F-series--transmission reliability

[flusher]

I had a 7.3 and never had a single problem with the auto tranny but I had a larger tranny cooler and changed the fluid every 25K or so. Like others said heat is the enemy. Now that being said the auto tranny behind the 7.3 was the weak point. The Torque Shift which came along in late 2003 with the 6.0 and in the gas engines in 2005 is twice the tranny. Probably the best auto tranny in diesel trucks, period. Yes, many rant and rave about the Allison in the GM trucks but they have know issues like leaks and going into limp mode. I had a 2005 Dmax and can honestly say I did not have any issues with my Allison but did with the rest of the truck so I sold it 9 months after buying it so it was not a real test.

Chris

Thanks for the Torque Shift input. I need to learn more about that tranny.

Slighty off the point: your 2005 Duramax/Allison--could you elaborate on the other issues you had with that truck?

 

[saltbranch]

For some reason I am thinking the Fords have a 3/4 ton and a 3/4 ton camper special truck? Maybe it was light duty vs. heavyduty? If he was towing a short lieght weight 5th wheel vs. a tongue pull TT? the wind drag of a 5th wheel will kill an auto tranny and MPG's.

 

[Steve C]

I had a 7.3 and never had a single problem with the auto tranny but I had a larger tranny cooler and changed the fluid every 25K or so. Like others said heat is the enemy. Now that being said the auto tranny behind the 7.3 was the weak point. The Torque Shift which came along in late 2003 with the 6.0 and in the gas engines in 2005 is twice the tranny. Probably the best auto tranny in diesel trucks, period. Yes, many rant and rave about the Allison in the GM trucks but they have know issues like leaks and going into limp mode. I had a 2005 Dmax and can honestly say I did not have any issues with my Allison but did with the rest of the truck so I sold it 9 months after buying it so it was not a real test.

Chris

I have an 03 Duramax extended cab 8 foot box 4 wheel drive with the 5 speed allison. It is by far the most impressive truck I have ever owned. I hauled 8 horses down to Mt Hope Ohio 2 days ago. I ran 800 miles at the legal speed limit and only downshifted twice on some of the steepest hills I have ever seen. The back roads around Mt Hope will put the coasters at cedar point to shame. Mine has never gone into limp mode but my friends has and it isn't any fun. Something about a sensor getting wet. In Michigan in the winter...go figure......

I have a 4 speed Allison in my motor home and it has been pulling or in my case actually pushing 20,000# since 1991 without a problem. I think they are built a little heavier than the average consumer transmission.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My Dmax was plagued with injector and glow plug problems. It would also overheat pulling a big load. The next year they changed the air intake to take care of that. When I say big load I am talking 15,000# plus. Even though it was a 3500 my F-250 handled the weight better. The Dmax truck also had to have the bed repainted, EGR valve problems, power set issues, broken hood hinge, interior rattles, ect, ect, ect. It went to limp mode twice on me. The only new vehicle I have ever had that many problems with. I had to sell it after 9 months of which it probably spent 4 weeks in the shop. It was unreliable and costing me loss of income in my business.

As for the F-250 they made a light duty version which was really a F-150 with the 7,700# gvwr package but it was only available with the V8 gas engine. Its now sold as a F-150 HD package. You can tell its one by the special 7 lug wheels. The real F-250 and F-350 are built on the SuperDuty Chassis. They have 3 engine options starting with the gas V8 and V10 then the Diesel. They have something like 13 spring packages ranging from 8,200# GVWR all the way up to 13,000# GVWR. So having a F350 SRW for example does not mean a thing. Your neighbor could have one with a lighter GVWR package. Ford is the only one who does this. GM just has one for each truck, 2500, 3500SRW, 3500dually. Dodge is kind of in the middle with just a few options.

Chris

 

[turbo36]

I had a 7.3 and never had a single problem with the auto tranny but I had a larger tranny cooler and changed the fluid every 25K or so. Like others said heat is the enemy. Now that being said the auto tranny behind the 7.3 was the weak point. The Torque Shift which came along in late 2003 with the 6.0 and in the gas engines in 2005 is twice the tranny. Probably the best auto tranny in diesel trucks, period. Yes, many rant and rave about the Allison in the GM trucks but they have know issues like leaks and going into limp mode. I had a 2005 Dmax and can honestly say I did not have any issues with my Allison but did with the rest of the truck so I sold it 9 months after buying it so it was not a real test.

Chris

Agreed!

 

[flusher]

My Dmax was plagued with injector and glow plug problems. It would also overheat pulling a big load. The next year they changed the air intake to take care of that. When I say big load I am talking 15,000# plus. Even though it was a 3500 my F-250 handled the weight better. The Dmax truck also had to have the bed repainted, EGR valve problems, power set issues, broken hood hinge, interior rattles, ect, ect, ect. It went to limp mode twice on me. The only new vehicle I have ever had that many problems with. I had to sell it after 9 months of which it probably spent 4 weeks in the shop. It was unreliable and costing me loss of income in my business.

As for the F-250 they made a light duty version which was really a F-150 with the 7,700# gvwr package but it was only available with the V8 gas engine. Its now sold as a F-150 HD package. You can tell its one by the special 7 lug wheels. The real F-250 and F-350 are built on the SuperDuty Chassis. They have 3 engine options starting with the gas V8 and V10 then the Diesel. They have something like 13 spring packages ranging from 8,200# GVWR all the way up to 13,000# GVWR. So having a F350 SRW for example does not mean a thing. Your neighbor could have one with a lighter GVWR package. Ford is the only one who does this. GM just has one for each truck, 2500, 3500SRW, 3500dually. Dodge is kind of in the middle with just a few options.

Chris

Thanks for the followup info. Very interesting to read about the specifics.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks for the followup info. Very interesting to read about the specifics.

I think I had a rare case with my Dmax but could not live with it being a lemon and trying to make a living with it. I went with another Ford and they have been trouble free. My neighbor has a Classic body style 2007 Dmax 3500 and its not been as bad as mine but he has had it limp on him once, egr problems also, interior issues, a leaking transfer case, leaking tranny lines, steering shaft replaced, carrier bearing go out and just Wednesday he had to have the rear axle seals changed. It only has 40k miles on it. His has the new style air intake which is about twice the size of my 2005 and he pulls a 12K 5th wheel with no issues. His truck does great on MPG getting 21 on the highway unloaded and 12 pulling his camper. He pulls the camper a lot, probably 25 to 30 K of his 40K miles. He is going on a trip in April that will take him from Indiana to Seattle then down to San Diego back though Vegas and up around Atlanta then back home. He is crazy! Wife, 2 kids, and a yappy dog would kill me.

Chris

 

[flusher]

I think I had a rare case with my Dmax but could not live with it being a lemon and trying to make a living with it. I went with another Ford and they have been trouble free. My neighbor has a Classic body style 2007 Dmax 3500 and its not been as bad as mine but he has had it limp on him once, egr problems also, interior issues, a leaking transfer case, leaking tranny lines, steering shaft replaced, carrier bearing go out and just Wednesday he had to have the rear axle seals changed. It only has 40k miles on it. His has the new style air intake which is about twice the size of my 2005 and he pulls a 12K 5th wheel with no issues. His truck does great on MPG getting 21 on the highway unloaded and 12 pulling his camper. He pulls the camper a lot, probably 25 to 30 K of his 40K miles. He is going on a trip in April that will take him from Indiana to Seattle then down to San Diego back though Vegas and up around Atlanta then back home. He is crazy! Wife, 2 kids, and a yappy dog would kill me.

Chris

Thanks again.

It's a pleasure to get informed, useful input based on real life experience here on TBN.

I've been following a few threads in the Diesel Power forums. Some of those participants get pretty intense--lotsa heat, not much light.

 

[Dargo]

Thanks for the Torque Shift input. I need to learn more about that tranny.

Slighty off the point: your 2005 Duramax/Allison--could you elaborate on the other issues you had with that truck?

My neighbor has 3 1999 F350 crew cab trucks with auto transmissions and 7.3 engines. All have well over 200k miles on them. He is in the pallet business and they are always on the road pulling trailers loaded with pallets. The load isn't all that heavy but they catch a lot of wind. He's tried GM and Dodge diesel pickups but seems to prefer the '99 year model F350.

Anyway, I know his biggest gripe is some cam sensor that leaves them stranded when it goes out. He's also been through quite a few injector issues. His biggest, and most expensive, problem has been with the transmissions. While he was under the extended warranties he bought on each truck it was a PIA for the hassle of getting them replaced but not expensive. Once out of warranty they started killing him on expense. A local shop rebuilt them for less than factory prices but they still didn't last.

Based on my satisfaction with an ATS transmission I bought after I upped the power a lot in my old '96 Dodge, he bit the bullet and bought an ATS for one of his '99 F350 trucks. The local transmission shop he used for the install took the ATS apart to see how it was built before he installed it. He claimed he could get the same parts used and build one 'just like' the ATS for less money. I guess he learned something because now 1 of his 3 trucks has the ATS tranny in it and the other have the ATS 'clones' in them and he's not had any tranny issues since.

 

[flusher]

My neighbor has 3 1999 F350 crew cab trucks with auto transmissions and 7.3 engines. All have well over 200k miles on them. He is in the pallet business and they are always on the road pulling trailers loaded with pallets. The load isn't all that heavy but they catch a lot of wind. He's tried GM and Dodge diesel pickups but seems to prefer the '99 year model F350.

Anyway, I know his biggest gripe is some cam sensor that leaves them stranded when it goes out. He's also been through quite a few injector issues. His biggest, and most expensive, problem has been with the transmissions. While he was under the extended warranties he bought on each truck it was a PIA for the hassle of getting them replaced but not expensive. Once out of warranty they started killing him on expense. A local shop rebuilt them for less than factory prices but they still didn't last.

Based on my satisfaction with an ATS transmission I bought after I upped the power a lot in my old '96 Dodge, he bit the bullet and bought an ATS for one of his '99 F350 trucks. The local transmission shop he used for the install took the ATS apart to see how it was built before he installed it. He claimed he could get the same parts used and build one 'just like' the ATS for less money. I guess he learned something because now 1 of his 3 trucks has the ATS tranny in it and the other have the ATS 'clones' in them and he's not had any tranny issues since.

Checked out the ATS website. The 1999-03 4R100 remanufactured tranny for light duty service lists for $4045 with a 5 year/500,000 mile warranty. About 1/3 more expensive than my neighbor paid ($2800) for a what I guess is a "normal" rebuilt tranny to replace the one that failed. Probably worth it if you're really piling on the miles every year.

So if you get an ATS tranny, where do you get warranty service on it?