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OT:Late model F150 10 spd tranny.........good bad and the ugly?

david n

Diamond
Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Location
Pillager, MN
I'm sure this will turn into the classic Ford/Chev chest thumpin' thread.....................whatever.

So what's up with this 10 speed tranny? I see lotsa complaints out there..............just a few squeaky wheels out of the 100s of thousands on the road or are they problematic? Folks barely leaving the dealership and they are seeing a trail of tranny fluid, rough shifting, no shifting, repeated issues that were "fixed". Just whiners on forums?

Always been a GM guy, but late model Chevys are the ugliest trucks on the road(don't argue that cuz they are:vomit:), don't want a Fiat, and now I'm sayin the F word:willy_nilly:...........I like the Ali bodies. They dump way too much salt on the roads 'round here. Plus only Fords seem the have a decent selection of crew cab 6.5' box models out there. Just wonderin about the 10spd?
 
Yeah still can't get my head wrapped 'round that one. I know a half dozen friends and family with that motor and they seem to be hassle free. I'm still a slight skeptic though............

I wish there was still a 5 speed manual out there......................
 
I was looking at the f-150 a few months ago, and when I told the salesman I drive 50k a year, he said get the conventional 5.0 v-8

Just for running around, not as a routine tow vehicle, he still insisted.
 
I believe the 10-speed tranny was jointly developed by Ford and GM...

And as far as the Ecoboost engines, Ford has been building versions of them for over 15 years, they've got them down pretty good by now.

I've got a 2015 Ford Edge SUV with the 4-cylinder Ecoboost with 173,000 miles, and she runs like a new one. Not a drop of oil is burned or used...pretty damn impressive if you ask me! And for a 4-banger, it is a torquey little bastard --- seldom has to downshift from overdrive (6-speed tranny) on the interstates.

And she will snap your head back if you get on it off the line!
 
I have a V8 with the ten speed that I bought in February and at 12000 miles and have had no problems Including hauling my 6000lb tractor and trailer. Shifts are normal towing or not towing and the trans is very good at downshifting when going down the hills here in the Ozarks. This is the first Ford I have had in 25 years and way nicer truck than the 13 Silverado it replaced. I did not test the 19 Silverado with the 10 speed because I didn't want to deal with our Chevy dealer's service department any longer.
 
I decided on the new Ranger Raptor with the 2.0 twin turbo diesel and 10 speed trans. So far (just over two months and 6k kilometers) it's been flawless. Do I like having a 10 speed? Nope. It just feels like its never going to finish shifting. I guess if you drive on the highway it would be ok but here on the streets of Manila?! It just seems to be working its ass off.

I don't think this is nailed down to just a Ford or Chevy thing though. My wife's Land Rover Evoque has the 9 speed automatic and it feels the same way. Just getting down my driveway it will use up 3 gears.
 
I have the 2015 3.5L EcoBoost and I love everything about it. Pulls hard even with 6k pounds behind it, never had any issues merging on a freeway on short ramps. I have the 6 speed transmission though, so I can't speak to that with personal experience.

I can say, however, that my old man has the 10 speed 3.5L EcoBoost, and if you watch the transmission status closely, it... skips shifts. Probably shifts about 5-6 times from stopped to overdrive. :nutter: That, along with how flat the torque curve is from 1800 to 5500, makes me leery of why the 10-speed is actually needed. It's probably to min-max the EPA road test so they can drop 0.2 MPG off the sticker and get all their development costs back in tax rebates :willy_nilly:

Edit: forgot to say it earlier, but 10-speeds are for bikes!
 
I just picked up a 2019 Raptor to replace a 2003 Chevy Silverado HD and a 5.0 Mustang. I ordered the Raptor without even driving one, since anything new was going to be way better than the 03 and no truck was going to be as much fun as the Mustang. While waiting for it to be built, I started wondering how I'd the 10 speed. I like it. Most of my driving has been in "Normal" mode. It doesn't go through all the gears. It skips some as the computer judges appropriate.

Last week, I was doing a slow roll up an on ramp. When I saw my opening and mashed the peddle, it dropped straight from 9th to 4th. Then I had to watch the road for a while: )

Just recently, I've started using sport mode some around town. The throttle response is better, and it holds onto lower gears a little longer. I wouldn't use sport mode all the time. Definitely not on the highway legs of my long commute.
 
I have the 2015 3.5L EcoBoost and I love everything about it. Pulls hard even with 6k pounds behind it, never had any issues merging on a freeway on short ramps. I have the 6 speed transmission though, so I can't speak to that with personal experience.

I can say, however, that my old man has the 10 speed 3.5L EcoBoost, and if you watch the transmission status closely, it... skips shifts. Probably shifts about 5-6 times from stopped to overdrive. :nutter: That, along with how flat the torque curve is from 1800 to 5500, makes me leery of why the 10-speed is actually needed. It's probably to min-max the EPA road test so they can drop 0.2 MPG off the sticker and get all their development costs back in tax rebates :willy_nilly:

Edit: forgot to say it earlier, but 10-speeds are for bikes!

It's not about getting rebates but avoiding fines. Although the Trump administration has delayed them the requirements for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards keep ratcheting up. There are fines if the fleet average fuel mileage is too low.

This is the driving force behind multi-speed transmissions, small engines with very high boost levels and such gimmicks as engine stop/start and many others. Most modern vehicles never reach full battery charge as they shut off charging at 80% to save fuel. Alternator field current is now under computer control. Some manufacturers have experimented with things like energy generating shock absorbers to take load off the alternator and therefore off the engine.

This is also the reason for so much aluminum as lighter vehicles consume less fuel.

All of this increases complexity and adds cost, and if it keeps going this way most of us will likely be driving oversize motorized skateboards with bubble canopies.

On a related note one highly respected mechanic here told me that later model Ecoboost engines have a very good record of reliability.
 
Not related to the 10 speed. But some guy in the office decided on his own to start leasing ford F150s. We dont like em. He was sold on the fuel economy and we havent even come close even on the non loaded vehicles. Tons of recall and alot more warranty issues. And geta little fender bender that we have to pay for and it costs us nearly double because of the aluminum bodies. Our insurance is going to really go up when its time to renew.
 
I resist participating in OT threads as typically only goober nonsense, which is where this is headed. I took delivery of a 2019 F150 6 weeks ago with the 5.0 and 10R80 transmission. I do not like it. I live in very hilly country. Enjoy coasting down the hills to recover some of the energy climbing them. The 10R80 does not have a free wheeling coast mode. There is no over run clutch and the converter stays locked. So going down hill the transmission creates compression braking same as a manual transmission. Have to shift into neutral on down grades. On gentle acceleration the transmission rapidly, forcefully shifts 3 or 4 times. Bump-Bump-Bump. Not at all a seamless transition between speeds. Poking along on remote back roads at 10-20 MPH the transmission is constantly hunting. Find it requires using the manual mode. Pick a speed and stay with it. Overall, is a disappointment.
 








 
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