Stranded...

597 Views 20 Replies 4 Participants Last post by shoebear, 6 d ago

shoebear

Discussion Starter · 17 d ago

I was driving my pickup around town. Waiting at a stoplight, my engine ran rough for about half a second, then smoothed out. But when the light turned green, I found I had no gears at all. I turned the engine off, scanned for codes, and found a couple that I think were old and related to squirrel wiring damage from months ago. After about 10 min, I restarted and found I had gears again. I was able to drive a quarter mile before it quit again (no codes this time). Thusly I was able to make it to a retail parking lot where I think I can leave it overnight.

Notes:

I have a BTS tyranny built probably 20+ years ago.
At no time did the Overdrive light flash
The tranny fluid (no, not Bud Light!) Is full.
I haven't heard any abnormal noises - no clunking or grinding, etc.
When the tranny works, it shifts normally. When it quits, it just seems like it goes into neutral and stays there.
My tranny temp gauge showed moderate temps, well within normal.

I called BTS and left a message to see if he has any dealers in Colorado Springs.

If anyone has an idea of the problem ad possibly how to fix, please post it here. It's entirely possible that this is new squirrel wiring damage, although that kind of damage usually shows up right away, not after I've driven 5 miles with no issues.

Thanks!

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shoebear

Discussion Starter · #2 · 17 d ago

Here are the codes I got and cleared at the first breakdown. As I said, I think these ate related to wire shorts caused by squirrel that I fixed a month or two ago.

P0236: Turbo/Super Charger Boost Sensor "A" Circuit Range/Performance

P0603: Internal Control Module Keep Alive Memory (KAM) Error

Hendy

· #3 · 17 d ago

@Mark Kovalsky He may have some helpful ideas for ya

Reactions: 1

Hendy

· #4 · 17 d ago

Also what year is your truck? that may help narrow down issues

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #5 · 17 d ago

Hendy said:
Also what year is your truck? that may help narrow down issues

1997 F-350 4×4 Crew Cab Long Bed. The last year of the OBS.

I'm home now, courtesy of a ride from my wife. Pickup is in a retail parking lot across town, pending more info from BTS, Mark K, or other members of this forum.

I'm tempted to try to limp it home tomorrow night at 2AM when traffic is light. But I'll wait for some expert input first - I don't want to damage the tranny more than it is.

Hendy

· #6 · 17 d ago

Mark Kovalsky said:
This could be:
1. disconnected linkage at the manual valve.
2. Loose feed bolts. Those are located between the main valve body and the case. If they loosen they leak pressure that should be applying the clutches.
3. Failed torque converter.
4. Something broke in the gearset.

Numbers 1 & 2 can be addressed with the trans in the truck. The others require removing the transmission.

here is what I've found from a very similar issue to yours ( different thread)

Reactions: 2

Hendy

· #7 · 17 d ago

" Is it doing enough to engage the clutches? That would take a pressure gauge in the pressure test port."

Here's another little quote. It seems like this could also be a pressure issue.

also a question I should have asked earlier is what kind of scan tool are you using, because most can't pull transmission codes ( I saw that you said the OD light didn't flash but I've pulled trans codes even when OD light didn't flash)

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #8 · 17 d ago

Hendy said:
" Is it doing enough to engage the clutches? That would take a pressure gauge in the pressure test port."

Here's another little quote. It seems like this could also be a pressure issue.

also a question I should have asked earlier is what kind of scan tool are you using, because most can't pull transmission codes ( I saw that you said the OD light didn't flash but I've pulled trans codes even when OD light didn't flash)

I agree that it seems like a pressure issue - perhaps triggered when the tranny fluid hits a certain temperature?

I'm using Torque. It has the OBS PIDs loaded so I can see things like HPOP pressure, oil temp, etc. But I don't think that gives it any ability to scan for secret Ford trouble codes.

Mark's list is helpful. I don't think the torque converter or gear failed (#s 3 & 4), since the problem is intermittent. So hopefully it will be an easy (and inexpensive) fix.

Reactions: 1

Hendy

· #9 · 17 d ago

Do you have anything you can test the pressure with so you can see if it is making constant reliable pressure?

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #10 · 17 d ago

Hendy said:
Do you have anything you can test the pressure with so you can see if it is making constant reliable pressure?

I might be able to come up with something, but I don't have anything ready to go. Somewhere I have a mechanical gauge and hose I used to check fuel pressure before I upgraded to an electric pump. It probably has the wrong end on it, but the end could be changed. What is the max tranny pressure I would see? I think the gauge goes to 100-ish PSI - maybe 120.

Hendy

· #11 · 17 d ago

That I'm not so sure about that. I have found nothing from some very light research other than 30 psi or less goes to the trans cooler

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #12 · 17 d ago

Thanks for your help! You have some really good ideas. I will see what Brian says in the morning and go from there. If he gives me the green light to limp it home and it's something I can fix myself, then great! It's past time for a fluid and filter change anyway.

I think I'm going to sign off for the night and get ready for bed.

Reactions: 1

Hendy

· #13 · 17 d ago

I wish you the best of luck

Reactions: 1

Mark Kovalsky

· #14 · 17 d ago

There is NOTHING electrical that can cause no gears. Nothing.

It could be loose feed bolts, a loose or missing filter, or low trans fluid. When you said it's full, did you check it warmed up with the engine idling in park?

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #15 · 17 d ago (Edited)

Good morning, Mark! Thanks for your help. I didn't think it was electrical; it's just that I've been fighting repeated squirrel attacks for over a year now, and so I'm "trained" to suspect them first whatever goes wrong. The truck was warmed up, but turned off (in the heat of the moment, I forgot that it was supposed to be idling). The fluid was up to the middle of the upper cross-checked area on the stick.

I can go check again sometime today, but the truck will be cold. It's about 5 miles away.

Meanwhile, some questions:

Do you have a favorite filter you recommend?
Do you think limping it home in the middle of the night could cause further damage? Or should I have it towed?

Dan

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shoebear

Discussion Starter · #16 · 17 d ago

I found this which shows the location and torque specs of the feed bolts...

https://www.thedieselstop.com/attachments/feed-bolts-pdf.116033/

shoebear

Discussion Starter · #17 · 17 d ago (Edited)

I have an ATS high capacity transmission pan purchased probably 2001. The filter is held on with gasket friction and by being supported by the pan. I wonder if that early model ATS pan has support for the filter built in? If not, the filter may have dropped over time to the point where it's no longer making a reliable seal with the transmission. This would result in intermittent loss of fluid pressure, leading to my symptoms.

It's clear that I need to get my truck home, drain the fluid, and drop the pan. I have 7 gallons of $chaeffer tranny fluid$ (prescribed by Brian when he built the transmission) on the way so that I can change the fluid. I'll follow Mark Kovalski's excellent instructions on changing the fluid, which says I need 20 quarts, and the ATS pan adds another 5 quarts, for a total of 25 quarts or 6 gallons 1 quart.

If I find the pan has inadequate support for the filter, I'll have to fabricate a support, switch back to a stock pan, or maybe see if I can trade it in for a current model ATS pan.

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shoebear

Discussion Starter · #18 · 17 d ago (Edited)

Talked with Brian of BTS. He said it shouldn't be a problem to try to limp the truck home, and that he would only use a Motorcraft FT-114 filter for replacement. So I will plan to limp the truck home this evening. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any dealers in Colorado.

Blueforester

· #19 · 13 d ago (Edited)

shoebear said:
So I will plan to limp the truck home this evening. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any dealers in Colorado.

Curious, did you find what caused your transmission to not have any gears? You said you had no gears at all. So I assume you tried transmission in 4wd Low?

Reason I ask is I'm not sure if you have the same transmission as I have in my 02 F250 4wd. I believe it is a 4EOD. But I had the same thing that you are describing happen to my truck. Got off the interstate and pulled up to red light. Light turned green and NO GO. I shifted through all the gears. Everything sounded normal. But would not go. I'm holding up traffic. Got to thinking and shifted to 4wd high. I have manual hubs but I didn't get out to lock them in. But still no go. Then shifted to 4wd Low and dang if it didn't crawl forward normal as it should in 4wd low. I was able to cross the intersection and pulled into a car lot.

I was on the way to the hospital as my wife was there as she was having difficulties with her pregnancy of our first child. So I left the truck and called the Ford and told them were it was at. I don't even remember how I got to the hospital now.

Any way, Ford called I think the next day and said that the "Viscous Coupling" had failed. I said the what?? I didn't know there was such a thing. But If I recall it is a coupling in the transfer case that the output of the transmission connects and/or passes through to the output of the transfer case. And if I remember right in 4wd to maximize the torque output to the drive shafts it is direct drive through lower gear reduction. Luckily it was covered under warranty.

Thank the lord my wife survived three months in the hospital and blessed me with a baby daughter. She is 16 now. So memory of this is a little fuzzy.

Cool thing now is I wound up having to get a new F250 6.7 in December 2019. It's been a long project but I have been rebuilding the 7.3 for my daughter. As it is the only truck she has known and was about to turn 16. And I lost the battle on fixing my 02 F250 and selling it.

I've got the motor built and on the engine stand waiting to go in. Cleaned, painted and insulated engine compartment. Then hit a snag and been down last three months. But back going and about to get back to get the motor in. As I've been getting beat up pretty bad about how long it is taken. Daughter is driving now. Mom's car. So I'm getting it from both barrels!

Blue

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shoebear

Discussion Starter · #20 · 12 d ago

Wow, Blue! Great story! No, I didn't try it in 4hi or 4lo, but I will. I had it towed to my house and have been waiting for the weekend to work on it. But 4WD (hi or lo) is a really good test before I drop the transmission pan. No need to open the tranny if the problem is actually in the transfer case.

Right now, I'm thinking my filter is loose, or maybe the feed bolts. But I won't know until I get into it.

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