20 Transmission Digest

In 2003, Ford introduced the 5R110W transmissionfor use in heavy duty applications. Its primary pur-pose was to replace the four-speed 4R100 units. The5R110W, or TorqShift five-speed unit, features aTow/Haul setting to help improve hauling perform-ance as well as preserve the life of the transmissionand improve the safety and drivability of the vehicle.Hunting back and forth for the right gear under loadhas killed many transmissions, and it is certain deathfor this unit as well. Throughout the next decade,Ford made significant changes to this much abusedunit: Three generations of oil pump assemblies andmultiple changes to the planetary systems and driveshells, both of which were in response to durabilityneeds. And along the way, this unit has killed perfect-ly good torque converters.

We are going to review torque converter symptomsand their causes starting with what can first be ad-dressed while the unit is still in the vehicle. Then wewill move on to things that must be addressed by re-moving the unit and tearing it down for corrections.

Outside access fixesA common mistake that can have severe conse-

quences is to fill the transmission unit with fluid butforget to put fluid in the torque converter prior to in-stallation. Failure to follow fluid-filling procedureswith the 5R110W unit creates a situation with no for-ward and/or no reverse. If this happens, you havemost likely killed your oil-pump assembly. In mostcases, this means that you have broken pump gearsdue to a lack of fluid. Make sure to add fluid to the

torque converter prior to stabbingit into the transmission unit. Thenadd 8 quarts of fluid to the unit,run it for 30 seconds, then shut theengine off. Add 4 more quarts offluid to the transmission, thenrestart the engine. Complete fillingthe transmission to the correct levelas recommended by Ford. Saveyour pump and save your torqueconverter (Figure 1).

You can also get TCC cycling on

TC or Not TC, that Is the Question

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•Author: Mike Cargill

•Subject Matter: 5R110W TorqShift

•Issue: Converter symptoms, causes

Troubleshooting Converter Symptoms in the 5R110W TorqShift

and off by having mis-matched tire sizes ormismatched levels ofinflation. Specifically infour-wheel-drive unitswith the BorgWarner44-05, mismatched tiresizes or mismatched in-flation will cause en-gine surges that seemlike TCC cycling(Figure 2).

The symptom of harsh TCC apply can be caused bytwo different types of issues with externally accesseditems. The first issue is that the air filter can be re-stricted or dirty. Much like the mismatched tires, thiscan cause engine surges or simply an engine that runspoorly. This can cause lockup to be dramatic. This canbe easily addressed by cleaning or replacing the en-gine air filter (Figure 3).

The second area causing harsh TCC apply is issueswith the four different vehicle sensors. Related to theair filter, the Intake Air Temperature Sensor (Figure 4)can be dirty or it can be malfunctioning. Replace this

sensor if it isfound to bedirty or faulty.The next sensorto check is theAcceleratorPedal PressureSensor (APPS)(Figure 5). Thiscan also getdirty or mal-function. The

Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) (Figure 6) must also bechecked. Finally, check the Manifold AbsolutePressure Sensor (MAPS) (Figure 7) and replace as nec-essary. All of these sensors affect the way the enginefunctions, and if they operate poorly they will make itseem like the torque converter has apply issues.

Another malfunctioning sensor can cause thesymptom of no lockup, as well as set the codes P1704

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and P1744. This sensor isthe Range Sensor(MLPS) (Figure 8). Thiscan become dirty or mal-function and cause func-tional issues as well asset codes. Inspect and re-place this sensor if nec-

essary. As you run down the items from outside thecase to inside the case, don’t forget to check this one.

A final pre-emptive move to make is to check thegrounding on your unit. The 5R110W is creating somelegendary stories of bad symptoms related to poorgrounding. Oftentimes, rebuilders are adding aground strap to the transmission itself thinking thiswill cure the issue. Soon, there is a no-forward or re-verse problem. Surely it must be the torque converter.What has happened is that the bad ground has causedthe pump gears to overheat and break, or appear to be

welded to the pump as-sembly. The fix is out-side, but do not attachthe ground strap to thetransmission. (Figure 9)

Overheating andcomputer issues

Vehicles used to pullor haul loads almost al-ways have overheatingissues. Hot transmis-sions cause early failureof the torque converterand other components.The 5R110W unit is noexception. There are

three problem areas to check. The first would be to eliminate the direct cause of

overheating. That could be as simple as making surethe lines are properly flushed to ensure that there isno restriction of cooler flow. It could also be makingsure to install an additional aftermarket transmissionoil cooler.

The second is to check on the bypass filter. This fil-ter func-tionssimilarly tothe tradi-tional after-marketbypass fil-ter installedafter a unitis rebuilt tohelp collectany leftover

metal missed influshing and instal-lation. This OEM de-signed filter,however, is to pro-vide an additionalsuperfine filtrationprocess to normaltransmission func-tion. For the years

2003 to 2007, the filter is a toilet paper roll type(Figure 10). From late 2007 to 2010 it is a sealed metalcanister that installs directly to the transmission caseor to the vehicle underbody (Figure 11). In 2011, Fordshifted this filtration function to inside the case.Regardless of model year, this filter must be changedto avoid killing your recently rebuilt unit.

The final item is the PCM. The 5R110W does nothave a tradi-tional valvebody, but thePCM is still thebrains of theoutfit. Whenthis computermodule getsdirty or fails,there is a long

list of symptoms. However, it can also cause overheat-ing which can cause torque converter malfunction.

Rebuilding access onlyMuch like the 4R100 transmission, the 5R110W has

a complex oil pump assembly with multiple valvesthat control pressure and torque converter function.Any number of converter symptoms can be drilledback down to issues related to valve wear.

The TCC Control Valve section can have problemsdue to wear, as well as due to mistakes made when re-building the TCC Control Valve Assembly (Figure 12).A worn TCC Control Valve circuit will cause lockupslipping, cycling, as well as lockup related codes 741and 1783. All components in this circuit should be re-placed as a full assembly. However, there are threedifferent versions of this valve. The 2003-04 modelshave a valve that has a spool outer diameter of 0.402

inches and is 3.570inches long. The 2005and up valve is almosta quarter inch longerat 3.770 inches long.The early version ofthis valve is not avail-able new, and cannotbe used in 2005 andup pump assemblies.

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Both the 2005-08 and the2009-up pump assembliesretrofit to the earliest ap-plication. However, donot reuse this early typevalve. It will cause torqueconverter lockup failure.When installing the re-taining clip for the correctdiameter and length TCCControl Valve, make surethat the sleeve feed hole is

visible. If assembled incorrectly, the code P1744 willshow up during transmission operation. And nobodylikes to drop a unit to fix a problem that can be avoid-ed by getting it right the first time.

TheConverterPressure LimitAssembly maybe one assemblythat can causealmost all of thetorque convertermalfunctionsymptoms inyour customer’s5R110W unit

(Figure 12). The wear or failure in this assembly cancause TCC codes, lockup slipping, erratic or harshlockup apply, leading to torque converter lining fail-ure, as well as excessively high torque converter pres-sure. And that excess pressure can lead to clutchfailure and torque converter ballooning. It is like thetransmission engineer stepped back, looked at theunit, and decided to choose one circuit to ruin themall. The truth is, just like this one circuit can be com-pletely to blame, it can just as quickly fix all of the is-sues, too. How many times have you blamed yourtorque converter supplier for lining failure in the5R110W? The truth of the matter is that lining failurein this unit is rarely the fault of your rebuilder. Your

pump assemblywill be the prob-lem the vast ma-jority of the time.

The PressureRegulator ValveAssembly canalso cause you

lockup misery (Figure 12). When this section wears ormalfunctions, you will get TCC apply and releaseproblems. That can mean no lockup, or lockup won’tdisengage, which can cause clutch lining failure.When installing a replacement assembly, make sureyou install the valve clip correctly. Incorrect installa-tion of this clip will set codes P0703, P0741, andP1741. One little clip can kill a whole day of hardwork.

A small item that can cause overheating is the ther-mal element found in the cooler bypass valve assem-bly (Figure 12, circled). The heating element pinshould function when it reaches the correct tempera-ture. If stuck shut or open, the transmission can func-tion poorly in cold weather or overheat in hotweather. Make sure to heat the element to determine ifit is functioning properly and replace when necessaryto save your torque converter and transmission fromfailure.

Finally, you will find in some cases that you havebroken pump gears. And this is after you have rebuiltthe unit. It makes you start to question the overallheight of your torque converter, the unit end play, andwhether you should have shimmed the flexplate. Itmust be the torque converter that broke your pumpgears! An easy problem with this unit is that worndowel pins can cause case misalignment. Make surethat you check dowel pins when reassembling thisunit. If you do, you can save yourself money and timeand avoid frustration. (Figure 13)

Remember, when troubleshooting, start with theeasy outside target areas before moving to the insideof the transmission. Plan out good detailed buildpractices and avoid the comebacks.

Mike Cargill, a board member of the Torque Converter RebuildersAssociation, is Senior Category Manager at Transtar Industries.

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Parts List

Mercon SP Fluid – 6242120

First Generation Filter – 3C3Z-7B155BA

Second Generation Filter – 7C3Z7B155B

Valve Assemblies – Aftermarket only available

Ground Strap – Aftermarket available

Air Filter – Varies by Vehicle

Sensors – Varies by Vehicle