# F250 Tranny Leaking?



## rjmoses

I was hauling hay Friday behind my 2000 F250, diesel, automatic transmission and noticed a stream of oil where I had been driving.

Checked underneath and the transmission housing was wet, checked transmission fluid level and it was about 1/2 way between the low/full markers.

Load was about 9000#. well within 12,000# capacity, but I was pulling across the field in 4 wheel drive, low gear, up a fairly steep hill.

Quit using the truck to haul out of the field and hooked on to the tractor.

Checked again yesterday--no puddle, transmission fluid level the same. Fluid was not burnt.

Question: Did the heavy load and rather extreme conditions cause a "blow-by" of some kind? Did I maybe overpressure a seal?

Any body ever experienced this type of thing before?

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks

Ralph


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## JD3430

My guess is rear main seal.


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## rjmoses

JD3430 said:


> My guess is rear main seal.


Thanks! Where's the "don't like" button!

But it looked like the front of the transmission was wet.

Ralph


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## JD3430

The rear main seal is at the front of the transmission. It's the seal between the bell housing on the engine and the front of the transmission.


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## rjmoses

JD3430 said:


> The rear main seal is at the front of the transmission. It's the seal between the bell housing on the engine and the front of the transmission.


Okay--I'm a little confused. I thought you were talking about the seal that is at the drive shaft end of the transmission. Not being a auto guy, I thought the "rear main seal" referred to the seal between the engine and transmission at the end of the crankshaft.

Ralph


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## Fireman355

My F250 4x4 did the same thing last year, except it blowed enough fluid out to make a little smoke on the exhaust. Took it to the tranny shop, found front seal of transmission blowed out, damaged the thing between the transmission and engine, I can't think right now what you call it, anyway $850.00 later you got a truck to ride around in. Got a Cummins to haul everything..


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## rajela

Torque Converter


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## sethd11

That transmission has a vent on top for severe overheating. If the transmission gets over 250 degrees and is still working it will come out of there. Happened to me every once in a while exspecially while moving heavy loads off road because the torque converter isn't locked. Its probably that if it doesn't leak while your driving it normally. Its pretty rare for a 7.3 with and automatic to lose the front seals or the rear main on the truck. You might want to consider another transcooler. Pretty simple to do.


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## Fireman355

That is it, a front seal, a torque converter and labor, 850.00
US dollars later, and you got a ford truck to pull balers around from field to field.

not a thing heavy...


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## rjmoses

sethd11 said:


> That transmission has a vent on top for severe overheating. If the transmission gets over 250 degrees and is still working it will come out of there. Happened to me every once in a while exspecially while moving heavy loads off road because the torque converter isn't locked. Its probably that if it doesn't leak while your driving it normally. Its pretty rare for a 7.3 with and automatic to lose the front seals or the rear main on the truck. You might want to consider another transcooler. Pretty simple to do.


I'm liking this!

I was just thinking (which usually gets me in trouble), I was running 4WD HI. I probably should have been running 4WD Low.

Ralph


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## sethd11

Those trucks are really built well. I believe diesel site sells the really good cooler specifically for that truck. I've got one with diesel site cooler and another with regular fin and tube cooler.. the diesel site one is better but might be overkill for you. I regularly haul my gooseneck weighing in at about 25-35k. I know its overloaded. But both trucks are pushing 240k miles


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## Gearclash

rjmoses said:


> I probably should have been running 4WD Low.


Running in "LO" avoids a great deal of strain and heat on the torque convertor, especially when picking up bales in a field.


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## Fireman355

1999 was built well, however the transmission was changed in 2000, I also have had 21, 1000 lbs bales on a trailer, however it took its took on the transmission. this truck has 59000 on it now.


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## deadmoose

Gearclash said:


> Running in "LO" avoids a great deal of strain and heat on the torque convertor, especially when picking up bales in a field.


How fast can u run in low?


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## JD3430

sethd11 said:


> Those trucks are really built well. I believe diesel site sells the really good cooler specifically for that truck. I've got one with diesel site cooler and another with regular fin and tube cooler.. the diesel site one is better but might be overkill for you. I regularly haul my gooseneck weighing in at about 25-35k. I know its overloaded. But both trucks are pushing 240k miles


Really? I thought d pre torq-shift ford transmissions, like the 4R100 & E4OD were JUNK. 
I know I replaced a few and had to put billet torque converters in them. 
The newer Torq shifts are pretty stout.


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## Gearclash

deadmoose said:


> How fast can u run in low?


"LO" is usually 1/3 the speed of "HI" so top gear in LO range will get you 20- 30mph.


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## sethd11

The 4r100 used from 99-03 superdutys were awesome. The 2001 4r100 had a defective part that sometimes failed. That was quickly remedied. They were good at driving and medium towing. Throw in snow plowing and hard hauling, they be done at 150k. Obviously the driver determines life of transmission. The torque shifts are in a league of their own. Somewhere near invincible. I've had both mine rebuilt @140k and 220k respectively


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## somedevildawg

First thing to check in my opin would be the trans cooler, it's located on the driver side and has a base on one end that allows for the mounting of the oil filter, they have 4 o rings and the rings usually fail inside this cooler. It's a very easy install, took me about 1 hour to change them out, do not remove front bracket, just the rear (oil filter mount) and o rings (unless of course it's leaking at the front which it usually never does).


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## sethd11

I'm confused? Devildawg I think what your describing is the oil cooler, and yes it does start to leak eventually, but engine oil only. The transmission lines run on passenger side up to the radiator (except early 99) and then into the air cooler in the front.


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## somedevildawg

sethd11 said:


> I'm confused? Devildawg I think what your describing is the oil cooler, and yes it does start to leak eventually, but engine oil only. The transmission lines run on passenger side up to the radiator (except early 99) and then into the air cooler in the front.


My bad, thought he was leaking oil.....had to go back and reread op, sorry Ralph, but that damned oil cooler will leak sooner or later!

Think I've been lucky, 380k and no service at all on tranny.....


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