Ford F53 Question

[Keily]

I have a new motorhome , 2014 Adventurer 37F with the F53 362-hp 6.8l V10 Triton engine, TorqShift 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission with tow/haul. Mileage is about 6000 miles.

This is my second motorhome with the same type of engine, it was a 1999 F53 with the Ford V10. My question is regarding the tow/haul feature. In the past I always used the tow/haul when going down steep hills as an engine brake, when activated in the older engine the engine would rev up a bit to maybe 3000 rpm(depending on how steep the grade was) but the overall speed of the mh would slow down. I have noticed on the new mh, when I activate the tow/haul when going down a steep grade, the engine rev's increase quite a bit more and there a lot more of a roar coming from the engine. As the vehicle speeds up the higher the tach goes and the louder the roar, so much so I usually de-activate the tow/haul button, and use the brakes to try to slow down. Does anyone know is this normal for this new engine, I am afraid I might be doing some harm to the transmission or the engine if I leave the tow/haul activated.

Does anyone else have the same thing happening?, maybe this is normal and I got nothing to worry about.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[Trix]

Belgique wrote:
Great, informative thread. Thanks all.

The cooling tubes on the front brakes are from Ford -- have them on my Allegro.

[Camper_Ken]

frankdamp wrote:
The engine rpm limiter works on the fuel system - it isn't a physical restraint on the rotating machinery. If a heavy vehicle going down a steep grade is pushing the engine, the rpm limiter can't do anything to help, since it will already have gone to minimum fuel flow.

A lot of people used to the older V-8s, like the 460, get very concerned with the much higher rev range of the V-10. I've been around small high-performance motorcycles with engines that have peak torque at 8000 rpm and rev to 15,000. A 4-cylinder, 500cc engine doing 15000 rpm has a special sound!

If your tach is below red-line, you're fine.

There is no red line on my tach.
(2013 F53 chassis)

[hanko]

lostdog wrote:

Hikerdogs wrote:

Keily wrote:
I have a new motorhome , 2014 Adventurer 37F with the F53 362-hp 6.8l V10 Triton engine, TorqShift 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission with tow/haul. Mileage is about 6000 miles.

This is my second motorhome with the same type of engine, it was a 1999 F53 with the Ford V10. My question is regarding the tow/haul feature. In the past I always used the tow/haul when going down steep hills as an engine brake, when activated in the older engine the engine would rev up a bit to maybe 3000 rpm(depending on how steep the grade was) but the overall speed of the mh would slow down. I have noticed on the new mh, when I activate the tow/haul when going down a steep grade, the engine rev's increase quite a bit more and there a lot more of a roar coming from the engine. As the vehicle speeds up the higher the tach goes and the louder the roar, so much so I usually de-activate the tow/haul button, and use the brakes to try to slow down. Does anyone know is this normal for this new engine, I am afraid I might be doing some harm to the transmission or the engine if I leave the tow/haul activated.

Does anyone else have the same thing happening?, maybe this is normal and I got nothing to worry about.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Here's some information about the Torque Shift transmission that may answer some of your questions. Keep in mind your older motorhome had either the EO4D transmission or the 4R100. Neither of them had the Tow/Haul feature. The button on the end of the shift lever lockout the torque converter. It didn't do anything else.

It's a 5 speed transmission rather than the 4 speeds available with the 4R100. There are several other key differences between it and the previous generation 4R100 transmission.

1. Putting it in tow/haul does not lockout overdrive.

2. When in the tow/haul mode it does delay the upshifts somewhat and increases the oil flow through the transmission to keep the temperature down.

3. This also reduces the transmissions need to "hunt" for the proper gear when ascending hills.

4. When descending a hill if you take your foot off the accelerator the transmission will provide engine braking without the need to manually shift out of overdrive.

5. Also when descending a hill while in the tow/haul mode you can make the transmission shift to a lower gear by depressing and releasing the brake pedal. It will downshift to a lower gear about 1 second after releasing the brake pedal.

6. It will shift down another gear each time you depress and release the brake pedal as long as the Powertrain Control Module sees the engine will stay below the maximum RPM level.

7. It is not necessary to use the tow/haul mode when towing on flat ground.

All this information is included in a handout from a Ford factory rep who was giving a seminar on the features of the F53 chassis at the Winnebago Grand National Rally last July.

GOSPEL!!!!

5 star tune can set it up so the TH feature will lock out OD. Its nice in the hill. mines set up that way

[Hikerdogs]

tderonne wrote:

Hikerdogs wrote:


Here's some information about the Torque Shift transmission that may answer some of your questions. Keep in mind your older motorhome had either the E4OD transmission or the 4R100. Neither of them had the Tow/Haul feature. The button on the end of the shift lever locks out overdrive. It didn't do anything else.

It's a 5 speed transmission rather than the 4 speeds available with the 4R100, although, the top three ratios are the same. There are several other key differences between it and the previous generation 4R100 transmission.

1. Putting it in tow/haul does not lockout overdrive.

2. When in the tow/haul mode it does delay the upshifts somewhat and increases the oil flow through the transmission to keep the temperature down.

3. This also reduces the transmissions need to "hunt" for the proper gear when ascending hills.

4. When descending a hill if you take your foot off the accelerator the transmission will provide engine braking without the need to manually shift out of overdrive.

5. Also when descending a hill while in the tow/haul mode you can make the transmission shift to a lower gear by depressing and releasing the brake pedal. It will downshift to a lower gear about 1 second after releasing the brake pedal.

6. It will shift down another gear each time you depress and release the brake pedal as long as the Powertrain Control Module sees the engine will stay below the maximum RPM level.

7. It is not necessary to use the tow/haul mode when towing on flat ground.

All this information is included in a handout from a Ford factory rep who was giving a seminar on the features of the F53 chassis at the Winnebago Grand National Rally last July.

Fixed a couple little things above, in italics.

Thanks! The brain and the typing fingers are not always in sync.

[tderonne]

Hikerdogs wrote:


Here's some information about the Torque Shift transmission that may answer some of your questions. Keep in mind your older motorhome had either the E4OD transmission or the 4R100. Neither of them had the Tow/Haul feature. The button on the end of the shift lever locks out overdrive. It didn't do anything else.

It's a 5 speed transmission rather than the 4 speeds available with the 4R100, although, the top three ratios are the same. There are several other key differences between it and the previous generation 4R100 transmission.

1. Putting it in tow/haul does not lockout overdrive.

2. When in the tow/haul mode it does delay the upshifts somewhat and increases the oil flow through the transmission to keep the temperature down.

3. This also reduces the transmissions need to "hunt" for the proper gear when ascending hills.

4. When descending a hill if you take your foot off the accelerator the transmission will provide engine braking without the need to manually shift out of overdrive.

5. Also when descending a hill while in the tow/haul mode you can make the transmission shift to a lower gear by depressing and releasing the brake pedal. It will downshift to a lower gear about 1 second after releasing the brake pedal.

6. It will shift down another gear each time you depress and release the brake pedal as long as the Powertrain Control Module sees the engine will stay below the maximum RPM level.

7. It is not necessary to use the tow/haul mode when towing on flat ground.

All this information is included in a handout from a Ford factory rep who was giving a seminar on the features of the F53 chassis at the Winnebago Grand National Rally last July.

Fixed a couple little things above, in italics.

[Belgique]

Great, informative thread. Thanks all.

[Keily]

I do not know if it was Ford or Winnebago. Interesting

[427435]

Keily wrote:
There is no red line on my 2014 tach as well. I was under the mh yesterday looking around and one thing I noticed that wasn't on the 1999 is that on the 2 front brake rotors Ford has installed some air ducts that scoop the air from the grill area onto the rotors. Nice to see that for cooling.

I also have travelled a lot of times on I40 and I77 lots of steep hills and never had a problem, just let the engine do most of the braking on the down side, and after 15 years and 178,000 Kms, the unit still had the original pads, and rotors, also I must add that every year before staring out for the new season the motor home was always into the local Ford truck center and 2 things I always wanted checked were the brakes and wheel bearings. I always needed that peace of mind when travelling.

Are those ducts something Ford put on or did the MH manufacturer?? If Ford did it, I wonder when it started.

[lostdog]

Hikerdogs wrote:

Keily wrote:
I have a new motorhome , 2014 Adventurer 37F with the F53 362-hp 6.8l V10 Triton engine, TorqShift 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission with tow/haul. Mileage is about 6000 miles.

This is my second motorhome with the same type of engine, it was a 1999 F53 with the Ford V10. My question is regarding the tow/haul feature. In the past I always used the tow/haul when going down steep hills as an engine brake, when activated in the older engine the engine would rev up a bit to maybe 3000 rpm(depending on how steep the grade was) but the overall speed of the mh would slow down. I have noticed on the new mh, when I activate the tow/haul when going down a steep grade, the engine rev's increase quite a bit more and there a lot more of a roar coming from the engine. As the vehicle speeds up the higher the tach goes and the louder the roar, so much so I usually de-activate the tow/haul button, and use the brakes to try to slow down. Does anyone know is this normal for this new engine, I am afraid I might be doing some harm to the transmission or the engine if I leave the tow/haul activated.

Does anyone else have the same thing happening?, maybe this is normal and I got nothing to worry about.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Here's some information about the Torque Shift transmission that may answer some of your questions. Keep in mind your older motorhome had either the EO4D transmission or the 4R100. Neither of them had the Tow/Haul feature. The button on the end of the shift lever lockout the torque converter. It didn't do anything else.

It's a 5 speed transmission rather than the 4 speeds available with the 4R100. There are several other key differences between it and the previous generation 4R100 transmission.

1. Putting it in tow/haul does not lockout overdrive.

2. When in the tow/haul mode it does delay the upshifts somewhat and increases the oil flow through the transmission to keep the temperature down.

3. This also reduces the transmissions need to "hunt" for the proper gear when ascending hills.

4. When descending a hill if you take your foot off the accelerator the transmission will provide engine braking without the need to manually shift out of overdrive.

5. Also when descending a hill while in the tow/haul mode you can make the transmission shift to a lower gear by depressing and releasing the brake pedal. It will downshift to a lower gear about 1 second after releasing the brake pedal.

6. It will shift down another gear each time you depress and release the brake pedal as long as the Powertrain Control Module sees the engine will stay below the maximum RPM level.

7. It is not necessary to use the tow/haul mode when towing on flat ground.

All this information is included in a handout from a Ford factory rep who was giving a seminar on the features of the F53 chassis at the Winnebago Grand National Rally last July.

GOSPEL!!!!

[Hikerdogs]

Keily wrote:
I have a new motorhome , 2014 Adventurer 37F with the F53 362-hp 6.8l V10 Triton engine, TorqShift 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission with tow/haul. Mileage is about 6000 miles.

This is my second motorhome with the same type of engine, it was a 1999 F53 with the Ford V10. My question is regarding the tow/haul feature. In the past I always used the tow/haul when going down steep hills as an engine brake, when activated in the older engine the engine would rev up a bit to maybe 3000 rpm(depending on how steep the grade was) but the overall speed of the mh would slow down. I have noticed on the new mh, when I activate the tow/haul when going down a steep grade, the engine rev's increase quite a bit more and there a lot more of a roar coming from the engine. As the vehicle speeds up the higher the tach goes and the louder the roar, so much so I usually de-activate the tow/haul button, and use the brakes to try to slow down. Does anyone know is this normal for this new engine, I am afraid I might be doing some harm to the transmission or the engine if I leave the tow/haul activated.

Does anyone else have the same thing happening?, maybe this is normal and I got nothing to worry about.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Here's some information about the Torque Shift transmission that may answer some of your questions. Keep in mind your older motorhome had either the EO4D transmission or the 4R100. Neither of them had the Tow/Haul feature. The button on the end of the shift lever lockout the torque converter. It didn't do anything else.

It's a 5 speed transmission rather than the 4 speeds available with the 4R100. There are several other key differences between it and the previous generation 4R100 transmission.

1. Putting it in tow/haul does not lockout overdrive.

2. When in the tow/haul mode it does delay the upshifts somewhat and increases the oil flow through the transmission to keep the temperature down.

3. This also reduces the transmissions need to "hunt" for the proper gear when ascending hills.

4. When descending a hill if you take your foot off the accelerator the transmission will provide engine braking without the need to manually shift out of overdrive.

5. Also when descending a hill while in the tow/haul mode you can make the transmission shift to a lower gear by depressing and releasing the brake pedal. It will downshift to a lower gear about 1 second after releasing the brake pedal.

6. It will shift down another gear each time you depress and release the brake pedal as long as the Powertrain Control Module sees the engine will stay below the maximum RPM level.

7. It is not necessary to use the tow/haul mode when towing on flat ground.

All this information is included in a handout from a Ford factory rep who was giving a seminar on the features of the F53 chassis at the Winnebago Grand National Rally last July.

[Keily]

Yes jerseyjim, I did use the brakes when needed, as I said before, I have travelled a lot of miles on I40,through NC and TENN, also I77 in WV,NC. Whenever I am going down steep grades I always use the tow/haul or overdrive, I guess it was overdrive on the 99 chieftain, and I would drop it into a lower gear if I wanted to slow down more.

Every year before we left Florida to come back to Canada, it was always at a Ford Truck center and the brakes were always checked but they always told me they were ok. Even when I traded it in this past summer, it was checked by the dealership and they saw no issues.

I always drove it at around 55/mph or 90/kph , geared down when coming to stop signs and off rams. It does make a difference on wear and tear on the braking system.

[kab449]

Cruise control is annoying. The only time I use it is on a road like I95, flat and straight for 1200 miles.

[DrewE]

The transmission is computer controlled by the same computer system that runs the engine. It will upshift if needed on a downhill to prevent damage to the engine. Just let it spin away and nothing bad will happen, using the brakes as needed to keep your speed where you want. The V10 does sound like it may be self-destructing, but it isn't and it can run all day at pretty high RPMs without trouble.

Frankly, on a modern vehicle with an automatic transmission, the tachometer is pretty much just eye candy. I guess it is handy to tell if the engine is running or not when you first start it if there's a lot of background noise around (and the plethora of idiot lights turning off don't clue you in). Other than that, I think it's best to ignore it and let the engine controls do their thing as programmed by the manufacturer. Typically, it's not even possible to damage a modern automatic by shifting it into first/low gear at highway speeds; the transmission just won't downshift if doing so would overspeed the engine.

[jerseyjim]

KEILY: 178,000 Kms = 110,000 miles. Original pads and rotors? Mine self destructed after 55,000 miles (88,513 Km.)

Did you ever use the things? Wow...........