3 weeks and $5500 later my Sport Trac is back from the trans shop!

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A1cntrler

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Chesterfield, VA
Flashback to about 3 months ago. My Trac has about 100k faithful trouble free miles on her. I've done the standard maintenance type things (New Radiator, New wheel bearings, had both exhaust Manifolds replaced under warranty because warped) and nothing really unexpected came up. I'm driving along accelerating away from a traffic light. Fairly busy road with a lot of semi truck traffic and some pretty gnarly potholes from time tot time. Right about the time it comes to shift out of 2nd gear the entire truck lurches and the front end sounds like it's coming out from under it. I look up into the rear view mirror to see if maybe I ran over a 4x4 or a pothole I somehow missed but didn't see anything at all. No lights on the dash and all seems normal. I proceed on with my day.



3 weeks ago my brother and I are on our way home from Home Depot, and the trans makes a funny shift and the RPMs surge up. I asked him if he felt that too and he did. Stopped at a traffic light, still no lights on the dash indicating an issue. Pulled away from the traffic light just fine and once in 6th gear it starts bucking when I press on the gas. I continue towards home (about 2 miles away). My dash lights up yellow and I get the wrench symbol plus the traction control symbol solid. At the next traffic light the trans seems to be in 3rd gear and doesn't down or up-shift at all. I make it home and put my code reader on. Only code I get is that the system has lost communication with the TCM. I clear the codes and start it back up. Put it in reverse and it thunks hard into reverse. Still no codes since I cleared them. Put it into drive and make it about 100ft up the street and it clunks into the gears. Park it and have it towed to the trans shop recommended by my mechanic.



The shop pulls some codes off of it and tells me that the transmission had been slipping into Reverse from Second Gear (this explains the event 3 months ago) caused by a broken internal spring. From my few mile trip home stuck in "limp mode" it burned the fluid up.



Here is the description on the invoice:



TRANSMISSION FLUID FULL & VERY DARK, SMELLS VARNISHED. SLIPS IN REVERSE, SLIPS & NEUTRALS 2ND & 4TH, CLUNKS AND BANGS. INTERNAL TRANSMISSION ISSUE. HARD PART DAMAGE FOUND WITHIN UNIT, CLUTCH, GEAR AND VALVE DAMAGE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUD BAD CENTER DRIVESHAFT SUPPORT, REAR MAIN SEAL OF ENGINE SEEPING AND TRANSFER CASE SEEPING AT SEAM. CUSTOMER ADVISED



So I had a Re-manufactured Transmission and Torque Converter installed. They filled it up with Mercon SP as required by Ford. Invoice says they installed a 6r80 Trans and converter but she says it is a type-o on the invoice. Also I had the rear main seal replaced (might as well since it was torn down anyways.. I did inspect it myself while it was up on the lift and verified it was seeping) as well as had the transfer case opened, inspected and sealed since it was out as well.



The center support on the drive-shaft probably was broken when it shifted from 2nd to Reverse violently shaking the truck. Fun Fact: It's not a serviceable part and it considered a part of the drive-shaft. $834 part from Ford. Also had a core on it so I don't get to hang it in the garage as a trophy.



Just shy of $3000 for the Transmission and the Torque Converter. Has a 2 year/24000 warranty on it.



I don't ever recall the transmission shifting as smoothly as it does right now. It's still going to take a little while before I fully trust it again. I really missed the Trac. Had a 2015 Nissan Frontier as a rental. 1000 miles on it when I picked it up, and it felt like it was falling apart every day I drove it.



Anyways just wanted to share since I don't see many issues with transmissions on here, and that was part of the reason on the time it took to get the work done. The availability of parts for the 6r60 was holding things up.
 
Glad its fixed, The only comment I have is the v8 6 speed tranny cooks the LV fluid. It goes from a pretty red to a dark grey almost the first day.



But it doesn't smell on a normal tranny, if varnished and burnt then its time.



Glad your back on the road.



Todd Z
 
And to think Ford recommends 150K mile intervals for trans fluid servicing...a sure-fire way to generate transmission replacement work IMO.
 
Or new vehicle sales.



Todd Z
 
The fluid was still red and good when I changed out the radiator at about 70k. I topped it off after the new radiator was installed. The burnt/varnished problem was from the "limp mode" or it being stuck in whatever gear it was in on the ride home.



Are the dimensions of the 6r60 and the 6r80 similar? Could they be interchanged?
 
http://www.gearsmagazine.com/magazine/view/f704a758-61fe-4ae1-a969-f1b8c3c6fd86#page28
 
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Thanks Todd. Looks like to me (If I'm looking at it correctly) that the input shafts have a different number of Splines on them. So even if it dimensionally bolts up, the drive won't engage into the engine correctly. I looked somewhere else and they way someone else explained it was that the 6r60 supports up to 600 ft/lbs torque while the 6r80 did up to 800. Not sure if true though, but seems to make sense.
 
You would need a different converter...... that bolts up to the flywheel....



Todd Z
 
hmm.. Well the invoice says they put on a 6r80 Converter and a 6r80 Transmission, but the shop manager said it was a type-o on the invoice. I suppose it is possible it could be a 6r80 and they didn't want me to get mad that they didn't put in the 6r60. Seems like an upgrade to me if so. Not sure how well the electronics would play with it and if the TCM is compatible though.
 
:eek:fftopic:

:soap:

Or new vehicle sales.



Todd Z



....for another vehicle manufacturer since Ford does not make a vehicle like the Sport Trac and many of us do not want an F-150 or a CUV.

:angry::fire:

:btddhorse:



:back2topic:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Flashback to about 3 months ago. My Trac has about 100k faithful trouble free miles on her. I've done the standard maintenance type things (New Radiator, New wheel bearings, had both exhaust Manifolds replaced under warranty because warped) and nothing really unexpected came up. I'm driving along accelerating away from a traffic light. Fairly busy road with a lot of semi truck traffic and some pretty gnarly potholes from time tot time. Right about the time it comes to shift out of 2nd gear the entire truck lurches and the front end sounds like it's coming out from under it. I look up into the rear view mirror to see if maybe I ran over a 4x4 or a pothole I somehow missed but didn't see anything at all. No lights on the dash and all seems normal. I proceed on with my day.



3 weeks ago my brother and I are on our way home from Home Depot, and the trans makes a funny shift and the RPMs surge up. I asked him if he felt that too and he did. Stopped at a traffic light, still no lights on the dash indicating an issue. Pulled away from the traffic light just fine and once in 6th gear it starts bucking when I press on the gas. I continue towards home (about 2 miles away). My dash lights up yellow and I get the wrench symbol plus the traction control symbol solid. At the next traffic light the trans seems to be in 3rd gear and doesn't down or up-shift at all. I make it home and put my code reader on. Only code I get is that the system has lost communication with the TCM. I clear the codes and start it back up. Put it in reverse and it thunks hard into reverse. Still no codes since I cleared them. Put it into drive and make it about 100ft up the street and it clunks into the gears. Park it and have it towed to the trans shop recommended by my mechanic.



The shop pulls some codes off of it and tells me that the transmission had been slipping into Reverse from Second Gear (this explains the event 3 months ago) caused by a broken internal spring. From my few mile trip home stuck in "limp mode" it burned the fluid up.



Here is the description on the invoice:







So I had a Re-manufactured Transmission and Torque Converter installed. They filled it up with Mercon SP as required by Ford. Invoice says they installed a 6r80 Trans and converter but she says it is a type-o on the invoice. Also I had the rear main seal replaced (might as well since it was torn down anyways.. I did inspect it myself while it was up on the lift and verified it was seeping) as well as had the transfer case opened, inspected and sealed since it was out as well.



The center support on the drive-shaft probably was broken when it shifted from 2nd to Reverse violently shaking the truck. Fun Fact: It's not a serviceable part and it considered a part of the drive-shaft. $834 part from Ford. Also had a core on it so I don't get to hang it in the garage as a trophy.



Just shy of $3000 for the Transmission and the Torque Converter. Has a 2 year/24000 warranty on it.



I don't ever recall the transmission shifting as smoothly as it does right now. It's still going to take a little while before I fully trust it again. I really missed the Trac. Had a 2015 Nissan Frontier as a rental. 1000 miles on it when I picked it up, and it felt like it was falling apart every day I drove it.



Anyways just wanted to share since I don't see many issues with transmissions on here, and that was part of the reason on the time it took to get the work done. The availability of parts for the 6r60 was holding things up.
The 6R80 is a monster tranny. You won't have any more tranny issues after having that one installed. You paid for it, yes; but you'll never, again, have to wonder if you're having tranny issues.
 
Also, that clunk and trouble you had, and the part they mentioned, yeah, the driveshaft sucks on these, and the two-piece part that shouldn't be a wear item, is considered a wear item. Sucks that it cost almost a K, but if they fixed that as part of all of the transmission issues, then you'll never have another trans/driveshaft issue again. I'm learning from reading, but the transmission on these trucks are pretty dang good. The fail is the two-piece driveshaft. But it sounds like you had both repaired at the same time, for the same, high-money you had to outlay. Sorry you had to spend it, but sounds like you had the biggest fail-area fixed (the driveshaft).
 
hmm.. Well the invoice says they put on a 6r80 Converter and a 6r80 Transmission, but the shop manager said it was a type-o on the invoice. I suppose it is possible it could be a 6r80 and they didn't want me to get mad that they didn't put in the 6r60. Seems like an upgrade to me if so. Not sure how well the electronics would play with it and if the TCM is compatible though.
They are identical in size outside and in.... only converter and few internals changed... it is completely possible you were upgraded to the 80…. only way to tell would be rip it apart and look.
 
The 6R80 is a monster tranny. You won't have any more tranny issues after having that one installed. You paid for it, yes; but you'll never, again, have to wonder if you're having tranny issues.
LOL... Blew mine up at 89K.....
 
Wow, really? Okay, what were you doing that you blew that one up? That's a big BIG tranny.! I only use mine to drive around on the farm, and I know I won't get stuck on the 4X4. What they heck did you do to blow that 6R80-up: It IS a monster transmission!
 
Wow, really? Okay, what were you doing that you blew that one up? That's a big BIG tranny.! I only use mine to drive around on the farm, and I know I won't get stuck on the 4X4. What they heck did you do to blow that 6R80-up: It IS a monster transmission!
Honestly, I'd have expected you'd have blown up the rear-end up before the tranny. I"d have thought you'd have killed the 4x4, before the transmission. What did you do to kill the 6R80?
 
Just driving it..... a few 1/4 mile runs, no heavy racing, Ford makes a shit trans.....
 
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