2005 F250 6.0 turbo E4OD trans tows 31', function poor

[page.crow]

My tow rig is a 2005 Ford F250 with the 6.0 turbo diesel. The trans is the E4OD. Just ran 2000 miles Missouri to Ohio and back.

The trans constantly fought me to go up into overdrive at 63 mph. I fought this all the way there and back. Only when I worked and worked to hold 61\62 mph could I hold 3rd gear rolling hills. Otherwise, it's jump into 4th and overload the planetary gear set of O.D. (The exhaust manifold temperature gauge would roll up over 1000 degrees right away.)

And I don't wanna run 61 mph all over the country all the time. I wanna run 70 in 3rd.

If you tried to manually pull the trans down into 3 on the shift column, the truck would jump down 2 gears into 2nd gear, not 3rd gear. (I am in tow\haul mode on the button.) Manual 3rd was useless. It was manual 2nd. No good there.

On long down hills and steady flats, I would allow 4th gear (over-drive). But I wanted cruise in 3rd rolling whoops and pulling hills without coming out of cruise. I could only do that at 61 mph.

Forget about O.D. in cruise. No way. The slightest hill and the exhaust manifold temp gauge soared. Besides, I don't want to overload the planetary gear set. (Have you heard that low rumble and shuddering sound before? It's awful.)

(I cut the mufflers and cads out of the exhaust. Not too loud. It sounds excellent.)

Some folks are gonna ask why not just pull in over-drive? Because the O.D. is running on a set of planetary gears, prone to failure. It's MUCH better to cruise pulling a heavy trailer in 3rd gear, utilizing the transmission's two clutch-packs and hydraulic pressure. It's a much stronger trans coupling, less wear on the trans, better pulling on hills, etc. I have learned this lesson myself the hard way: I've destroyed planetary gearsets in these E4OD trans before. <grinning>

I want to hold 3rd doing 65-70 mph. That's all I want. Does anyone know a way to do that without having to resort to buying an aftermarket trans controller?

If I have to, my next step will be to get a Baumman Controls electronic controller for the E4OD trans. I'm installing one in a 94 Ford I have that I did a retro-conversion on. (fuel injection out, carb in)

Any ideas folks, I'd be much obliged.

Best Regards,

page crow

[Airstreamer67]

I've got around 60,000 miles on my E4OD behind a 7.3 Powestroke. I always tow in overdrive, unless it begins hunting on the hills, then I hit the OD "off" button and it stays in 3rd until I hit the button again or shift to second on a steep grade. So far, so good.

I don't know why yours won't stay in third. Mine doesn't act that way.

On edit: I just noticed you're trying to hold third gear above 65 mph. I've never tried to do that.

[overlander63]

I am not sure how to say this politely, but you don't have an E4OD transmission in your truck, unless you have installed it yourself. Ford stopped using the E4OD, and started putting the 4R100 in them starting around 1999. The current version is the 5R110 transmission, which is a 5 speed. When you turn off Overdrive, you are locking it out of 5th gear, not 4th.

[hampstead38]

I wanna run 70 in 3rd.

The only Ford I think might run 70 in 3rd is the GT 500.

I'm just going to add a quick note... you might want to check the speed rating on your trailer tires. They might not be rated for 70 mph. Just a thought; good luck with transmission questions.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Airstreamer67

I've got around 60,000 miles on my E4OD behind a 7.3 Powestroke. I always tow in overdrive, unless it begins hunting on the hills, then I hit the OD "off" button and it stays in 3rd until I hit the button again or shift to second on a steep grade. So far, so good.

I don't know why yours won't stay in third. Mine doesn't act that way.

On edit: I just noticed you're trying to hold third gear above 65 mph. I've never tried to do that.

This is what I do and I can run 70mph @ ~3000 rpm ( I try not to do that too often)

Aaron

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by hampstead38

The only Ford I think might run 70 in 3rd is the GT 500.

I'm just going to add a quick note... you might want to check the speed rating on your trailer tires. They might not be rated for 70 mph. Just a thought; good luck with transmission questions.

Nah...my old F250 with a 460 and a C6 was good for around 95mph and it only had 3 gears!

BTW rear end ratios come into play also. I can run a 3:55 and get a higher speed at lower rpm than I can with a 4:56.

Aaron

[nunya001]

3.73 Gears? Are you watching your tranny temps as well as your EGTs? With the 6.0 powerstroke I'd be more concerned with your torque flex head bolts failing at high EGTs than your tranny gears. Also, not to be a smartass, but before you move the column shift position did you just turn off your OD by the button on the end of the column?

[hampstead38]

Ooops.

I was thinking modern vehicles rather than "three on the tree" era rigs. My '52 Chevy could barely hit 60, in 4th, going dowhill, with a tail wind. Of course, had I replaced the 216 straight six with a 427... I might have pushed the old girl a little faster.

Of course, "granny gear" was pretty cool. I could leave it running, in gear, and walk next to the truck with one hand on the steering wheel.

[xonvldz]

i tow my 31 with a 2005 diesel ex with the torqshift trans.any time the trailer is in tow i am using tow/haul mode on the trans.in this mode the cooling of the trans is 5 gallons per minute better,also the shift points are higher so od doesnt kick in until around 65 mph.i dont bog my diesel and usually tow with the cruise on and let the trans do what it was designed for.imho you are doing your rig a diservice not to use it the way it was designed.

[page.crow]

Thanks for all the imput guys. Hmmm... I was unaware that the 2005 Ford tranny is not an E4OD. News to me. OK...I have a new family of tranny in my house.

This tranny is NOT a 5 speed, so if it's a new model tranny, overlander63 says its a 4R100 and I will need to up-educate on that tranny. Can do.

There is NO shut-off switch on the shift handle for this tranny. (like the E4OD in my 94 F150) You cannot turn OFF the overdrive, which is a dumb. Instead, there is a tow\haul mode switch. Xondlvx describes what happens when you run that mode, which I did while hauling my 31.

Someone suggested to let the tranny do what it wants and run it in OD. That's how alot of trannies get rebuilt. Like mentioned before, the OD is running a weaker coupling, prone to failure. Now this can be said about the E4OD, like in my 94 F150. I rebuilt that tranny myself, and don't ever want to do that again. (It's outrageously heavy.) When you go into OD (or double OD on some trannies), you are running through a set of planetary gears. Those planetary gears are not made to handle the extreme use and pressure of our heavy trailers. Some folks are gonna argue this is not true. But it is. Crack one open and see what you've done to the planetary set. That's why aftermarket companies make upgrade planetary gear sets. Drum to drum lockup through the clutch packs is always preferred for pulling heavy loads. I'll wager this is true on any auto trans. Tranny techs will agree this is true. Pulling heavy loads up and down hills through a set of planetary gears is gonna wear out your tranny all the quicker. I've blown these things up before! I'm good at blowing things up...

Holding 3rd gear running 65-70 is what I want to do.

If you have ever loaded-up OD climbing a hill, you will hear that low deep rumbling sound of overloading the planetary set of OD gears. It's a horrible sound. You don't want to put your tranny in that load-up. Also, if you have a fuel computer (like Edge or Bully Dog) you have a set of digital gauges and can watch the exhaust temperature SOAR. Not good. Edge folks say keep the temp below 1000 degrees. Loading the OD will net 1200 to 1300 degrees and you are melting the turbo on these 6.0 Ford diesels. Early 6.0 (2004) Fords went through alot of turbos burning them up. I've been lucky and kept my 2005 event-free, no failures for 45K. Lucky me. Go onto YouTube and look at how cherry red a turbo looks when you have it up to that temperature.

Nunya001 says watch out for the head bolts. I haven't heard anything about that in red hot mode. (no OD cut-off switch Nunya) Hmmm....

So far, I haven't heard anyone say there's a cheap fix to holding 3rd. I know I have the option of buying a Baumann Controls unit for the tranny. But if this tranny is 4R100, not an E4OD, I'll have to see if they make one for that unit. Any takers?

Thanks you all.

<humbly bowning>

page crow

[overlander63]

I haven't seen anybody else mention this, but you can go to the Powerstroke diesel forum and pose your question. They would have more experience with your setup than most people here:
Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum

[Mikethefixit]

Id watch that Exhaust temp. I don't know where the stinger is but if its on the cold side that temp is actually about 12 to 14 hundred degress and that will cause you problems. I have a 7.3 (2001) with the Auto and never have had any shift problems and we now have over 75k miles . I hear the 6.0 has had alot of problems. My engine cruises at about 1800 rpm and about 62 to 65mph and gets about 17 mpg towing.
Like someone said Id watch those trailer tires if you insist on running at 70 mph or more.
OH bye the way WHATS THE HURRY?????????????? Thats not what I was thinkin but I cleaned it up.LOL

[Bigdaddy_2]

If your transmission is an automatic with tow/haul mode then your transmission is the 5r110.

A good site to ask your questions about 5r110 transmission is

Diesel Forum - The Diesel Stop.com. Look under the 6.0L Power Stroke Engine and Drivetrain forum.

The guy who worked on the development of 5r110 is Mark Kovalsky and is a member of the forum. He usually chimes in when you have issues with the tranny and can give you the right answers.

[page.crow]

Thanks folks for your imput. 4R100 or 5R110? Ok. I'm crawling under my 2005 today to ID the tranny pan.

I've heard it said that the 6.0 diesel trucks had trouble. Perhaps I'm the lucky one. I've got 45K and not one problem. BUT...It's been babied, for sure. Road miles with no trailer or weight out back. Only now with my 31 Sovereign have I pulled any weight.

I will indeed go over to the Diesel Forums and ask questions. Thanks you all.

<humbly bowing>

page crow

ps: Plan your trips and GO. My closest friend Chuck just lost his life to lung cancer last night. He's the Osage native american that taught me to get out "On Tour". I bought my first little pop-up trailer to get out with Chuck and Christine. After years, I stepped up to the 31 Sovereign. Plan, but also GO! GO! GO! Cheers to my brother Chuck. Work hard if that's what it takes to play hard. Aho.

[nunya001]

The suggestion to go to a diesel forum is a very good one - I use FTE for some very solid info. Yes, the head bolts on the 6.0 are problematic - kep your temps low and you will be fine. Another alternative is to get a custom chip burned. i use a DP tuner with a tow mode that manages my shift points, torque converter lock up and fueling for lower EGTs and lower tranny temps. I don't believe DP Tuer will work on 6.0 mapping, but there is surely someone with solid skills out there. Be very war of Edge and Bully Dog, etc. . . . i know from personal experience the difference between a custom chip and a shelf tuner is HUGE. Sorry I can not offer more help.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by page.crow

Thanks folks for your imput. 4R100 or 5R110? Ok. I'm crawling under my 2005 today to ID the tranny pan.

I've heard it said that the 6.0 diesel trucks had trouble. Perhaps I'm the lucky one. I've got 45K and not one problem. BUT...It's been babied, for sure. Road miles with no trailer or weight out back. Only now with my 31 Sovereign have I pulled any weight.

I will indeed go over to the Diesel Forums and ask questions. Thanks you all.

<humbly bowing>

page crow

ps: Plan your trips and GO. My closest friend Chuck just lost his life to lung cancer last night. He's the Osage native american that taught me to get out "On Tour". I bought my first little pop-up trailer to get out with Chuck and Christine. After years, I stepped up to the 31 Sovereign. Plan, but also GO! GO! GO! Cheers to my brother Chuck. Work hard if that's what it takes to play hard. Aho.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, it sounds like maybe the best thing to honor his memory is to go camping.
You shouldn't have to even crawl under the truck, you can get the transmission code off the tag on the door frame, and look it up that way. It's a lot easier and cleaner.

[page.crow]

Hey I like that Diesel forum! <grinning>

But now I learned I need to do some maintenance on the EGR valve. grrrr.....

Yep, I crawled under my 05 F250. Surprise! No E4OD. <grinning> Man am I behind on the learning curve. I'll check out now and get hip. Thanks to all.

page crow

[page.crow]

Well, well... I ran a forum-search on the 6.0 powerstroke and discovered my own thread from years ago. update: My "babied" 2005 F250 6.0 Powerstroke has only gained 15 thousand miles on the odometer in the last four years. But, the dreaded 6.0 problems have indeed cropped-up: 1. temp gauge soaring to pegged when pulling a long uphill, on boost, with my trailer 2. Subsequent discovery of head gasket failure 3. multiple engine issues that need to be updated

I was searching for data\experience from fellow 6.0 Powerstroke drivers. Skater said there is a long thread on this issue. Looking for it now.

[page.crow]

EDGE JUICE (with "attitude") off the shelf tuner-chips experience:

I purchased this product several years ago and paid $1000.00 for it. (don't laugh, please) The promise was better performance, more power, better fuel economy, etc. None of those things happened. (The gauge-pod is cool. It displays many things.) After several months with this device on the truck and no performance or fuel economy gains, the truck stopped running. All the typical causes were mentioned: FICM, fuel pressure, ICP, HPOP etc. It was the EDGE tuner box. I yanked-it and my truck ran with no problems after that for years.

[page.crow]

I'm going to switch my conversations about the 6.0 Powerstroke over to the other thread I started recently. This is an OLD thread, from several years ago. There is some great info on this thread from others. I plan to document all the things I had to do to keep my 6.0 Powerstroke alive and running good on the other thread. Cheers!