Torque Converter Problem?

[jndfrank]

Hi -

First time posting here. I have a '99 F350 4x4 PSD, and am looking for some advice regarding torque converters.

Last time I had the truck in the shop for a routine service there was a note on the invoice from the service tech that indicated we should replace the torque converter. When we asked the service manager about it he basically told us not to worry as the tech couldn't give him a good reason why it needed to be replaced. We have not noticed anythink really abnormal about the way the truck drives. I should also say that we've had the truck serviced at this shop since new and they have never given me any reason not to trust them.

The truck as about 80k miles on it, mostly driving around empty. We have a camper that we carry, but I would guess at most 15-20k of the miles were with the camper.

So, what should we be looking for in the way of advance notice that we really need to replace the torque converter?

What's the likely failure scenario (would we be likely to be stranded)?

Does this sound like reasonable lifetime given the miles and our usage pattern?

Should we replace with stock or aftermarket, and if aftermarket what brands are good?

Thanks very much for the advice.

Dave

[Jon]

The 99's are prone to TC problems but you will usually hear them first. The 99's had TC's that would swell and distorte the flex plate and cause a locomotive train like sound. If you don't hear that I wouldnt worry. You could always go over the SM's head and ask the Tech why he said that and let us know what the reasoning is.

[mschn99]

honestly, if your not noticing any problems, i would just forget about it. A torque converter upgrade with the 4r100 is never a bad idea, but with a tranny that has some miles in it IMO you are better off getting the milage out of it that it goes and looking at a complete aftermarket beefier assembly when it goes. For all we know that trans in your truck might have another 100k in her or more...

[samiam]

Originally Posted by Marc

honestly, if your not noticing any problems, i would just forget about it. A torque converter upgrade with the 4r100 is never a bad idea, but with a tranny that has some miles in it IMO you are better off getting the milage out of it that it goes and looking at a complete aftermarket beefier assembly when it goes. For all we know that trans in your truck might have another 100k in her or more...

my brand new-to-me early 1999 7.3L e4OD is in the shop tonight. 170K miles. owned it for 18 hours! what started as simply having all the fluids replaced (engine, diff's, transfer case) and fuel filter has turned into speculation that the torque converter is close to dead. makes the rattling noise. stand back from the truck and it sounds like someone's shaking a tin can full of metal washers to a nice rythm. ya know, it sorta resembles the sound of clanky keystrokes on an old keyboard. the noise comes from the right area to be the TC. Ford dealership ID'd the problem as failing TC, and said they listened with scope to verify. I didn't enjoy their cost estimate, so i took it to another reputable diesel shop in town for their review tomorrow morning. i'm rather new to owning and buying diesel truck trannys and TC's, so reading this thread above made me wonder - if they say it's on the "way out" should i let it die slowly, and endure the noise? sounds like worst case is it ruins my tranny. and am i right in assuming from the above post that when you purchase a new tranny that it normally comes with a TC stuck to it anyways? thanks! p.s. the Ford dealership told me that the other aspects of my truck were stellar, very clean and in good working order, including the tranny itself. so my thought is maybe i justify the $750 for new TC since i won't need a new tranny for a few years, and the noise will drive me buggy.

[ipz2222]

I would replace the tc now.

[samiam]

Update. I replaced the TC with the OEM Ford model. I guess it was updated since the early 99 TC which was the original in the truck. oh baby, it runs nice and smooth now. when it shifts merging onto the highway as I accelerate it that turbo whines and the shifts are smoooooooooooth.

[anii23]

How much did it cost? If you dont mind me asking.