I'm having a couple different problems with my truck, and I don't know whether they're tranny/TC or engine/sensor related. I've got an '01 SCrew, 4R70W, 5.4, 4x4, with 102,000 miles. Tranny fluid and filter were changed about 6000 miles ago. Here are my symptoms:

1. I've had the dreaded TCC shudder on the 3-4 shift for a while now, but only under certain load conditions (usually part throttle). Fluid change doesn't seem to have cleared it up any. On the whole, the truck seems to want to sit and spin on the upshift for a long time before it engages OD.

2. The truck hesitates when accelerating from a dead stop. It's OK at part throttle, but when I mash the pedal it bogs down for a few seconds and then takes off. For some reason, the problem is a lot worse if I move the gear selector manually to 2nd. The problem also seems to get worse in hot weather. Worst part about it: No tire chirping anymore.

3. Just recently, when I'm cruising at around 55 mph or so, get on the brakes, and then hit the gas again, the truck does this bucking/hesitating thing like it's stuck between gears.

I'm sure it all sounds bad, but on the whole the truck is still pretty driveable. The shifts are still good most of the time, considering it's a factory slushbox. I can't figure out if there's something mechanically wrong with the tranny or some other driveline component (u-joints?), or whether I've got some combination of bad sensors causing these problems -- O2s, DPFE, TPS? Any ideas? Am I driving around with a grenade ready to 'splode? There weren't a lot of metal shavings in the pan when I changed fluid or anything, and the fluid was still in pretty good shape. I'm at a loss, so please help.

Thanks!

 

some ford trannys will go into 2nd gear if u put it there manually. hope this helps

 

If fluid change didn't fix it temporarily I'd say your converter clutch is cooked. I highly recommend a big cooler to keep the trans cool. It might be overheating.
Alan

 

Well, hopefully the issue with 2nd gear is normal... Thanks, piperc.

I've got a factory tranny cooler, but you may be right Alan, that it's not enough in the heat. I dunno, I still get the hesitation even when it's cool outside, it's just that the problem is worse when the weather is hot.

So, no one thinks it could be a sensor-related problem with the hesitation? Or anything else, other than fried tranny components?

 

Could be a bad plug wire or spark plug.
Alan