Transmission Issues October 25, 2022, 03:50:52 pm I've been on this forum for ten years, and have often commented, but this was a first for me. My 1997 LD MB has less than 55,000 miles on it, but although I have usually towed my car, this fall I made a long trip from S. Arizona to Bend, Oregon, and returned, some 2600 miles, and decided not to take the tow car. With the high price of gas and needing to travel more than staying put for periods of time it didn't make sense to add to the expense and stress by bringing the car... Thankfully! More than halfway through the trip I suddenly had a loss of power going up a hill, and the overdrive light started flashing. Yikes! Bad news. I could continue driving, but carefully. I got a diagnosis of slipping transmission, and was able to get to a good shop to get the E40D transmission replaced. I can't recommend this shop enough -- Top Gear Transmissions in Brookings, Oregon -- The owner Devon Williams is great, honest, and does exactly what he says he will, is reasonable and fast. (Considering this isn't a cheap job.)Turns out that Ford transmissions have the highest rate of failures, but continue to use the same design without improvements. (Chevrolet ranks next.) I learned a few things. Old transmissions get sent back to the factory for rebuilding and all installed replacements have been rebuilt. There aren't actually New ones, but they have good warranties, and have added improvements over the original. I'll attach the spec sheet of the improvements. I feel like I was lucky and things could have been much worse. I guess I have to amortize the cost over ten years without a problem, and a lot of towing a 3300 pound car. I have to wonder if there were small signs I could have noticed, such as noisy shifting? Slow uphill runs, which I have always shifted down for? The transmission fluid was full and clean, so it had to be mechanical wear. Anyway, I completed the 1200 miles back to Arizona with no problem, even up the Grapevine on I-5.Now flying home to Alaska to shovel snow for the holidays. Kristin 7 Likes
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #1 – October 25, 2022, 05:02:33 pm GladQuote from: Kristin Lambert - October 25, 2022, 03:50:52 pmI've been on this forum for ten years, and have often commented, but this was a first for me. My 1997 LD MB has less than 55,000 miles on it, but although I have usually towed my car, this fall I made a long trip from S. Arizona to Bend, Oregon, and returned, some 2600 miles, and decided not to take the tow car. With the high price of gas and needing to travel more than staying put for periods of time it didn't make sense to add to the expense and stress by bringing the car... Thankfully! More than halfway through the trip I suddenly had a loss of power going up a hill, and the overdrive light started flashing. Yikes! Bad news. I could continue driving, but carefully. I got a diagnosis of slipping transmission, and was able to get to a good shop to get the E40D transmission replaced. I can't recommend this shop enough -- Top Gear Transmissions in Brookings, Oregon -- The owner Devon Williams is great, honest, and does exactly what he says he will, is reasonable and fast. (Considering this isn't a cheap job.)Turns out that Ford transmissions have the highest rate of failures, but continue to use the same design without improvements. (Chevrolet ranks next.) I learned a few things. Old transmissions get sent back to the factory for rebuilding and all installed replacements have been rebuilt. There aren't actually New ones, but they have good warranties, and have added improvements over the original. I'll attach the spec sheet of the improvements. I feel like I was lucky and things could have been much worse. I guess I have to amortize the cost over ten years without a problem, and a lot of towing a 3300 pound car. I have to wonder if there were small signs I could have noticed, such as noisy shifting? Slow uphill runs, which I have always shifted down for? The transmission fluid was full and clean, so it had to be mechanical wear. Anyway, I completed the 1200 miles back to Arizona with no problem, even up the Grapevine on I-5.Now flying home to Alaska to shovel snow for the holidays. KristinGlad it didn't leave you in the middle of anywhere or take a couple of months to get the new transmission installed.Also happy it wasn't overhauled onsite, instead a remanufactured transmission was used. The remanufactured transmission is from Jasper, a large rebuilder that has been around since the early 1940s. They specialize in solving the problems plaguing particular engines and transmissions, replacing poorly engineered parts with upgraded parts, in an attempt to add longevity. Your LD's E40D transmission evolved into the 4L100, the "improved" replacement in 1999. It took Ford a few years to work out the 4L100 weak points and by 2003 -2004, it was reliable. In 2005, the 4L100 morphed into the 5R110 5-speed transmission and it had its own list of issues, a lot dealing with programming.Larry
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #2 – October 25, 2022, 05:32:39 pm There is a good deal of information online about the strengths and weaknesses of the E40D and its next iteration, the 4R100; interesting reading if one is so inclined. Two questions, the answers to which may or may not have bearing on Kristin's transmission issue, but may be useful information for some anyway:Was the transmission-mounted parking brake (the same on both transmissions) checked and filled regularly?After stopping, was the sequence "Foot on the brake pedal > Shift to Neutral > Apply parking brake > Shift to Park" followed? The information at this link may be useful:https://streetsmarttransmission.com/transmission-parking-pawl/
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #3 – October 25, 2022, 06:01:14 pm I'm glad you were able to find a good shop, Kristin! Thanks for posting the recommendation."Turns out that Ford transmissions have the highest rate of failures, but continue to use the same design without improvements."I was going to recommend John Wood--I and several other members of this group have had him install his upgraded parts in our Ford transmissions--but was dismayed to find his website now shows a placeholder graphic and the words "SHOP IS CLOSED FOR RETAIL BUSINESS". Anybody know more about this?Losing John's services is a blow to all LD owners. He rebuilt Ford transmissions using his own beefed-up parts--forged instead of stamped, etc.--replacing the failure-prone items. (He knew exactly which parts were likely to go, because he'd spent ten years at Ford, repairing the same transmission failures year after year.)
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #4 – October 25, 2022, 06:23:34 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - October 25, 2022, 06:01:14 pmI was going to recommend John Wood--I and several other members of this group have had him install his upgraded parts in our Ford transmissions--but was dismayed to find his website now show a placeholder graphic and the words "SHOP IS CLOSED FOR RETAIL BUSINESS". Anybody know more about this?His Facebook business page has been quiet since 2016, sounds more like retirement, not the pandemic.
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #5 – October 27, 2022, 03:55:18 pm Quote from: Joan - October 25, 2022, 05:32:39 pmAfter stopping, was the sequence "Foot on the brake pedal > Shift to Neutral > Apply parking brake > Shift to Park" followed? To this good advice, I would add after <apply parking brake> the following: “foot off brake pedal, allow vehicle to rock back (or forth) so that you are sure parking brake is taking the weight,” and only then “shift to park.” To me, the whole point of the routine is to avoid having the tranny take the burden. — Jon 1 Likes
Re: Transmission Issues Reply #7 – October 27, 2022, 06:30:44 pm Quote from: Jon & Loni - October 27, 2022, 03:55:18 pmTo this good advice, I would add after <apply parking brake> the following: “foot off brake pedal, allow vehicle to rock back (or forth) so that you are sure parking brake is taking the weight,” and only then “shift to park.” To me, the whole point of the routine is to avoid having the tranny take the burden. — JonYikes, I’ve been a lazy bad boy too often this summer, thanks for the reminder!
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