The E4OD and 4R100. Repeated failures are caused by. Check those Checkballs: BEYONDTHEBASICS. by Dennis Madden

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1 BEYONDTHEBASICS by Dennis Madden Check those Checkballs: The E4OD and 4R100 Repeated failures are caused by only two types of problems: parts or technique. Now first, let s qualify failure. The failure I m talkin about is where a transmission s lasted a fair amount of time say, 100,000 miles and now all of a sudden you can t make it last more than 5000 miles. Or maybe it ll last 30,000 miles; the point is what you re doing isn t working! If a part is causing the failure, it should be no surprise that using the same no-good part causes the same failure. If the problem is technique, it means a process that you think you should be doing is actually causing the failure. An example would be drilling out a separator plate hole, changing the servo size, or leaving a checkball out. Sure, there are valid reasons for making modifications. In fact, there are companies in this industry that do just that: make products that offer modifications to what the OE did. But not all parts and modifications do what you might think. In this edition of Beyond the Basics, we re going to explore the changes Ford has made over the years in the E4OD and 4R100 series transmissions, specifically as it relates to checkballs. Checkballs are one of those technique issues: yeah, leave that checkball out for a better 2-3 shift. We ve all heard it, and we ve all done it at one point or another, sometimes successfully, sometimes maybe we re not so sure. But what we can be sure of is what those little checkballs do, and what effect leaving them out will have. Recently, I took a HelpLine call on an E4OD related to missing checkballs, Ball Location Early 1989 Late on 4R100 CB1 X X X X X X CB3 X CB4 X CB5 X CB6 X X X X X X CB7 X X X X X X CB8 X X X X X X CB9 X X X X X X CB12 X X X CB13 X X X X X CB14 X X X X X X CB15 X X CB16 X X BS1 X X X X X X BS2 X X X X X X BS3 X X X X X X BS5 X X BS6 X X X X X and the complaint was interesting. So if you re wondering why we re covering E 4 O D checkballs 15 years after the fact, this is why and I think Figure 2 you ll find the results just as interesting as I did. So let s start at the beginning with the first E4OD model, built in Follow along with the chart in figure 1 as we go through the lineage of the E4OD; it can get confusing. And if you really want to make sense of all of this, break out the oil charts here we go! 6 GEARS January/February 2005

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3 Check those Checkballs: The E4OD and 4R100 Early 1989 E4ODs The first E4OD had 16 checkballs. Do you notice something conspicuous with the chart? The first model had some checkballs missing. Notice it doesn t use CB2, CB10, CB11, or a BS4. Having seen some preproduction transmissions, my guess is Ford used these four checkballs in their original design and then eliminated them for production units. In fact, if you look closely you can see two locations that could house a checkball but don t (figure 2). My guess is they were used in the original design but were omitted when it went into production. So why would Ford have omitted these checkballs? Well, there are only three reasons a manufacturer makes changes: Durability (warranty costs are too high) Cost savings (the accountants are beating up the engineers) Added features (they re looking to cash in on consumer interests) For whatever reason, the first change in checkball configuration occurred prior to production. Late 1989 E4ODs The next change occurred shortly after the first release of the E4OD, in mid-year production. This change omitted CB3, 4 and 5 (figure 3). These are orificing checkballs for the intermediate, overdrive and direct accumulators. When these checkballs were omitted, Figure 3 so were the separator plate holes where they seated. Leaving these checkballs out on an early 1989 model would cause a slidebump during the shifts E4ODs In 1990, Ford omitted CB12 and BS5 (figure 4). BS5 was a shuttle for direct clutch oil and would shuttle between the direct clutch accumulator feed and engagement control valve feed. The thing is, the ball didn t do anything in reverse, and wasn t needed for third because the engagement control valve blocked any leak backtracking through the system. CB12 worked with BS5 in that it was part of the direct clutch feed circuit. It simply forced any oil on one side of BS5 to go through the engagement control valve during the apply, and then allowed for a quick drain of the circuit during release (reverse only). When Ford eliminated the separator plate hole for CB12, there wasn t any need for BS5. These two checkballs are a matched set; that is, it either has both or neither. If you install them on models that don t use them it s no big deal; they won t interfere with anything. But if you leave out BS5 on models that require it, direct clutch oil will leak from the CB12 plate hole in third gear regardless of whether you install the CB12 ball. When they eliminated CB12 they got rid of the hole in the plate for it. If your plate doesn t have a hole for CB12, leave both balls out (CB12 and BS5). Figure 4 Still, these are early changes and everybody s hip to them. If you leave out CB12 on models that use it, it ll bypass the engagement control valve during reverse engagements, resulting in a more aggressive engagement in reverse if you can call it that. So far, accountants 2, engineers zip. But these were good changes, so we can all agree with them E4ODs In 1994 Ford worked a bit of slight of hand in terms of nomenclature. That is, they omitted CB13 and added CB12. So you might think: what, they brought back CB12 that really didn t have any value at all? No, they simply renamed CB13 as CB12. It s still the same ol checkball in the lower valve body section that s been around since the beginning (figure 5) On E4ODs Okay, now let s get to the good stuff; the change in Two checkballs were added (CB15 and 16) and BS6 was moved from the case to the lower valve body (figure 6). This change was to prime the low/reverse circuit in 1 st gear, park and neutral. Moving BS6 to the lower valve body put it near the SS2 (shift solenoid 2) circuit, so low/reverse clutch oil would dump when SS2 came on for the shift to 2 nd. In addition, the 1-2 manual transition valve prevents SS2 oil from reaching the 1-2 shift valve until the low/reverse clutch is fully drained. CB16 is part of that circuit. 8 GEARS January/February 2005

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5 Check those Checkballs: The E4OD and 4R100 If you forget to install CB16, you may not realize it for a while. That s because it ll only leak low/reverse oil in manual low; reverse will be fine. Yet another reason to check all the ranges during the road test. BS6 was eliminated for the 4R100 and the reverse circuit to it was eliminated. But if you leave it out on a E4OD, the transmission will shift 1-4, or in some cases (depending on condition of SS2) you ll get a shift. The 4R100 doesn t use B6, but it won t cause any problem if you accidentally install it, because the hole in the separator is oblong, so the ball Figure 5 Figure 6 won t seal the hole. Now for CB15: It s in the exhaust circuit of the L/R modulator valve (figure 7). The idea is that anytime you block off a regulator valve exhaust circuit it ll open fully to line (or whatever is feeding the circuit). So in park or neutral the L/R modulator valve primes the L/R clutch circuit, and CB15 allows the L/R modulator valve exhaust circuit to drain. When you go to reverse, reverse oil begins to flow through the circuits, pushing CB15 into the L/R modulator valve exhaust, and BAM! the low/reverse clutch applies. Applying In 1994, Ford omitted CB13 and added CB12. They simply renamed it. It s still the same ol checkball in the lower valve body section that s been around since the beginning (figure 5). the L/R clutch before the direct clutch in reverse makes for a much smoother apply. The L/R clutch will still apply if you leave out CB15, but not as quickly, so you may get a bang going from park to reverse. These were all great changes: engineers 2. The Rest of the Checkballs So far we ve only talked about the checkballs that have changed over the years. Let s do a quick rundown on the ones that haven t changed: CB1: It blocks manual 2 and L oil going to the manual timing valve from leaking through the reverse circuit. Leave it out and it ll dump line oil out of the manual control valve. CB6: It s an orificing checkball for the direct clutch exhaust. During a 3-2 kickdown it forces direct clutch oil to drain through an orifice, slowing the release. If you leave it out, you ll get a clunk on a 3-2 kickdown. CB7: It s an orificing checkball for the overdrive clutch exhaust. During a 4-3 kickdown it forces overdrive clutch oil to drain through an orifice, slowing the release. If you leave it out, you ll get a clunk on a 4-3 kickdown. CB8: It s an orificing checkball for the coast clutch apply. If you leave it out, you ll get a clunk when the coast clutch applies for engine braking. CB9: It s an orificing checkball for intermediate servo apply. If you leave it out, the intermediate band will apply more aggressively during a manual 3-2 downshift. CB14: It s an orificing checkball for intermediate clutch release. If you leave it out you ll get a clunk on the 2-1 kickdown. BS1: It shuttles between reverse oil and manual 2/low oil to stroke the coast clutch shift valve. If you leave it out, 10 GEARS January/February 2005

6 parts, however, are specifically identified as services, and as such, can be distributed state-to-state without restriction. Industry Application And Effect A while back I was contacted by a highly successful member of the transmission/torque converter rebuilding industry who told me something that caught my interest. He had been in touch with a state prison system administrator in regards to creating a torque converter remanufacturing operation inside one of their facilities. The administrator was very enthused about the proposed project, and spoke of the considerations such a program would receive, should it be brought into being. It was the intent of this entrepreneur to create a sizable operation for the purpose of selling the finished product in large numbers through established distribution channels. Transmission and torque converter remanufacturing fit well into the format INTRODUCING THE NEW TTCF-7A of many prison industries, and are likely to gain an increasing foothold in the marketplace. Not long ago the ATRA IBO received a call from Larry St.Armand, the owner of Florida Torque Converter in Cape Coral, Florida. Larry made us aware of a Florida prison industry that rebuilt torque converters and sold them to customers in his market area at a price that was lower than he could match for the quality product he manufactured. It s frustrating to know that I have a competitor that uses my own payroll, property and income tax to create a product that competes against me, he said when we spoke. When asked, Larry estimated that the program in nearby Florida State Prison at South Bay produced somewhere near 600 torque converters per month, which in his opinion, were not very good in terms of quality. What I found to be of particular interest was information discovered during research for this article, beyond what this one business owner provided. Larry told me the name of the company distributing the prison-made torque converters in his area was Global Outsourcing. He had no other information about the business, aside from its prison connection. During an Internet search I found reference to Global Outsourcing as a corporate entity affiliated with Florida prison industries. Even then, information on their sales and distribution of torque converters was very limited. I found this to be very curious. After all, what manufacturer or wholesale distributor fails to Get their name out there and promote their products at every opportunity? I began to look at the Florida prison system and their affiliated industries in general. I located a report that shed considerable light on the topic: Special Report 03-68, dated December of 2003, and generated by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA); an office of the Florida legislature. The detailed report

7 Check those Checkballs: The E4OD and 4R100 line oil dumps through the manual control valve in all of these ranges not to mention the coast clutch won t apply for engine braking, except in drive when you cancel OD. BS2: Here s a good one. It shuttles between SS2 oil and manual 2 oil to stroke the 1-2 shift valve and L/R modulator valve. If you leave it out, the transmission will shift from 1 st to 4 th. That is, when the computer commands 2 nd it stays in 1 st. When it commands 3 rd, it goes to 4 th (just like BS6 on model E4ODs). The problem is, if the SS2 is stuck off it ll cause the same thing, so be careful. One more thing, depending on the condition of SS2, and how well it flows, you may get a shift. BS3: It shuttles between reverse/manual 2 oil and the coast clutch solenoid to stroke the coast clutch shift valve. If you leave it out, you won t have any engine braking when you cancel overdrive. You ll also lose engine braking in reverse, manual 2 and manual low, just like leaving out BS1. Well, there you have it. Even though the accountants got their way on a few of these changes, I think the engineers earned their pay in the long run. As an added bonus, figure 8 has all of the checkballs listed and the complaints you get when you leave them out; it s a good thing to keep in your back pocket. Ball Location Comments Complaint CB1 Low line in Manual 2 and L CB3 1-2 Slide Bump CB4 3-4 Slide Bump CB5 2-3 Slide Bump CB6 Harsh 3-2 kickdown CB7 Harsh 4-3 Kickdown CB8 Clunk when applying the coast clutch CB9 Harsh manual 3-2 coastdown shift CB only Harsh Reverse CB Aggressive forward engagement CB13 Except Aggressive forward engagement CB14 Harsh 2-1 Kickdown CB15 Bump into Reverse CB16 Repeat Low/Reverse Clutch Failure BS1 No Coast clutch apply. Low line in Reverse, Manual 2 &L. The coast clutch will work in Drive when you cancel OD. BS2 Shifts 1-4* BS3 No coast clutch apply BS5 Slips in third and fourth, Burnt Direct Clutch BS Low line in Reverse and Manual 2 BS on except 4R100 Low line in Reverse and Manual 2, Shifts 1-4* *Can shift depending on the condition of SS2 Figure 7 Figure 8 12 GEARS January/February 2005