03 7.3L 4R100 Trans gets hot

[krazyburro]

Tranmission gets hot after an hour of freeway driving at 70+mph (2500+ rpm).
Autometer pillar gauges reads 200+ and dash gauge barely moves. If I slow to 60mph temp will come down to 180 but takes sometime to do so.

Went on a test run will 8000# trailer towing up hill most of the way. Trans temp remained steady for approx 45 mins the spiked to 200 degrees in seconds. The gauge in the dash barely moved. If we continued, the pillar gauge would continue to climb and eventually the dash gauge would follow. I've never had the dash gauge into the red but think it would go there if I did not slow.

Ford has checked the trans and can find no fault.

What would cause the pillar gauge to spike 40 degrees in seconds? Any ideas on the overall prob?

03 Ford 7.3l deseil 4R100 transmission w/ Mag Hy-Tech high capacity oil pan. Had a Super chip but have removed the chip and am running stock. AFE intake w/ 4" Magna Flow Cat back exhaust.

 

[BJS]

the magtech pan provides a larger capacity of fluid to get hot which even though the pan is finned to "help cooling" they don't unfortunately because there is less surface area per volume of trans fluid.

I'm up from the basement so all I can offer on the dash gauge is what I've read and they are worthless .... IIRC red = 230°

I would recommend checking the gauge wiring and contacts for loose or corroded connections. This would cause the gauges to get a sporadic reading and a very rapid jump in temps

Regardless I would suggest upgrading the transmission cooler on your truck. Ford did not put the best trans coolers in from the get go.

I would suggest paying a transmission shop to check the transmission because unfortunately Ford shops tend to say that there is no problem unless 1) their diagnostic computer says so or 2) it's blatantly obvious.

You may have a trans that is beginning to fail a good shift kit (or valve body) may solve the problems for you but no guarantee.

Oh and one last thought the weakest part of the stock transmission was the torque converter it could be possible that your lockup in the converter is beginning to slip slightly but not enough to trip the flashing OD Light.

What impact did removing the Superchips have?..... Good? Bad? indifferent?

 

[CHPMustang]

Suggest a 6.0L transmission fluid cooler?

 

[krazyburro]

Removing the chip made no difference. Auto meter gauge is thermostatic not electric. I agree that more volume isn't necessarily going to help cooling. I also agree that we should be paying attention to the dash and not so much the pillar gauge. Thanks for your input

 

[desert50eagle]

FWIW the reason most people put on aftermarket gauges is so that they can get ACCURATE readings......The factory trans temp gauge in your truck (02+ I believe) is known to be junk. If your pillar gauges are installed correctly then I would rely on them. Just my .02

 

[daytondiesel]

What does the dash gauge say when you stop ?
heres what happened to me. I was pulling my boat to the lake about a five hour drive. I noticed that when I stopped the first time the trans was leaking some fluid out the front. I went on down the road stopped for lunch now I have a large pond of fluid under the truck and two hours to the lake so I top it off and take off down the road. As long as I am driving the trans temp gauge stays right in the middle but as soon as I stop it goes straight to over heating and starts to puke fluid. turns out the TQ is boiling the fluid. I get it to a local shop they drop the trans the convetor is blued from heat the seal around the shaft has one place about a 1/4 -3/8 wide that is burned and that is why the TQ was leaking. So put new TQ in it and went home at end of week. No problems getting home. When I got home I pulled the stock replacement out and upgraded to a Bd and have not had any problems in 3 years with this kind of problem.

Jay

 

[krazyburro]

the gauge stays the same for a little while and then will slowly drop. no real quick changes here when stopped. the only time quick changes in the pillar gauge occur is when I am driving. eventually the dash gauge catches up. no fluids leaking..

 

[MBRPCrazyford]

Sounds like TQ is slippin like was mentioned before. Oh, just my $.02, if you've got a pillar gauge, don't even look at your factory tranny gauge in the dash. Just pretend it's not even there. The Autometer is (should be) much more accurate. JMO

 

[krazyburro]

Any idea of what type of torque converter would work the best? Is it easy to put in yourself or do I need to go to a shop to have that done?

 

[BJS]

depends on your mechanical abilities, a torque converter install requires the removal and installation of the transmission. Beyond that it's not any more difficult than changing the air filter on an old carbed truck. (actually that's more difficult because there's at least a clip/bolt/wingnut)