Toasted Tranny
 

Well I fried my tq converter and trans yesterday on the way home from a trip. Started over heating, and slipping. So pulled over checked fluid. Let it cool off drove half a mile temp jumped to 280*. Got it towed to my dealer. Confirmed today I need a trans. Question is ford reman with better converter or go all out with a suncoast :argh: .

You don't make enough power to justify going big, but if you have the coin an upgraded converter wouldn't hurt. (don't mean this as a knock, just saying these transmissions are tough).

It would probably save your transmission a lot of grief if you changed gears too. I'm assuming you're still on stock 3.73's? Rolling a huge 38x15.5 tire...

I've also grenaded a stock torque converter myself. Too man boosted launches and driving like an idiot with a race tune on daily. It was my own fault.

Just some points to add. A stock torque converter in a 5R110 is already a triple disk, factory, and they only cost about $325 new. An upgraded unit is going to be in the $1200 price range, just so you know. If it was me, I'd probably put the transmisson on a pallet and send it to Doug @ GoGo. If you do go built, definitely put it in the hands of someone that does diesel transmissons all the time. I can't tell you how many times I've read of guys having some local yokel hero who builds trannies all the time for all the race cars in the area, try to build a diesel trans and then a month later it falls apart again.

There's a few different ways you can go with this. If you plan on keeping your stock gearing a built trans may be better option, but a stocker should hold up just fine if you re-gear (all assuming you're on 3.73's still)

:pca1:

Agreed. I bought a rebuild from San Tan Transmission (out of AZ, found on ebay). For full warranty, ASE cert mech must install, line flush, etc. There was a shift kit and valve body work done and it does NOT flare between 3rd and 5th. It was also $2300 including shipping!

Further, I'd run a 4.30 gear with those 38s. This is based on new tire/old tire to find rate of change, then multiply that by current gear, 3.73. Estimating 37.5, I got 4.40, so 4.30 is close enough. Yes this works, I doubled checked this when comparing indicated speed to gps speed.

Well I spoke with the tech today. I think im going with a ford reman and suncoast converter. If and when I decide to make more power down the road I can always get it rebuilt. Just don't have the time for my truck to be down nor the money. As for gears I was saving to regear it until this unexpectedly happened. Thank god the tow company just got a bigger flat bed.
http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/2...3468812464.jpg

It sucks the trans let loose, I thought the SCT was suposed to protect the trans???????

Well apparently the previous owner never had routine maintenance done on the trans. Never had a filter changed. Sh** happens

It protects it, doesn't make it a complete life saver. If he had an Edge it wouldn't have lasted this long, that's for sure.

A 38x15.5 tire on stock gearing is a tremendous amount of stress. We don't all drive like little old ladies like you Bob! :moon: haha

I would get a different converter myself... The RCD billet units are really sweet. Precision Industries also makes really nice converters.

Look up Rocky Horn on facebook. He was last years diesel power challenge winner. He's got a 5R110 built by BTS with a precision converter for sale, for $3500.

Well I can get a ford reman for $2800 plus converter costs. Labor is going to be $550. Just have to decide which converter to get. What the difference in the suncoast 5R110 and the suncoast 5R110 6 Studs?

I'd call to double check, but what I know is this:

6.4's and 6.0's have 5R110's.

6.0 5R110 has 6 studs holding the flex plate
6.4 5R110 has 8 studs holding the flex plate

You can use the transmission behind either engine, but you need the correct torque converter and flex plate for the engine.

Good to know. I was going to call before I ordered it. So do you think I would be good with this setup? I will regear in the near future to 4.30s

IMO, if you are going to regear soon... don't even bother, keep the stock converter. That's just me. The stock converter is a LOT less money than the suntoast. You could probably just save the money and re-gear now.

What other converters would you recommend? I'm trying to weigh all my options. And what combination would get me my truck back quickest.

I have to say that I agree with Mike. Don't under estimate what a set of gears will can do for your rig. I have 4.56s behind a LAME 1985 454 pushing a set of 38s and it moves itself pretty well. 4.30s in your truck would be just the ticket. Unless there are plans for injectors, turbo, and all that other cool stuff, a re-gear would do fine.

Well I think im going to go with the ford reman, tq converter and hopefully gears all at one time. I planned on doing gears when I first bought my truck but not this soon. Better to knock it all out at one time while they are tearing into it. What do you guys think? Should I just do ford reman and gears or throw the converter in there for the sense of security and for the future? :humm:

You can replace the stock converter multiple times before you ever get to the cost of the aftermarket units. The gearing will help that transmission out tremendously. I would do stock trans and gears myself. I'm kind of shocked you even fried it like this. Are your tunes written for your tire size?

Well the converter was ordered sat. The guy doing all my work said he would do front and rear axles for $680. Wheres a good place to buy gears from? Should I go 4.30 or 4.56?

I'd go 4.10 myself. My buddy was running 40" tires and took his 4.56's out because he didn't like it, he actually put his 3.73's back in. That's why I'm shocked you fried the converter. Do you do a lot of boosted launches or taking off in 3rd gear or anything? I fried my stocker doing those exact things.

Karl would be the guy to ask about gears and where to get them, he's far more versed in that than I.

Ive done a few boosted launches. Maybe a total of 5-6. I had 4.10s in my old truck with 36" but they were factory 4.10. Wheres a good place to purchase gears from? Do I need to get a rebuild kit or something?

Gears for these trucks aren't that easy to find. Most of the usual shops sell the same bolt-ons/electronics, but no gears. I found the 10.5" rear gear at Randy's Ring and Pinion for pretty reasonable. I'm pretty sure that you can interchange the 10.25 and 10.5 gears. Pretty sure. The front, I still haven't been able to figure out if it's a Dana 60 or a Dana 50 in the 2003 and up trucks. I'm thinking it's a D60, though.

Anyway, if you have no experience setting up gears, I'd take it to a driveline/drivetrain shop. I read about it several times, but it took someone actually showing be before I got it. It's not that it's hard, but if you don't do it right, there's not much of a 2nd chance. As far as a rebuild, I'd just buy a shim kit. Your bearings should be good, but the new gears may require different shimming to get that sweet spot.

I know ill need new shims for them. Just cant seem to find the gears for the front.

CaryT on the Ford boards would be the guy to hit up, dude knows more about superduty drivelines than I can even fathom.

Thanks ill try and get a hold of him

Well I got my trans put in saturday. Everything went smooth. Only problem suncoast decided to wait over a week to tell me my converter was on back order even tho I called every day to get a order status. I was always told let me check Ill give you a call right back, and the diesel tech that did all the work on my truck called them mid week about getting a converter for his truck. He was told they are in stock and ready to ship. So now they said 2 weeks before mine will ship. I will have to pay again to get my transmission pulled and the convert installed then put it all back :argh: :argh: Anybody else have problems with them?