[Jeff.pierce74]

Hello all and thanks for the help in advance. 2000 F350 4x4 7.3L,195K miles, external trans filter, 6.0 cooler, Sun coast TC, shift kit, high volume sump, new fluid and trans filter, I have owned the truck since new. Here is my issue I need help with: When the truck is cold I can drop it in drive and it leaves the line and drives just fine. When I see the trans temp get to about 120 I start to get a first gear slip when leaving a stop sign or light. I just changed the fluid and filter and it has gotten better but still there. Where I really feel it now is when the trans is warm and I shift out of park. I go to drive hit the throttle and nothing for a couple seconds. My driveway is on a slop and if I back up to realign the truck it won’t idle up as it used to do. If I drop into first there is no issue. Just take my foot off the break and it walks right up the hill just like it used to do in drive. From my reading it sounds like I need to pull the valve body and check 3 bolts? Can anyone post a pic of what bolts? If they are tight then what? What else should I possibly check while I’m in there?

 

[VWrabbitdiesel1982]

Some time ago, I do believe @Maryland dieselnick rebuilt one of these 4r100 and had some Modifications he was doing on it. He may have some ideas for you or @Mark Kovalsky

 

[Mark Kovalsky]

If they are tight then what? What else should I possibly check while I’m in there?

There are the feedbolts. Once you remove the main valve body these are up in the case.
If they are tight, your forward clutch is the culprit. The trans needs to come out and get rebuilt to fix that.

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

There are the feedbolts. Once you remove the main valve body these are up in the case.
If they are tight, your forward clutch is the culprit. The trans needs to come out and get rebuilt to fix that.
View attachment 187472

So the weather was finally nice enough for me to pull the pan and look. At that point I realized all the stuff I’d have to pull under the truck. My question now is can these be checked with the trans still in the truck? If so help cause im dumb. How would I get all the balls to stay in putting it back together? Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Mark Kovalsky]

Use Vaseline to hold the balls in place. Once the engine starts and the ATF hits the Vaseline it dissolves and is gone.

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

Use Vaseline to hold the balls in place. Once the engine starts and the ATF hits the Vaseline it dissolves and is gone.

Thank you!

 

[RT]

If you do this, remember those three bolts get tightened to a specific torque- which isn't much. There is a space between the plate and the holes they go into, so if you overtighten them, you'll warp the plate. They have to have Loctite on them to hold them in place. Loctite requires a clean, dry surface. That means you'll need to let the fluid drain - and drain - and drain until it stops. Then brake clean all surfaces and reinstall the bolts. In Mark's picture, the two bolts to the right are the center support feed bolts. They get 8-12 foot-pounds. The one on the left is the overdrive cylinder feed bolt - it gets 6-10 foot-pounds.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Here ya go.
Do 10 ft. Pounds on the ( OVERDRIVE BOLT), (The forward one by itself ).It’s shaft diameter is smaller the the other two are: Left is Lube Right is Forward Cutch. that take 12 ft. pounds. That is if you were viewing it with front of transmission at 12:00.
After torquing, you need to put a straight edge across that worm track ledge to check for deflection. Max allowable deflection is .002. If you have more you will have to gut it to direct drum so you can get the center support out so you can install a shim from Sonnax that goes between the center support and underside of worm track ledge that prevents the ledge from deflecting upon torquing the feed bolts.
Failure to do so if you have deflection can result in hydraulic cross channeling.
If doing this in the truck,First…,Be on good terms with the woman. You will need several days with multiple hour neck massages.
Second, Get transmission assembly lube like Trans Jel or Trans Goo. It is thicker and stickier than Vaseline to help hold in the 8 check balls and your EPC relief valve spring and ball.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Any updates?

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

Any updates?

Here ya go.
Do 10 ft. Pounds on the ( OVERDRIVE BOLT), (The forward one by itself ).It’s shaft diameter is smaller the the other two are: Left is Lube Right is Forward Cutch. that take 12 ft. pounds. That is if you were viewing it with front of transmission at 12:00.
After torquing, you need to put a straight edge across that worm track ledge to check for deflection. Max allowable deflection is .002. If you have more you will have to gut it to direct drum so you can get the center support out so you can install a shim from Sonnax that goes between the center support and underside of worm track ledge that prevents the ledge from deflecting upon torquing the feed bolts.
Failure to do so if you have deflection can result in hydraulic cross channeling.
If doing this in the truck,First…,Be on good terms with the woman. You will need several days with multiple hour neck massages.
Second, Get transmission assembly lube like Trans Jel or Trans Goo. It is thicker and stickier than Vaseline to help hold in the 8 check balls and your EPC relief valve spring and ball. View attachment 187804

Wow thanks for all the info! Been a while since I looked at the thread and more good stuff here.

Here is the update: I pulled the pan and dug into the trans until I got to the three bolts. The overdrive bolt was tight at 10 pounds via the torque wrench.When I checked the lube bolt it took a turn to get tight at 12 pounds. The right bolt, forward, took 1.5 turns to get tight. Unfortunately I didnt loctite as I hadn’t read about doing that. Anyway I used Vaseline to put it back together. Took truck for test drive yesterday and now when the trans comes up to temp there is zero issues pulling off the line. Trans holds on hill with foot off gas and brake. Super happy! But now it’s slipping in reverse. It like momentarily grabs but then disengages again. Since this was not an issue when I took it apart I’m assuming this was caused by me. Any help? I didn’t check with a straight edge either.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Did you remember to put that small plate that is all of the way in the back and held on with 3 bolts back on? Did you mount it so the word UP is facing you? It reinforces the gaskets and separator plate above the reverse passage.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Note this plate in the back.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

If that puppy is not installed with UP facing you and bolts not properly torqued, the hydraulic fluid will try to push out of the worm track below and the reverse clutch pack will not receive enough apply pressure and you will slip.
You really should have LokTited the feed bolts that you retorqued. That has no bearing on this. You also should have strait edged.
No good short cuts to be had with these bad boys.

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

Note this plate in the back. View attachment 188016

I did, no extra parts, went back on the way it came off. I just remembered I didn’t use new gaskets either because I didn’t have any stick to trans or valve body. Bad gasket?

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

If that puppy is not installed with UP facing you and bolts not properly torqued, the hydraulic fluid will try to push out of the worm track below and the reverse clutch pack will not receive enough apply pressure and you will slip.
You really should have LokTited the feed bolts that you retorqued. That has no bearing on this. You also should have strait edged.
No good short cuts to be had with these bad boys.

Maybe I didn’t torque those tab bolts? I used a set of vice grips on a stud and put the tab on first to hold the plate. Maybe I never torqued them because I was going to torque everything at the end and over looked them? Well easy to check just have to drop pan.
Where are you getting your info for the loctite and straight edge? I believe you I just want my own better info source. I used the same Manual you used the pick from and I don’t remember seeing to use either. Just you experience?

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Not torquing those 3 bolts and or not having the word UP facing you will definitely do it.

I’ve been doing diesel and hydraulics for 38 years. I did a massive amount of studying on the inherent problems due to engineering flaws on the 4R100. Once identified and by seeing items offered by Sonnax that dealed some of them, it was just a matter of looking closely at each issue and taking it to a next level wherever possible and applying knowledge from working in hydraulics to them.
Shared knowledge with Sonnax on somethings that they missed.
They even sent me super super cool Sonnax T shirts.

 

[Jeff.pierce74]

Not torquing those 3 bolts and or not having the word UP facing you will definitely do it.

I’ve been doing diesel and hydraulics for 38 years. I did a massive amount of studying on the inherent problems due to engineering flaws on the 4R100. Once identified and by seeing items offered by Sonnax that dealed some of them, it was just a matter of looking closely at each issue and taking it to a next level wherever possible and applying knowledge from working in hydraulics to them.
Shared knowledge with Sonnax on somethings that they missed.
They even sent me super super cool Sonnax T shirts. View attachment 188017

Sweet! Thanks for the info! I’ll check those three bolts this weekend and let everyone know how it goes.

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Rock on brotherman 👍

 

[Maryland dieselnick]

Hey, now listen. When you go back in to check the reinforcing plate with the three bolts, you need to check the gasket situation there. Loose bolts allowed high pressure hydraulic fluid in the worm track to the reverse clutch pack to blow out of the track. There is an excellent chance that it took out some gasket material. If that is the case, buy both separator plate gaskets. Be cognoscente if the fact that the two are diffent. The one that has the tail on it covers the reverse worm track as well as all others. It goes down first against the case, then the big seperator plate, then the other gasket, then your shift pack ( lube case bore for connector, and oring), then your other valvebodies( start with accumulator valve body in the front first. Then your small plate with UP facing you. When torquing each unit, start in center criss crossing and rotating end to end outward. Also know there are diffences in those gaskets as changes occurred through time. It is imperative to buy the correct ones and match holes with the old ones.
😉