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Old 04-16-2020, 11:50 PM   #1
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2009 Ford E-350 Shuttle Bus

I have a 2009 Ford E-350 wheel chair shuttle bus, I picked up from an auction for $800.00. It has 407,000km on it. I recently took it in for a safety check and it was found to have a transmission seal leak where the drive shaft goes in. The garage tells me that the transmission in the vehicle is not from the vehicle and is a 4x4 transmission and they cannot find the seal to be used. They also claim the that part number badge on the transmission is that of a 2009 Ford E-350. Which means if they are correct someone changed the transmission and took the time to put an old id plate on it. I don't think so. I am thinking perhaps the shuttle company put a different transmission in them to handle the bigger loads? Does anyone have any information on what transmission shipped with a 2009 Super Duty, E-350 Thor built wheel chair bus? The garage screwed me over, put a seal in , said it was fixed, and now refuses to help me out, it is still leaking. I will never take anything to them again.

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Old 04-17-2020, 12:58 AM   #2
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Actually, the 2009 you have uses a few different transmission ID part numbers, depending on engine, transmission, transmission / vehicle production date, wheelbase, PTO / non-PTO, possibly other options, and these variations in mechanicals have less to do with Thor (the coachwork / conversion company), and more to do with the E350-cutaway chassis built by Ford. The only way I could see this being legit is if the trans in the bus is not the correct ID tag for the engine it has, not likely. Fords are very specific per vehicle in production, and an incorrect trans is not likely to operate correctly, or for very long, if it even operates at all.

Your 2009 should be new enough that a simple call to a Ford dealer parts department can tell you (from the dash VIN for the cutaway chassis built by Ford) which transmission version ID tag is correct. That can then be compared to the one currently in it. Which is something that the shop should have done, and that you can do yourself. Secondary verification with production date on the manufacturer's label in the driver's door jamb may be necessary, but not likely.

The following from car-part.com (downloadable screenshot attachment end of my post) indicates these transmissions are very specific to a vehicle's production date and equipment. Without the production date or cutaway chassis VIN, I cannot guarantee that your exact one will be here, as it is possible a late 2008 could be titled as 2009 or have 2009 parts, early 2009s could be titled as 2009 with 2008 parts, a late 2009 could have 2010 parts, or an early 2010 could be titled as a 2009. Ford has a history of designating such models "xxxx - 1/2" models.

2009 Ford Van E350

AT, 4R75E transmission, (8-330 5.4L), ID 9C2P-DA
AT, 4R75E transmission, (8-330 5.4L), ID 9C2P-DB
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 138" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-GB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 138" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-GA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 158" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-HB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 158" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-HA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 176" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-HB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 10-415 (6.8L), 176" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-HA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 138" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-EB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 138" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-EA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 158" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-FB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 158" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-FA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 176" WB, from 12/01/08, (ID 9C3P-FB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-330 (5.4L), 176" WB, thru 11/30/08, (ID 9C3P-FA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 138" WB, from 12/01/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-EB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 138" WB, from 12/01/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-AB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 138" WB, thru 11/30/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-EA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 138" WB, thru 11/30/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-AA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 158" WB, from 12/01/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-FB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 158" WB, from 12/01/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-BB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 158" WB, thru 11/30/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-FA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 158" WB, thru 11/30/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-BA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 176" WB, from 12/01/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-FB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 176" WB, from 12/01/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-BB)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 176" WB, thru 11/30/08, PTO, (ID 9C2P-FA)
AT, 5R110W (TorqShift) transmission, 8-366 (6.0L, diesel), 176" WB, thru 11/30/08, w/o PTO; (ID 9C2P-BA)

Unless the dealer comes back with a trans ID different from the one currently in it, there's simply no way to prove originality. Possible the shop took this step and that's what they found, but if so, they should have explained that to you. Even if it were swapped, as I said earlier, there's probably only one version that will fit and operate correctly, because Ford is constantly revising things like shift programming and line pressures, solenoids. A vehicle that new with an incorrect transmission will usually let you know pretty quick, especially a Ford. You couldn't even get away with that in the 90s. I know someone who took a '97 P71 trans and put it into a '96 P71. Fried it in 30 days, and you could smell transmission fluid the whole time it was burning up. So it IS possible, but it couldn't have been in there very long.

I will extend the shop a little leeway here and say that it's not their fault if the trans was indeed not the correct unit. But while there may have been nothing they could do immediately other than replace the seal to stop the leak, if the transmission was indeed the incorrect one, it wasn't very responsible or professional to do so, if they knew it was not the right transmission. If I could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the transmission was not the correct unit and prove this to the owner, I would have tried to persuade them to get a correct used unit, not just slap another seal back in it and hope for the best.

IF the dealer can't help you (unlikely), you might trying running the VIN through www.compnine.com -- no guarantees on an incomplete chassis, however.

car-part.com screenshot:
Click image for larger version

Name:	Car-Part 2009 E350.jpg
Views:	3
Size:	309.7 KB
ID:	43385
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Old 04-17-2020, 06:29 AM   #3
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Location: Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
Posts: 592
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Startrans
Chassis: Ford e-350 single wheel
Engine: 5.4 litre
Rated Cap: 12
With that many miles it probably needs a sleeve kit to smooth out groove worn in by the high mileage. I had to do it to mine to prevent the leak, just a new seal wouldn't do it.
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Old 04-18-2020, 02:55 PM   #4
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Not sure why I didn't see the 4x4 bit earlier, but I'm not buying it. I won't say it's impossible, but usually a 4x4 trans has a completely different tailshaft housing (or lack thereof) to facilitate mating to a transfer case, and most cannot readily accept a standard 4x2 tailshaft housing. They're simply made differently.

I feel confident, however, that the dealer can help sort this out and at least help you with the correct trans ID so that a correct used replacement can be sourced if necessary.

EDIT: If the transmission is in fact an incorrect unit, here is a link to a similar setup I found, the car-part.com search listing states that it has a recent Ford reman transmission, not sure if it matches your wheelbase or not... Seller info listed in top corner.

https://imageappky.car-part.com/imag...ck%23 JL1427#1
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Old 04-20-2020, 09:44 PM   #5
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Thank you so much. This was so helpful. I appreciate it so much. thanks again.
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Old 04-20-2020, 09:51 PM   #6
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I took the bus to another garage today and they said the same thing. Makes sense. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
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Old 04-20-2020, 10:03 PM   #7
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Thank you. I took it to another garage and they confirmed the tail stock is fine, it may have a groove in the shaft, causing the leak. They are inspecting it tomorrow and hopefully it will be repaired. Mean time the first garage is refusing to refund me for the work not completed properly, so I left a bad review. He then emailed me saying, "come down here and tell that to my face. you will hear from my lawyer."
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Old 04-20-2020, 10:15 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJKAS View Post
Thank you. I took it to another garage and they confirmed the tail stock is fine, it may have a groove in the shaft, causing the leak. They are inspecting it tomorrow and hopefully it will be repaired. Mean time the first garage is refusing to refund me for the work not completed properly, so I left a bad review. He then emailed me saying, "come down here and tell that to my face. you will hear from my lawyer."
Beat him at his own game. I'd screenshot everything and call a lawyer of your own, especially once it is repaired properly. Get evidence from the second shop that it was improperly repaired the first time, and save invoices from both repairs. Then you'll have a case for fraud against the first shop.

I hate shady mechanics, especially when they try to intimidate customers after screwing them over (been down THAT road too). I have the knowledge to do quite a bit, just lack the patience to deal with the little things that happen in the course of repair (wrenches falling, sockets slipping, etc.) Now, of course, I have respiratory problems that further negate the possibility of doing my own work.

Had one reposition a three-way vacuum check valve to disable my cruise control once, thinking I wouldn't figure it out. But it had worked five minutes before I had him change the brakes on the car. Of course, when I mentioned this to someone else, he immediately found me on the street and got in my face, whereupon I promptly told him to go procreate with himself.

I had another one charge $143 for brake pads that were maybe three months old (I replaced them myself), claiming that they were in backwards and were about to fly out. So how had I delivered food in this car the previous 90 days at an average of 1000 miles a week? Mostly city driving, and I drove like a maniac back then to boot.

As I was already paying $250ish for CV axle reconditioning / replacement, I told him "You can either lose the $143 from the bill, or I'll make certain that you lose a thousand times that, because I see 50-70 people every day delivering food, and I have a REAL big mouth." I did a LOT of talking about that over the next 10 years or so, and I still do. ;)

Shady mechanics hate me because I let them think they can BS me until they try. Then I make sure everybody knows what a crook they are. And THAT'S why they hate me. I don't just lay down for them jerking me around.

You still need to confirm or rebuke their claim that the transmission was not the correct unit -- then you can really bust them wide open.

I'd like to see the review, myself... Probably good reading... LOL
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Old 04-21-2020, 12:01 PM   #9
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
Posts: 592
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Startrans
Chassis: Ford e-350 single wheel
Engine: 5.4 litre
Rated Cap: 12
This is why I do almost all of my own work.
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