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4r100 upgrades

18K views 37 replies 15 participants last post by  Coltaine 
#1 ·
i just want to prolong the life of my tranny what all can i do... or what is the most cost effective i have heard tc lockup and some other stuff along those lines what do yall think.
 
#22 ·
No,, he means 4R100,, the ones we have in our 7.3L trucks,,,,

Only upgrade I can recommend is BTS! It's what I did,, best "Upgrade" ever!

Also, the trans filter, (if you mean external) is un necessary. They can actually inhibit flow, and cause the trans to run hotter I believe. (When they start to plug the fluid will bypass the cooler and just go back into the pan....

If you think you NEED the trans filter because you had a problem and left the old cooler on,or something like that... then just buy a new cooler.. don't try flushing ect....
 
#4 ·
Start with a trans temp gauge. Then either a John Woods valve body or a BTS VB. Your stock trans automaticly locks in the TC at about 38mph and unlocks when you decellerate to that speed. If it dont lock up its already passed the point of no return

Its inevitably going to fail, start a budget for a good aftermarket trans with a great warranty in the future. Just stay away ATS all they are are flashy adds in the magazines.

I went through many many transmissions(5 or 6 in 3 years and to be honest I lost count) in my pickup til I got the BTS.:bowfast:

I only tow with my truck 26K+ and ive had my experiences with the oh so great 4R100, good luck!
 
#5 ·
I just realized this was in the 6.0 section,:doh: if you have a 4R100 your truck has to be a 99-03 or an early 04

I have no thoughts on the torqshift trans...only the 4R100, Ill go back to my dinosaur section:ford:
 
#15 ·
John Wood uses the 6.0 TC you can call him and tell him what you want.
BTW i ran my truck in my 140 tune hard 90%of the time with only a BTS valve body and its still going strong till today but that will change since i did my injectors.
 
#16 ·
Don't agree with spending money on a worn out trans. Save your money. When the trans goes, it takes the TC with it. Only way to fix it is to cut it apart, clean it, weld it back and balance it. Cost me about $400 from Precision Industries when I did my 700R4. Get a BTS Valve Body and when the trans breaks, you get credit towards the new trans.
 
#17 ·
Gauges
BTS /JW Valve Body
6.0 Trans Cooler
Screw on Trans filter Kit
TQ Converter
 
#20 ·
Curious with what VB you went with. If you have tunes already you can install that J. Wood VB without needing a reburn, a BTS VB WILL need a reburn.
 
#21 ·
I didn't need a reburn when I did mine.
 
#23 ·
The fact a filter "CAN" inhibit flow when they go past their capacity of holding debris is why you change them at a set regular maintenance schedule. It is also a very good example of why you have want a filter. Consider the fact that the filter could get "plugged" as you state with exactly what? Debris from wear and use or worse. Would you want that crap circulating thru all the small parts and spaces and orifices of your $4000 + transmission, cooler setup creating increased wear and damage? Is that not exactly why we have filters on our oil, air, fuel, etc systems all of which if not changed at reasonable internals could would and have "clogged" with the debris that are meant to protect our vital systems from? Should we remove all of them because of this or change them at proper intervals?

The trans filter also have a secondary benefit. Depending where you install it it can protect your cooler or tranny.converter from the other should they let good limiting damage and replacement cost.

If you need want to get the most out of that filter but also not chance reduced flow they offer a gauge that shows when flow pressure has increased to need a filter change. Most have trans temp gauges which is one of the first two gauges anyone should add if they do not already have them. The other being pyro.

The allison as well as numerous large tranny's all have external filters on them stock. Ford as SOP adds a inline filter when ever it replaces one of these trannys. The tranny also does a have bypass should something clog the filter if something significant happened so that fluid would not be completely stopped.
 
#24 ·
For budget minded folks with a healthy trans.
you can add
1. a better trans cooler
A dieselsite trucool added to your system, or a v10 cooler swapped, or a 6.0 cooler.

2. A woods valve body, bts vb or transgo kit.

3. A 6.0 or 6.4 tc or sponsor racerx has a tc (course billet suncoast,bd or pi stallions are better but$$) iirc the 6.0 or 6.4 needs a spacer jw used to sell, they may make a newer 7.3 tc as well.

4. The dieselsite external filter.

That is My plan for tranny mods.
 
#25 ·
3. A 6.0 or 6.4 tc or sponsor racerx has a tc (course billet suncoast,bd or pi stallions are better but$$) iirc the 6.0 or 6.4 needs a spacer jw used to sell, they may make a newer 7.3 tc as well.
Spending big bucks on a TC for a used trans is like this New Zealand guy falling in love with his Grandma. Sure, it's possible but why?? 'I'm in love with my grandson and we're having a baby' : Sociology Rational Skepticism Forum

Any trans can break. However, all things being equal, a used trans with miles on it is going to be more likely to break. Why spend big bucks on it so that you can cut it apart and clean it before welding it back and balancing? I spent $400 because my trans broke. It was a built one so I used a good TC. IF it was a used stock trans, why?
 
#26 ·
So do any of you guys know if you change the valve body tunes need to be reburned or no? My brother has a 2000 with 156,000 he already has dp tunes and wants to get a BTS valve body and deep pan is it worth it to put in a trans with so many miles or just save for a new complete built BTS? Thanks for any suggestions, sorry for the derail!

Josh
 
#27 ·
Forget about the deep pan. You can get the BTS VB since Brian will give you credit for it when you buy the full trans. He gave me credit sight unseen. VB sat in black fluid with debris running all over it for 100 miles.
 
#28 ·
Ok cool thanks I'll let him know, did you take your truck down there or order a trans and have it sent to you? do you remember what the vb cost you roughly?? Your not too far from me I'm in Kenosha,Wi Thanks again :ford:
 
#31 ·
The VB cost about $225. I had it sent to me. When my diode gave way, I had him send the trans to me too. You cannot use me as a comparison since I got a Ford Tech to work on it for $250 CASH as an "After House" deal.
 
#29 ·
When i bought mine it was 250.00 plus the core.
 
#30 ·
Adding a valve body with larger. Holes will change the shifting.
Some tunes expect it others need to be changed.

As far as why spend 1k vs 4 1/2k is obvious..don't have it.
But my 300 hp truck isn't a 600 hp truck and I don't tow 20k.
Would a bts be better, sure .
 
#32 ·
My reasoning, and your situation might not apply, is that I have been bit too many times. Finally I learned that it cost less IN THE LONG RUN to do it right the first time. I didn't have the cash either. I had to sell some stuff and make some trades to do it. Now, I don't have to worry when I break down. It is covered.

This is a story of a fiasco by some moron. This guy, kets call him aklim, bought a set of Trick Flow heads because he didn't want to pony up the money for AFRs. They were the cheaper and the salesman said it was as good just that they didn't have the AFR names. In theory they flowed as well and had the new fangled design. A few weeks after the install, TFS sent some guideplates. You see, they had a QC issue but this set would take care of it. At that time, I didn't know enough to fix it so $$$. Fast forward. There was a strange noise coming from the right side VC. Seems like we broke a spring. Got a new spring from them and it was right as rain. Chevy 350s tend to leak at the intake manifold. Took it off to seal it and just for laughs, took off the head. Seems like that valve had hit the piston. There went a good short block built by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. $$. Bore was scuffed up although the compression was good. Had the heads checked out. Seems like the left side was good. The entire right side had loose valves. All of them wobbled in the valve guides. They managed to save the head so I could sell it but I lost the short block. If I had ponied up money for the good stuff, maybe the QC would be better. So, I guess I saved money up front but paid way more in the end. The SB cost me about $4000. The more expensive head would have been no more than $1000. Where was the savings?
 
#33 ·
I got a billet triple dick TC for Tom at ARI Industries $400. I have 450 RWH and seems to be doing fine. Good dude Whent with an ATS trans BTW hate there customer service, I ate up the trans the 3rd day I had it. ATS put one in it for free but said it was the TC sent it back to tom and Tom said there full of ####. Come to find out the valve body cracked in the trans, lucky for me I have a friend that works there and he did the service on my truck. That where the information came from. Long story short cost of a billit TC from Tom is $400, Trans fluid and flush from ATS $150, ATS Trans $4500, Day 3 of new trans and it taking a sh*t Priceless.
 
#34 ·
what about the sonnax shift kit? is that any good? the valve body is located in the back of the trans right???
 
#35 ·
what about the sonnax shift kit? is that any good?

the valve body is located in the back of the trans right???
I'd rather get the JW or BTS VB that has been inspected. I don't know how worn the bores can be but I would suppose that it can be worn out over time. If you just replace the springs and don't check clearances, it CAN be worn. Not sure how much but it can, in theory.

Not really. Welcome to guzzle's BTS Valve Body Web Page
 
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