E4OD Hard Shift Transmission Repair - Ford Tranny Tech
The term "bigger is better" echoes in the minds of most diesel owners and usually goes hand in hand with making more horsepower and torque with their truck. Unfortunately, when the factory automatic transmission fails to handle the extra power, the owner has two choices: remove the power adders and start over with a fresh or remanufactured transmission, or upgrade to a stronger transmission and keep the power coming. Most choose the latter.
In the age of built automatic transmissions with billet input shafts made from 300M alloy steel, triple-disc converters with billet front covers, and state-of-the-art transmission control modules, it's easy to get carried away when upgrading your diesel workhorse's slushbox. And if you're not careful, you could spend a lot of money on a transmission that doesn't fit your needs, or perform how you want it to. It's important to convey to your transmission builder exactly what components you want and how you plan to use your truck. After all, do you really want neck-snapping shifts capable of handling 1,200 hp in your 400hp daily driver? Would you want your 400hp truck shifting hard enough to snap input shafts or other driveline parts? We don't think so.
We recently stopped by John Wood Automotive in Holtville, California, where Wood was in the middle of addressing a rough shifting concern on an E4OD-equipped Ford F-350. He's a firm believer that beefed-up automatics don't have to make harsh shifts in order to be reliable or efficient-especially if the truck is only making 300 to 350 hp. Such was the case here. Read on to see how easy it was for Wood to smooth out the transmission's shifts, while still keeping them firm enough to handle the power.
