Its happened twice to 2 different trucks? anyone know why?

Bill01 · #1 11-30-2005, 01:34 AM

Ok so a few months ago my uncle Mark and i were delivering something to some one and we were towing a large trailer. He has a 2001 F350 Crewcab. The trailer was well under his towing limit. So he was backing the trailer up a steep drive way and it was a little wet so he put the truck in 4x4. While backing up the transmission seal broke and spilled all the fluid out. So now last week my other uncle John was delivering something. He has a 14ft cargo trailer that he pulls with his 2004 F250 Supercab. He started backing up the trailer and the transmission seal broke but he didnt see it so he drove on it and completely messed up his tranny and transfer case. Is this a common problem with ford trannys? Are they not able to handle the same amount of wieght in reverse as they are in drive? Just wondering if you guys have heard of this before?

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adrianspeeder · #2 11-30-2005, 07:30 AM

Howdy and welcome!

Classic overheating scenerio. Your gonna get the fluid pretty warm towing even in OD with a locked TC, but the death blow is to start backing up after a long trip. See it all the time in campgrounds when people are doing the truck shuffle to park a monster fifthwheel. Nothing builds more heat then reversing a trailer. You get zip from the cooler as there isn't air moving across it.

If this will be common to tow that much, invest in a bigger cooler and one of these.

Adrianspeeder

93F150 · #3 11-30-2005, 10:09 AM

It is not blowing a seal, it is going out the tube in the top of the tranny. Transmission is getting to hot.

There is no way he burned up the tranny AND transfer case.

Get the temp gauge and use 4 low while backing up a steep hill with a trailer

ViperGrendal · #4 11-30-2005, 10:18 AM

Just towed my TT last week and had a time backing into my spot at the house (slight incline backing up and I haven't driven it for months). After the third try the temp had reached 210 on my new temp guage. I installed the troyer active cooler, so it did it's job and kicked on pumping air through the cooler. I let it run after I was done to let it cool back down to 170 or so. Only took 5-10 minutes with the active cooler fan running. The temp never got over 180 otherwise. Even when we got back and I had my feel for backing it again and got it on the first try. Temp got to 180 from 160ish that time.

MitchF150 · #5 11-30-2005, 11:26 AM

My 'backing up' trans temps went from a high of 210* to not rising at all from whatever temp it is when I started by using 4 lo to backup my trailer into it's spot at home.

Now, I do have a gravel path that I'm on when I'm doing this, so that helps because I have to do full lock to lock turns of the steering wheel to park the beast... Funny thing about that is it's the rear tires that do all the 'slipping', not the front...

Anyway, if it's at all possible to use 4 lo (you have to have a 4x4..

) and you have a difficult backing up job, it's the only way to go...

Mitch

Bluegrass · #6 11-30-2005, 12:03 PM

I have about the worst possible conditions of pulling a steep hill with two 90* turns yet, then hard left into the driveway.
I always let the engine idle a few minutes before turnng off and leave it there until then next day to turn around.
I run Mercom V blend to raise the temp capability of the fluid as well as two coolers in line and so far seem to do very well.
I'm wondering if these transmissions lose venting when on a reverse angle and the fluid covers the fill tube? Or is the vent plugged when this might happen?
Seems the vent woud leak fluid and maybe get dirt ladened to the point it gets plugged.
Ive heard of this reverse operation problem before.