Ford E40D Transmission Upgrade - Dieseltech

The converter is separated...        read full caption The converter is separated from the flexplate in preparation for the transmission removal.	Jose lowers the unit onto...        read full caption Jose lowers the unit onto the shop's forklift before Lawrence Trujillio carefully pulls it from under the truck.	Here's the new TCI MaXimizer...        read full caption Here's the new TCI MaXimizer E40D towing transmission and "Truck Master" high-torque converter that our vehicle desperately needed. The transmission features a ball bearing replacement center-support as well as new sprags and TCI's Trans-Scat valvebody recalibration kit. The recalibrated valvebody helps improve fluid flow and promotes firm, positive upshifts and downshifts, which is something the original transmission had been lacking. The heavy-duty torque converter has a 1,400 lb-ft torque rating and features a billet steel cover, triple-disc clutch pack, and steel stator.
Parts like this shield plate,...        read full caption Parts like this shield plate, which protects the plug for the electronic transmission controls, are transferred from the original transmission prior to installing the new unit.

Some sort of corrective measure was needed, and while rebuilding the trans was an option (there are several upgrades that should all be done on mid-'90s E4ODs when rebuilding), we opted to replace our worn-out OEM tranny with a TCI MaXimizer E40D (PN 491400: $2,822.65; specify 4x2, 4x4, gas, or diesel) and Truck Master high-torque, diesel converter (PN 492202: $1,144.79), also by TCI. In the long run, the new pieces cost only a couple hundred dollars more than a rebuild.

Known more for its strong lineup of high-performance street and racing transmissions, TCI of Ashland, Mississippi, also makes transmissions and torque converters for heavy-duty truck applications. The MaXimizer E4OD features several different components that help make it the true, heavy-duty gearbox for any truck that sees regular towing duty. Among the new parts are a replacement center-support that features a ball bearing instead of the factory-style bushing (which is prone to wearing and seizing); new intermediate, reverse and overdrive sprags; and TCI's Trans-Scat valvebody recalibration kit, which helps improve fluid flow, reduces heat buildup, and enhances shift quality to a level that's much firmer than the original transmission but not quite as "neck-snapping" as the gear changes of a full-competition unit.

		The TCI MaXimizer E40D is...        read full caption The TCI MaXimizer E40D is installed in the opposite manner that it was removed-with the forklift first, then pumped into place with a transmission jack. David and Jose then go about repositioning the crossmember and making the various linkage and electrical connections on the transmission.
The TCI MaXimizer E40D is...        read full caption The TCI MaXimizer E40D is installed in the opposite manner that it was removed-with the forklift first, then pumped into place with a transmission jack. David and Jose then go about repositioning the crossmember and making the various linkage and electrical connections on the transmission.