This might be a helpful thread for the future on rebuilding a E40D
Transmission or anyone who has a E40D transmission on your
Sportsmobile:
My transmission seized and quit this weekend while heading up highway
330 up to Big Bear this weekend on my shorted vacation. Had about
70k miles on the van.
It basically overheated, slipped and slipped and died. The ATF fluid
was not pink, but brown (burnt); it was pinkish in color last month.
Almost made it to the side shoulder on the 330 when it quit but
didn't make it and my buddy in his van had to David Blain in
30seconds a chain with a hook to tow me 10 yards up the hill to a
safe spot; cars where starting to pile up waiting behind us going
uphill.
No forward in any speed.
Reversed worked. A big "Oh Well.."
Making a long story short regarding 4 hour wait for a tow and the
question and answer game with AAA; for example: "Does it have running
water?" Say "NO!" and then the tow back to home.
It was quite scary seeing the 10k lbs sporto on the back of a flat
bed tow coming down the mountain on highway 330.
Next day we tried diagnosing ourselves; with Ford Manuals and
Google. No Codes from the PCM. Tried reseting the PCM
(disconnecting the battery for 2min). End of Day, we pulled the
transmission pan and discovered aluminum shavings that was floating
on top of the atf remaining in the pan. Pretty much decided then
that it was shot.. and found a local transmission shop that knew the
E40D transmission well.
Since I'm the second owner of my Sportsmobile, I suspected it to be
damaged by the first but found out that the E40D is known to have
issues.
Especially if you have extra torque, Power Diesel, V10, etc.. or more
weight.
After 4 hours of researching from Google, we realized that there were
quite a few problems with the E40D transmission and there were alot
of good upgrades for it if your rebuilding.
And yes, I'm having it rebuilt to be bullet proof now:
Shift Kit, Steel Planetaries, Solenoids, Valve Body, temperture gauge
with sending unit, etc..
Here is another link discussing the E40D transmission:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/projectbuild ... 150_transm
ission_rebuild/index.html
Alot of the upgrades come from a outfit called Transgo:
http://www.transgo.com/
I'll keep in touch with updates on the rebuild, it'll be done by
Friday.
Bummed at first but now excited about the upgrades for the rebuild.
"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better
than he was. Better...stronger...faster."