Need Tech Help Again: 94 F350 Cold Start, Trans

[Tony396]

If I had just a little more cash, I would have traded this truck in yesterday. Since I don't, I need some of that help.

1994 F350, 460, E4OD auto, 170K, Motor is 60K old, trans is 40K old.

I think my intermittent stalling probelm is gone since I changed the just about every electrical component...I think the culprit was a bad magnetic pickup in the distributor.

New driveability problem. When ice cold, it will start, but now buck, snort, loop, etc for about 15-30 seconds, and then it runs GREAT and smooths right out. Drive it for 15 minutes, let cool down for 15 or so, and will still start great. It is only a ice cold start that causes this condition.

Ideas?

2nd problem. Ford Reman trans has 40K on it. Whenever I tow any load, even an open trailer for about 60-80 miles, the trans starts spewing fluid out of the vent on top, only when it is running. I'm talking heavy duty, 1/8 constant stream, only when running. Go out the next day after this spewing, start it up, and it is just fine with no leaks. Around town, no trailer, life is just good. Shifts and drives just fine. Fluid is not burnt. Did this about 3 weeks ago and I pulled pan, changed filter, flushed OEM cooler and lines, put new, good quality Pennzoil ATF in it. All was fine for two weeks of short tows, long unloaded runs, but last night it did the same damn thing to me again. Took me three quarts of fluid to get home 25 miles. Let it sit overnight, started it up this morning (after snorting and banging, of course) and not one drop was leaking.

Ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help. I can't afford a new truck right now, I need this one to get me through the next 6 months or so.

Tony P

[Mike Hedger]

Tony the converter is junk. When it gets hot the front cover baloons and lets the lockup clutch slip and boil the filuid. Get a good billet front cover converter and you problems will go away.

On the cold start check the air charge temp sensor and the coolent temp sensor. There is a chart for resistance to temp on both but take them out to check them. Sometimes the air charge sensor gets coked up and won't read right.

[Alan Roehrich]

That's a common problem with the E4OD. The problem with a FORD reman (those of us who build them in the aftermarket can't get away with the factory crap) is Ford does not do all the upgrades required to actually fix the transmission, they just put new parts in it. If you can't afford to trade, I'm sure you can't afford an expensive aftermarket trick converter. Shoot, even the upgraded stock rebuilds (converters) cost me about $300 or so, and that's wholesale because I'm real tight with the guy who builds them for me.

What you CAN do, for now, to get you by, is to go get the biggest Hayden transmission cooler you can put behind your grille. You should be able to do that for under $100 or so. You might want to completely bypass the cooler in the radiator. Please, if you do this, mount the cooler securely, route the hoses where they won't get cut, if there isn't enough hose in the kit, go by REAL cooler hose, not cheap fuel line, and finally, use TWO hose clamps at each connection.

Mike is correct on the temp sensors. If they are reading too high a temperature, it will do that. Other common causes (you MAY have dealt with some of this earlier with your previous issues) are: fuel filter, fuel pump(s), MAP sensor, and MAF sensor. The fact that it is a very short duration problem that only happens dead cold leads me to the same conclusion as Mike, faulty temp sensor, probably engine coolant. Do replace it with a FORD sensor, if you replace it.

Good luck.

[Tony396]

Thanks for all the info, guys.

Going to change the temp sensor first thing tomorrow.

Dumb question here...

Isn't cooler temp tied into converter lock up? Therefore..if the sensor is bad, couldn't it cause the converter not to lock up?

Tony

[Alan Roehrich]

Usually, the converter won't lock up if the coolant temp is too low, at least early in the run cycle.