and dieselmann's Store: Filters for another.

Good Luck and hopefully this wil answer some of your questions

Mark Kovalsky · 04-11-2009, 04:26 PM

There is no way to flush a trans cooler and get all the junk out. If you reuse a trans cooler after a trans failure expect a second trans failure.

woodnthings8 · 04-11-2009, 06:05 PM

Ford dealerships flush the coolers. I had my trans replaced last year and specifically asked about a new cooler. The service manager told me they have a machine that is Ford certified to flush the coolers out. They have to input the model and serial number on the paperwork. I guess if it is a larger dealer they have this machine. Mine was starting to slip and did not have a failure. I have since replaced it with a 6.0 cooler.

aklim · 04-13-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodnthings8

Ford dealerships flush the coolers. I had my trans replaced last year and specifically asked about a new cooler. The service manager told me they have a machine that is Ford certified to flush the coolers out. They have to input the model and serial number on the paperwork. I guess if it is a larger dealer they have this machine. Mine was starting to slip and did not have a failure. I have since replaced it with a 6.0 cooler.

Are you sure? When I was looking at transmissions from Ford, they specified that if I wanted a warranty I would have to change the cooler. I went with a BTS instead but flushed the lines and dumped the cooler for a 6.0

woodnthings8 · 04-13-2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Are you sure? When I was looking at transmissions from Ford, they specified that if I wanted a warranty I would have to change the cooler.

I asked the Service Manager this question exactly. Mostly due to the reason I did not want them to put in a 7.3 cooler, I wanted a 6.0 one instead. He told me that the flush machine they have was certified through Ford and was input into the warranty paperwork for the reman. I questioned him on this for at least a half hour, They also did not install the in-line throw away filter that I have read is required on a reman install. He told me they don't come with the transmissions so the techs won't install them. I am in the middle of ordering a spin on filter for my trans.

Mark Kovalsky · 04-13-2009, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodnthings8

Ford dealerships flush the coolers.

I'm sure that's true.

I'm sticking with this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Kovalsky

There is no way to flush a trans cooler and get all the junk out. If you reuse a trans cooler after a trans failure expect a second trans failure.