THE LITTLE THINGS THAT KEEP YOUR HIGH-POWERED DIESEL ON THE ROAD
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THE LITTLE THINGS THAT KEEP
YOUR HIGH-POWERED DIESEL ON THE ROAD
Bulletproofing has long been a buzzword in the diesel industry, but is anything ever really bulletproof? The answer is no. Even balanced and blueprinted engines—pieced together with the strongest internals on the market—can pop if neglected or pushed too far. Sure, built engines, performance transmissions, and competition-caliber injection systems are designed to withstand or facilitate huge horsepower, but you can’t simply add these things and never think about them again. At some point, depending on your driving habits, power level, how you use your truck, or because of age, you’re going to have to break the seal on that indestructible engine or transmission, along with having your injectors overhauled from time to time.
The simple truth is that there are parts you’re going to have to replace eventually, whether you’re at 600 hp or 1,200 hp—even aftermarket components. Are those traction bars you bought years ago banging and clanging? Time for new heim joints. Has your brake wear increased since the addition of all that extra horsepower? Time to consider an upgrade in stopping power. How many years has your once-overbuilt transmission been dealing with ever-increasing horsepower? Better get it checked out before it fails and you’re out some serious money. The list goes on. For a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the repairs that are both expected and overlooked on built trucks, keep reading. It could mean the difference between your fun coming to an abrupt halt or continuing for years to come.
While billet drums, shafts, and bands are unlikely to break, the clutches in an automatic transmission will always be a wear point. Even minimal slippage is unavoidable in the most efficient slushboxes in the aftermarket, which is reason enough to pull your transmission for an occasional refresh. If you’re at the drag strip competing all summer, we’d do an annual overhaul. If you use your moderately-powered truck for a little bit of everything, consider doing the same every four or five years. Trust us. If you depend on your truck for both work and play, don’t wait until the fluid turns dark brown and smells burnt, the shifts bang, or you get a warning light on the dash. If you put it off until the truck literally can’t move anymore, the fix is likely going to be expensive.
A billet-steel flex plate is a must-have item for any truck making 550 hp or more. Why? Because 550 hp likely means 1,000 to 1,200 lb-ft of torque—and immense low-rpm torque is known to tear the center sections out of factory flex plates.
After more than eight years of harnessing 150 hp more than what it was originally built to hold, this E4OD, pieced together by John Wood Automotive, was due for a new converter and fresh overdrive clutches. Of course, in eight years’ time a lot of advancements had been made for the E4OD/4R100 platform, so many of those upgrades also made it into the build when it was pieced back together.
An aftermarket converter designed to handle big torque should have a forged- or billet-steel front cover and furnace-brazed internals for optimum strength, a true triple-disc clutch with a quality friction material properly bonded to each disc, and a billet clutch piston. As mentioned, a billet stator is a wise decision for competition use, but it should also be considered in high-horsepower trucks that tow.
Any time you’re going to be performing boosted four-wheel drive launches at higher power levels, do yourself a favor and opt for a converter with a billet stator. Here, you’re looking at the only billet stator on the market for Ford E4OD/4R100 torque converters. It resides in a triple-disc unit from John Wood Automotive that was Cnc-machined by Sun Coast Performance.
If you think you can install a built transmission and simply walk away, forget about it. While a built automatic can last up to a decade, at some point it will be due for more than just a simple service—especially if you’re using it to compete at the drag strip or hooking your truck to the sled.