In conjunction with all his off-road racing transmission experience, Wood’s reputation for building stout, durable, yet smooth-shifting Ford Power Stroke transmissions is known nationwide. When we stopped by this weekend he showed us one of the reasons why the 5R110 behind the 6.4L Power Stroke survives 500-plus hp on a regular basis: on ’08 and ’09 models, the Torqshift’s Overdrive planetary gear is of a 5-pinion design, whereas the 5R110’s behind 6.0L’s had 4-pinion units.
And, while working on an E4OD, Wood told us that while checking the transmission pan and the magnetic drain plug for metal particles can be done, the backside of the transmission filter is where he collects most of his data, and diagnoses the problem before ever actually getting into the transmission.
Future plans, innovations, and floating ideas around his shop include possibly turning a 4R100 into a six-speed. Needless to say, it was a very informative trip, and it’s always a pleasure to converse with some of the diesel industries’ best.