Novice New to Forum Need Tranny Help Please?

[cmb]

I am thankful to any who may have insight to this issue...

I drive the 7.2 or 3L Powerstroke on the ford van chasis which has been converted to a bus. It is our family vehicle. It is a 1998 and it has a digital rpm gauge attached to the dog box; it appears to be programmable. Currently, The trans fluid is on the "c" when idling hot, and on or above the "h" when sitting cold. It has a push button for overdrive on the column shifter but the button does not work, the cap that causes the button to be recessed is missing.

The transmission has slipped some in the past when cold. It has begun to shift harder than it has in the past. The cruise control is also jerky, not sure if that relates but I have quit using it. And I would have to let off the accelator to get it to shift especially from 3rd to 4th. Recently driving on the interstate I could not get up to speed in 4th gear I would have to the floor and not get over 65 mph... It also shifts back and forth when going up hill and such.

[BigFuel]

This is an interesting set-up. Can you take and post pictures of the dash and top of engine? Does it have any aftermarket gauges that would tell you trans temp in numbers and boost when this is happening? What color is the tranny fluid, bright red or dark and burned? When was the last tranny filter change?

Block AND chock the wheels and put it into drive/engine running, is the tranny fluid level good? Your info doesn't state if this a Cali. vehicle (don't now if it'll matter to people) as '97 Cali trucks have slightly different set-up then the rest of the other 49 states.

So that we understand correctly, when you bought it everything was working well and has deteriorated since? I don't know too much about the Ford vans. Having a '98 PSD is not common, and a '98 Truck is not possible (just letting you know that getting someone that KNOWS that the '98 Van has no differences to the '97 might be hard).