I’m truly trying to find out what the facts and realities are of the transmission choices versus 10R80 transmission.

How long did your Stock transmission last?

What did you do to keep it functioning?

Did you have it rebuilt with upgraded parts? If so what?

Did you buy a fully built transmission? From who?

Did you swap with a donor car?

Would you do it again?

What would you do differently?

Did you swap a manual in?

If so what?

Sequential?

Do use it as a daily driver also?

All experience and wisdom is appreciated.

I also posted in the mustang6 forum. due to at times I don’t get replies here and this is a more road course oriented forum which I am interested in.

I think @flyhalf is probably one of the most experienced with the transmission. Even though he moved on to smaller and better things (sequential) lol.

May find a lot of what he did in his build thread.

UPDATE
Ourisman Ford in manassas Virginia said my transmission leaked all its 13 QTs of ULV transmission fluid through the rear of my upgraded PPE transmission pan. They always say this. Another Ourisman LIE!

We would all notice 13 quarts of transmission fluid leaking onto our garage floor and driveway!

I think it is leaking out of the breather valve on the very top front of the transmission. Maybe when hot? Have you folks noticed this small leak on yours?

I fill to 4.5 on dipstick.

They also said my transmission was cooked. Another LIE!

I drove my car to another shop that has a lift and put it up the air.

They had not cleaned the bottom of the car like most people would to then check for a leak.
We checked the fluid level and it was what it should be. Ford and others say when hot the dipstick should read at or between 4-5.

AFTER Driving the car from the liars at Ourisman Ford the transmission seems to work like it’s supposed to.

I had it there for the ill functioning driver assist modes.
The car for no reason would loose all power/forward propulsion. No steering input and all wheels turning the same speed.

I had to unplug the Dyno Plug. I have full control now and the car can be drove with all driver assist OFF. But now I always have a bunch of errors and lights on.
They did nothing.

I truly believe that they never even diagnosed or looked at my car while it was at their dealer for a week or two.
I think they just let the car sit there.
Then they called me and said it was done and ready to pick up.
They said they were not going to do anything or cover anything under warranty, due to their lie that my far better PPE transmission pan leaks out the rear. They used this same lie the first time they finally replaced the transmission under warranty.

EVERYTHING they said was a LIE.

They also tried to get me to leave with no documentation!
I have learned this is another of dealers tricks!
The other is that they will not document correctly. What your complaints/problems are with your vehicle.
This way when you try and get something fixed under warranty, they say you never had any problems, there is no documentation of your problems.
ALWAYS GET YOUR DOCUMENTATION AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS EXACTLY CORRECT.

11,000 miles, a little track use, daily driver, except I do not really drive every day, no issues or problems with my transmission.

~147k miles, 2-3 track days a month since 2020, no issues at all

2022 Mach 1, Handling Package A10, purchased new. Currently 16,000 miles. I do 8 track days per year 2 at Lime Rock, 6 at Watkins Glen Int'l.

I had some pretty violent shifting occur back in 2023 coming home from Watkins Glen. It was the first time I had experienced that. Decided at that point to see if being patient and making sure the 10R80 was up to operating temperature before driving it assertively would help. It did. I have been and continue to be personally leary to let the dealer service the 10R80. I am not convinced Ford really understands what the problems are and how to implement a lasting solution, so as long as I can make minor changes (warm up the ATF before getting on it), and change the fluid and filter once a year, I'll keep doing that

At 12,000 miles, I purchased a vacuum pump, sucked all the fluid out, dropped the pan, replaced the filter and the fluid with Factory Ford Fluid.

Based on comparing how much ATF I added versus what I removed, my 10R80 was at least 1.5 quarts LOW.. Not surprised after everything I have read on line. Basically, if a 10R80 is overfilled, it displays more problem issues, from overheating, to hard shifts etc. So I am not shocked at all that it left Michigan low. furthermore, it's the worst designed ATF dipstick set up I have every seen. Just inches from the passenger side catalytic converter.

I'll be leaving for Watkins Glen this Sunday for 2 track days with SCDA. Ran Lime Rock back in April.

All in all, the 10R80 is working just fine. Having said that I am seriously considering the NextGen Valve Body upgrade at some point maybe end of this track season.

My personal experience and opinion is that the 10R80 is extremely sensitive to ATF Fill Level. After I changed my fluid, which came out perfectly bright red at 12,000 miles, and then refilled it the 10R80 shifted better than it ever had since I bought it. Like I said I know I put 1.5 more quarts back in than I pumped out, and I checked the ATF level several times at operating temperature up on my 7,000 pound QuikJack set up. I think I ended up having to siphon out about 4 ounces of fluid after coming back from my first track day last year as I had some damp stains on the plastic pan. When these are full, or ever so slightly overfilled fluid will escape from a vent at the top of the tranny and drip down and show up on the pan, especially on the passenger side. It's a very unfriendly set up to check fluid level, and add or remove fluid. My local parts dealer was nice enough to send me copies of the pages out of the Ford Service manual, that's where I got the tip "hack" to go out and purchase Extra Long Handle Bent Needle Nose Pliers . that's what Ford techs are told to use to grab the dipstick and not burn themselves on the 450 -500 degree cat..... Nice design !!!!

Thanks for the bent needle nose plier tip.

What is the "NextGen Throttle Body upgrade?"

Junkyard Dog said:

Thanks for the bent needle nose plier tip.

What is the "NextGen Throttle Body upgrade?"

Click to expand...

I have been reading on and off for the last 2 years about what's going on with the 10R80's. It can be mind numbing. Lots of opinions, lots of products. I am leaning towards the NextGen Valve Body, (sorry not Throttle Body, another senior moment !) I will go back and edit that post to correct that error.

Goes without saying we all have to make our own decisions, and I haven't made mine yet. However, I am attaching one of many videos the owner of NextGen has made. Besides the fact, that I tend to trust what he's saying, his Valve Body is guaranteed for 10 years, it could be moved to a complete new, or rebuilt 10R80 if it ever came to that awful outcome, so at least it's not like throwing $3500 down the drain if something else were to fail. A Valve Body rebuild kit could be purchased for less, I just don't have the skills/or interest in trying to do that rebuild.

Here's a link to one of his interview/videos I recently listened to. I may call him one of these days this summer and discuss the issue further. I'd love to find a way to potentially head off a complete rebuild and or replacement if I keep tracking this car which I have every intention of doing.

Pretty sure in addition to addressing known/proven points of failure the valve body also comes with ATF fluid temperature thermostat that opens way before the factory 190 temps. Seems like a better place to start to prevent pretty likely failure issues down the road, but I am not an expert, just a guy who likes the Mach 1 and absolutely want to drive to, from, and on the track, with an A10.

great video. And may I add that he has a lot of self confidence.