Help! On side of highway… trans issues

[_TraMor]

I see this possibly being the case. During my short stint as a service writer at a Ford dealership, it was clear that production quality was taking a huge nosedive. The service manager cracked me up by saying they were kind enough to draw a circle around the problem...

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I was shocked when my wife's 2023 Bronco Sport battery started to show evidence of dying already, and the dealership was able to get it replaced under warranty!

I have a 2024 Escape loaner in my driveway currently that I had to take the plug out to drain the water from the spare tire compartment. Actual milage is around 1200. It's this piss poor quality that's really making me consider just going back to shitbox vehicles. Yeah, they're shitty, but you know this going in.

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[TJC]

I have a 2024 Escape loaner in my driveway currently that I had to take the plug out to drain the water from the spare tire compartment. Actual milage is around 1200. It's this piss poor quality that's really making me consider just going back to shitbox vehicles. Yeah, they're shitty, but you know this going in.

Rebuild an older truck with a known track record for reliability. Less than 1/2 the cost of a new truck and more reliable. My 2005 Ranger cost me just over $10K to rebuild from the ground up. Body, paint, and interior are excellent. Just over $10K on new drive train (Jasper engine and transmission, and Dorman Driveshaft) except for diffs, and transfer case. New suspension (including bushings), brakes, shocks, front wheel bearings, ball joints, AC compressor. Even new headlights ($40 for the pair) and fuel pump. It is just now broke in, and feels new again! It is going to be around another 20+ years.

 

[_TraMor]

Rebuild an older truck with a known track record for reliability. Less than 1/2 the cost of a new truck and more reliable. My 2005 Ranger cost me just over $10K to rebuild from the ground up. Body, paint, and interior are excellent. Just over $10K on new drive train (Jasper engine and transmission, and Dorman Driveshaft) except for diffs, and transfer case. New suspension (including bushings), brakes, shocks, front wheel bearings, ball joints, AC compressor. Even new headlights ($40 for the pair) and fuel pump. It is just now broke in, and feels new again! It is going to be around another 20+ years.

Only problem with that is I'd need to source a vehicle outside of the salt belt to get started. Anything that old here is just one small pothole away from you sliding down the highway in the seat holding a steering wheel.

 

[TJC]

Only problem with that is I'd need to source a vehicle outside of the salt belt to get started. Anything that old here is just one small pothole away from you sliding down the highway in the seat holding a steering wheel.

Yep the curse of the Snow Belt! I have family in Pulaski, NY. They garage their good cars in the winter, and out out the beaters with snow tires in the salt season.

 

[Cmar]

I can't imagine living like that.
We used to have a similar (but lesser) problem here with rust, as I live in a hot, humid, sub tropical part of Australia.
If you wanted a pristine older car you bought it from South Australia, western Victoria, or West Australia which all have arid climates. However once manufacturers started using galvanised and zinc coated steel and cathodic dips for car bodies, this is no longer a problem. Most cars just wear out now.

 

[TJC]

Years ago I helped a friend swap out a Subaru engine. We completed the work, we went for a test drive and I thought the car was going to split in two! Each time the car bounced I could feel the middle of the car sink and flex like a bow! Quite unnerving. After we arrived back home I inspected the under carriage. It was unibody construction and rusted out right where the seats were located. Unbeknownst to me, he had placed sheet metal in the floor and put a couple of layers of carpet over it!

I asked him why he went through the trouble of replacing the engine. His reply - No $$ to buy anything else! A married college kid paying as he went. I never rode in it again.

 

[tygr2007]

Problems solved…

Went back to the original shop that replaced the transmission pan. They admitted to overfilling and drained the pan to the proper level. They also noticed that there was a hole in my exhaust that was blowing directly onto the transmission, causing it to heat up. They fixed that aswell for free. I got super lucky, now everything works as it should.

Got home and cleaned up the bent crossmembers, put some spray paint on and everything looks as it should. I won’t be going back to that dealership though. Lol

 

[Dereku]

You people removing limiters. Don't forget that you have a driveshaft to think about as well. Not just the tires.

I don't know what the maximum speed is for the shafts, but you don't want one of those letting go.

I did it because I dont like limitations. But I respect them. Plus it was an easy box to tick on the tuner. Tires are also a limiting factor over time.

 

[TJC]

When I replaced my Ford split driveshaft with the Tom Woods one piece driveshaft I ran the analysis on several engineering driveshaft SW tools. Tom Woods repeatedly stated not to exceed 100mph with his driveshaft. The analysis of both driveshafts show the Ford Driveshaft to be about 30% more limited than the Tom Wood's driveshaft.

I would not push the Ford OEM driveshaft to speeds higher than 100 mph for any length of time. From an engineering perspective, It is not a robust part.

 

[Racket]

I guess perhaps I am partially misunderstood with my post. Let me attempt to clarify...

I am sure the Ranger engine and drivetrain are, as a rule, robust enough to handle that amount of speed for extended periods of time (but as any reader of this forum can easily tell, there will be the exceptions to that statement).

I personally would fear traveling in my Ranger at those speeds for any particular amount of time because while my truck will certainly DO it, it wasn't engineered and built for that particular type of use, as I understand things, and as many readers/contributors here have astutely pointed out, it is a truck and is best suited to do truck stuff. I would feel unsafe in traffic ( or out of it) at those high speeds.

I can't imagine a reason to travel at speeds over 85 MPH for any extended distance. I would believe a 2WD Ranger's driveshaft to be on par with a Mustang so no fears there. Just because I put H Rated tires on that are designed for my weight vehicle does not mean I'm cruising the Autobahn. Should I ever need the speed it's available but clearly those should be emergencies.

 

[Ironman]

For me 100 MPH or more maybe 50-55 years ago but, no way today .
75 tops for me.

 

[LawnMM]

When I replaced my Ford split driveshaft with the Tom Woods one piece driveshaft I ran the analysis on several engineering driveshaft SW tools. Tom Woods repeatedly stated not to exceed 100mph with his driveshaft. The analysis of both driveshafts show the Ford Driveshaft to be about 30% more limited than the Tom Wood's driveshaft.

I would not push the Ford OEM driveshaft to speeds higher than 100 mph for any length of time. From an engineering perspective, It is not a robust part.

That being the case I'd set the ECU limit to 100mph with Forscan so you can't do it even by accident.

 

[Glocker]

Problems solved…

Went back to the original shop that replaced the transmission pan. They admitted to overfilling and drained the pan to the proper level. They also noticed that there was a hole in my exhaust that was blowing directly onto the transmission, causing it to heat up. They fixed that aswell for free. I got super lucky, now everything works as it should.

Got home and cleaned up the bent crossmembers, put some spray paint on and everything looks as it should. I won’t be going back to that dealership though. Lol

I'm glad the mechanic that did your pan installation backed up his work.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

I’m glad you got it solved. Now, you knew someone was going to ask, so here goes…

Was the “hole” in your exhaust the outlet for your QTP exhaust cut out?

 

[tygr2007]

I’m glad you got it solved. Now, you knew someone was going to ask, so here goes…

Was the “hole” in your exhaust the outlet for your QTP exhaust cut out?

No there was a hole in the area where the resonator connects to the downpipe. No idea why.

Exhaust cutout is behind all that ????

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