Sorry to hear about your tranny problems. My rig has been great towing both a boat or a 4-horse trailer with the truck packed to the gills full of hunting gear.

One thing for you other Ford guys with powerstrokes, check the bolts on your turbo housing. The last time I took my truck in for service, all of the bolts were loose with one that backed out completely and missing. The technician told me that some of the trucks didn't get thread sealer on these bolts and that they can loosen up. I'm not sure if he was down-playing a more serious problem, or if it is no big deal, but check it out. It sounded like they are seeing this on some of the powerstrokes. I would hate to think what would happen if all the bolts backed out and you are cruisin' down the freeway!

Also, when it is cold out and I start my truck, there is a valve that shuts (or opens?) to recirculate the exhaust with the purpose of heating the truck up quicker. You can hear a loud wind-flow noise from the exhaust when the valve is engaged and the truck is left to idle. When my truck was new, this would engage and the truck would make this noise until the temp came up, and then it would disengage and sound like a normal warm idle. Now when I start it in the cold, this valve continually engages and disengages over and over rapidly until the truck is warm. The dealer has replaced the computer in the truck to no avail, and they tell me that this will not hurt anything. But I feel that this just is not working right. It didn't do it when it was brand new.

So does anyone else hear this from their truck, and does it engage and disengage like my rig, or just engage until the truck is warm? I would like to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks!