1992 E4OD Flash

Can a 1992 E4OD transmission have the control module re-flashed (program updated) or does it take a new module to get better shifting program?

Reply to
David N. Makinson
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If you are looking for a quicker firmer, crisper shift, you won't get it with the TCM. I do not recall whether the '92 had a TCM or was controlled by the ECM like the '93 up versions but, I do know that the major problems can only be addressed with valve body and pump mods to get it cooking. You can install part of a shift improver kit in the valve body with the trans in the vehicle. The rest of the kit has to be installed in the pump which requires removal of the trans from the truck. It is a big heavy trans and this can be a bear of a job if you do not have a trans jack to handle it. Once you pull it out, it would be a waste of time and effort to not rebuild it and install a new converter. These are not cheap transmissions to build and are not forgiving of repair mistakes. Having been there and built a few of them, I wouldn't touch a thing unless you are prepared to do it all. If you perk up part of it, there will likely be some stress added to the components and it will fail if not up to par all the way thru. All that said, the E4OD is plenty strong and reliable after it is fully updated and has a few minor mods done to improve shifting and reliability. If you have never done this, it is easy to waste it with a mistake. It will be expensive to properly repair.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

Thank you. Yes I just had it rebuit, with a Jr. shift kit, converter, updates.... $1740 total. I was just wanting to improve the un-lock downshift pattern, but looks like that is too much trouble.

David

Reply to
David N. Makinson

Exactly what is it you are trying to accomplish? I installed an interceptor in the wire harness of mine which allows me to externally increase line pressure electronically if needed and to delay the lockup of the converter to allow the engine a few more revs before locking. It also unlocks the converter on each shift so the engine doesn't bog. With the complete shift kit installed, it feels like a 6 or 7 speed trans while accelertaing as you can feel both the shifts and the lockups which have minimal lock time. I don't even know if the interceptor is still made. You can install the interceptor easily enough externally into the harness connector at the rear of the trans - not tools needed. If they installed the same sort of kit as most others, the required work has already been done in the pump to improve some of the slushiness. You do need to be careful of too much line pressure in this unit because you can get to the point that it downright hurts in the seat of the pants when it shifts. Mine feels more like a decent C6 when it shifts. I do not like a particularly hard shift but I want to know it shifted.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

What I don't like is when it is in 4th and locked, and one progressively pushes the gas (opens the throttle), as in approaching and going up a hill, if the tranny unlocks, it always also shifts to 3rd. Often, unlocking was all that was needed to give enough torque / rpm increase to make it up the hill, but it downshifts anyway. My Hondas and Toyotas all just unlock. Then, if the hill is real steep, they will downshift to third. To me, this is a better approach.

David

Reply to
David N. Makinson

That's the way my 89 van with E4OD shifted also, so yours is behaving normally. I didn't like that either, and would sometimes save the inertial otherwise lost by the locked converter by just hitting the OD cancel button myself.

CJB

Reply to
CJB

Yup, I believe that's the best approach. That converter generates a lot of heat when unlocked. Better to just shift down a gear and keep the trans temp down. Bob

Reply to
Bob

Your's sounds as if it is working the way it is supposed to work. I have found that the converter unlock can be changed by calibration of the valving in the pump but is hit and miss. They were programmed that way to keep the heat down in 4th which is a 30% overdrive. Much less heat is generated in 3rd which is direct. Some of the later models which were controlled by the ECM would unlock the converter but, the down side of that is acelerated converter wear from the frequent locK/unlock cycle. Some of them were programmed to lock in 3rd and remain locked during the 3-4 upshift to reduce stress and heat that may be caused under load while upshifting. This seems to work better in a truck where it has a good chance of working harder than a car trans. Also, I hope you have installed a good add-on cooler to this trans. Ford never could make up their mind whether it needed one or not even with a tow package. My POV is that I never heard of a transmission failing from overcooling - that is not true of overheating.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

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